Tag Archives: wheat

Recall

Undeclared Allergens Drive Recent Recalls

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Recall

Leading up to Halloween, sweets, including cookies, gelato and dipping caramel, were among the foods recalled due to undeclared allergens.

On October 27, Daiso California issued an allergy alert for its Tiramisu Twist Cookies due to undeclared almonds and hazelnuts, and Whole Foods Market recalled Dipping Caramel from five stores in Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska because the product may contain wheat, which is not declared on the product label.

Daiso’s Tiramisu Twist Cookies were sold in Daiso stores in California, Washington, Nevada, Texas, New York and New Jersey. The cookies are packaged in a gold bag with a large image of two cookies on the package and are sold in 3.4oz (96g) packages. According to the FDA alert, there has been one reported case of allergic reaction to this product.

The affected products in the Whole Foods recall was sold at the following Whole Foods Market stores:

  • 10020 Regency Circle, Regency-Omaha, NE
  • 340 Reed Street, Basalt, CO
  • 1250 South Hover Road, Suite 300, Longmont, CO
  • 14615 W. 119th Street, Olathe, KS
  • 9366 S. Colorado Blvd Ste B, Highlands Ranch, CO

The products, “Dipping Caramel by the Pound,” were available in the bakery department with a product code of 34888, sell by dates of October 25 – November 15, 2022, and were available for purchase from October 4 – October 25, 2022. The mislabeling issue was discovered by a store employee.

One day prior, on October 26, Zingerman’s Creamery of Ann Arbor, Michigan, recalled 173 pints of Paw Paw Gelato, 50 quarts of Paw Paw Gelato, 58 pints of Harvest Pumpkin Gelato and 10 quarts of its Harvest Pumpkin Gelato because they may contain undeclared egg allergen.

Per the recall notice, Paw Paw and Harvest Pumpkin Gelato was distributed in Ann Arbor and Chelsea, Michigan through Zingerman’s Creamery, Zingerman’s Deli, zingermans.com, Argus Farm Stop (Packard) and Agricole Farm Stop.

The lots that are recalled are: Paw Paw (220916, 220928, 221005, 221012, 221018) Harvest Pumpkin (220909, 220919, 220928). No illnesses have been reported to date.

Russia Ukraine flags

Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine to Disrupt Food Supply Chain

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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Russia Ukraine flags

An already stressed global food supply chain could see further disruption as a result of Russia invading Ukraine. Several food and beverage manufacturers, including Mondelez, Coca-Cola, Carlsberg, Nestle and Archer Daniels Midland Company have temporarily shut down their facilities in Ukraine in an effort to prioritize employee safety. The Wall Street Journal reported that an ocean vessel chartered by Cargill, Inc. was hit by a projectile off the Ukraine coast.

The conflict has caused a halt in commercial vessels and port closures, which will affect grain and wheat exports. As a result, food products such as cereal, bread and beer containing wheat, corn, oats, barley and rye could see a spike in prices.

On a global scale, the industry will need to manage challenges with increased costs, delivery delays and food insecurity, as the availability of commodities exported by Ukraine and Russia could be significantly impacted for months to come.

Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Food Fraud Quick Bites

Novel Foods, Novel Frauds

By Susanne Kuehne
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Susanne Kuehne, Decernis
Purple beans, food fraud
Find records of fraud such as those discussed in this column and more in the Food Fraud Database.
Image credit: Susanne Kuehne

The popularity of plant-based protein powders has skyrocketed, and so has fraudulent activity with so-called protein boosting adulterants. Examples are a variety of beans, such as fava beans, as well as wheat, maize, alfalfa and more. Due to the rapid innovation and development of novelty supplements, regulatory standards are in urgent need of overhaul. Correct ingredient investigation in commercial plant-based protein powders is therefore a must and was investigated in this study with three different diagnostic tools.

Resource

  1. Faller, A.C., et. al. (August 20, 2019). “Investigating appropriate molecular and chemical methods for ingredient identity testing of plant-based protein powder dietary supplements”. Scientific Reports.

Learn more about food fraud and testing technologies at the Food Labs/Cannabis Labs Conference | June 2–4, 2020

Market for Plant-Based “Meat” to Exceed $320 Million by 2025

By Food Safety Tech Staff
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According to a new report by Global Market Insights, the plant-based meat market, which is currently valued above $150 million, is expected to be worth more than $320 million by 2025. Increased consumer demand for meat alternatives can be attributed to a variety of factors: More awareness of environmental hazards linked to killing animals, animal rights issues, as well as a desire for more vegetarian-based diets due to health concerns.

On a nutritional front, the report also notes: “Plant based meat products are incomplete protein source and lack vitamin B12 which may hinder market growth. Manufacturers are researching to enhance the nutritional profile of plant based meat products by mixing high protein food sources such as quinoa which may fuel product demand.”

Specific sectors that are expected to grow are the following:

  • Pea-based meat: 10.5% CAGR from 2019 to 2025
  • Wheat-based meat: Increase to more than $40 million by 2025
  • Beef wheat-based meat: Expected to grow about 10% by 2025
  • Chicken soy-based meat (currently valued at $70 million in 2018)

Regionally, plant-based meat is anticipated to grow 10% by 2025 in North America, with the report pointing to more awareness of the risks associated with contaminated as well as adulterated meat. In Europe, the value of the market is expected to exceed $55 million by 2025.