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California health officials warn bird flu detected in batch of raw milk

November 25, 2024
Health officials raised concerns about the presence of bird flu in raw milk. California officials warned on Sunday, Nov. 24, that a batch of raw milks sold in the state tested positive for the virus.

State officials said that they found H5N1 in whole raw milk from “Raw Farm” with a “best by” date of Nov. 27, 2024.

In response to the findings, Raw Farm issued a voluntary recall of the product.

There have been no reported illnesses linked to the specific product. Nationwide, there are not yet any known cases of humans contracting bird flu through drinking raw milk.

Still, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned against drinking raw milk because it does not undergo a pasteurization process that kills bacteria and viruses.

California’s health department maintains that pasteurized milk remains safe to drink.

Most U.S. bird flu cases in people have been discovered in farmworkers who worked directly with infected animals.

As of Friday, Nov. 22, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 616 dairy herds across 15 states have been impacted by bird flu.
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Bears break into Alaska military base, steal soldiers’ rations

November 22, 2024

Service members in our nation’s armed forces might make fun of their emergency and on-the-go rations, but it looks like bears don’t have the same qualms. Military officials said a group of bears broke in and stole soldiers’ rations.

The U.S. military stockpiles “meals ready to eat” – better known as MREs. They’re full meals that can be eaten quickly and easily by just tearing open a bag. Accessing the food is so easy, apparently, even a bear can do it.

Recently, hungry bears broke into a storage room at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska, fittingly nicknamed JBER and pronounced like “jay bear,’ and helped themselves to a ready-to-eat feast.

It’s not just food the bears seem to be after at the base. At the beginning of this month, a young bear was spotted inside a Humvee at a motor pool building.

Base officials said they respond to about 600 bear-related calls a year. However, they said it’s very rare for the animals to get inside the buildings.
US’ 4 largest frozen spud producers accused of forming ‘potato cartel’

November 22, 2024
As reported on Wednesday, Nov. 20, just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, the United States’ four leading producers of frozen spuds are in hot water. A handful of federal lawsuits filed this week accuse the companies of forming a “potato cartel.”

Court documents allege that the potato producers coordinated prices through a third-party data company.

The lawsuits claim Cavendish Farms, McCain Foods, JR Simplot, Lamb Weston and the National Potato Promotion Board conspired to fix and manipulate prices for frozen potatoes in the United States.

Prosecutors say that the companies formed a cartel by having equal “access to each other’s data on pricing and other sensitive information, as well as a direct line of communication to each other.” They added that this allowed the companies to raise prices in a concerted arrangement, which violated U.S. antitrust laws.

The lawsuits assert that the price coordination was made possible through a market data aggregator, which in one of the lawsuits, is alleged to be the research firm Circana.

These companies reportedly control more than 95% of the frozen potato market and attorneys say they used their market dominance to increase prices by nearly 50% in a two-year span.

The lawsuits seek undisclosed monetary damages and a court order ending the alleged price fixing.

A McCain Foods spokesperson denied the allegations that the company broke antitrust laws and vowed to fight all lawsuits leveled against the company. The other companies involved in the lawsuits have yet to respond as of the publishing of this report.
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Winning bidder pays $6.2 million for duct-taped banana artwork

November 21, 2024
A duct-taped banana sold for $6.2 million on Wednesday, Nov. 20, in New York City. The work of art by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan is called “Comedian.”

After more than six minutes of bidding at Sotheby’s auction house, the winner was declared. Justin Sun, the Chinese-born founder of the cryptocurrency platform TRON, who watched the auction from Hong Kong, was the work’s new owner.

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A post shared by Sotheby's (@sothebys)

“Comedian” comes with installation instructions — 14 pages — that double as the certificate of authenticity. It instructs the owner to replace the fruit when needed with a supply of his own and to position the banana so it curves to the right and always displays vertically.

The piece was estimated to fetch between $1 million and $1.5 million, but bidders went far beyond that to be the top banana. Cattelan has said he crafted his work as a satirical jab at market speculation.

“Comedian” first debuted at a Miami Beach art event in 2019, where the Perrotin Gallery sold three editions for between $120,000 and $150,000 each. However, the work proved “ripe for the taking” for one performance artist, David Datuna, who ripped the banana right off the wall and ate it.

The piece has even caused an uproar in the crypto world. Earlier this month Sotheby’s executive Michael Bouhanna created a memecoin, crypto inspired by online trends or memes, based on Cattelan’s banana called “BAN.” It was direct competition with another “Comedian”-inspired memecoin minted in August called “BTW,” short for “banana tape wall.”

Sun said he will pay for the work in crypto. But what did the tycoon find so “appealing” about the duct-taped banana?

In a statement, Sun said the work “represents a cultural phenomenon that bridges the worlds of art, memes, and the cryptocurrency community.”

As for what he’ll do with it, he plans to “personally eat the banana as part of this unique artistic experience, honoring its place in both art history and popular culture.”
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Pizza Hut launches ‘pizza wine’ for holiday season

November 20, 2024
Pizza Hut is collaborating with Irvine’s Just Beyond Paradise Winery, a family-owned vineyard in Kansas, to launch a new wine in time for the holidays. The pizza chain is hoping for a holiday turnaround after reporting a decline in sales last quarter.

The company said in a press release on Tuesday, Nov. 19, this limited-edition tomato wine “captures the essence of your favorite slice in a sip.”

According to the winery and the Hut, the wine gives off an aromatic blend of fresh herbs and spices including basil and oregano, a whisper of garlic, with notes of sundried tomatoes and a subtle hint of toasted oak.

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A post shared by Irvine’s Just Beyond Paradise (@irvinesjbpwinery)

Pizza Hut’s Director of Advertising Elyse Slayton said the company took the classic pairing of pizza and red wine and “flipped it on its head.” While the wine comes from tomatoes, Pizza Hut said it delivers a taste more reminiscent of a white wine when chilled.

You can purchase a bottle for $25 at the winery’s website, but there is a minimum order of two. You can also buy a gift box for $60. The gift box offers one bottle of wine, two wine glasses and a wine opener.

If you’re not feeling adventurous for “Pizza Wine,” Pizza Hut’s also bringing back its Triple Threat Box for the holidays. The combo package features two medium one-topping pizzas, breadsticks, and a dessert wrapped in festive box.

But Pizza Hut isn’t done there for its holiday offerings. For gamers trying to reheat their piece of holiday pie, pizza pie that is, the company’s Canada division has unveiled the “Pizzawrmr.”

It’s a 3D-printed box that sits atop your PlayStation 5 console to warm up your pizza. All the files you need to make one are available to download.

Any way you slice it, Pizza Hut is looking to bring up profits as it tries to find a place at the holiday table this year.
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UN resuming Haiti aid flights nearly a week after 3 planes hit by gunfire

November 19, 2024
The United Nations announced on Monday, Nov. 18, it will resume aid flights to Hait on Wednesday, Nov. 20. This comes about a week after three commercial planes were hit by gang gunfire that led to a pause in commercial flights to the island nation.

As Straight Arrow News reported last week, the United States announced a pause to all flights into Haiti for at least 30 days after bullets hit three commercial flights.

Armed gangs also reportedly opened fire on a U.N. helicopter and U.S. Embassy truck in Haiti last month.

Haiti’s government restarted helicopter services on Monday, Nov. 18 as it transported three government officials following the ousting and appointment of a new prime minister.

Despite certain flights resuming, most parts of Port-au-Prince remain under gang control, as criminal organizations gain ground in the capital.

The rising violence has dealt a blow to a U.N.-backed international mission to reestablish control of the capital and ease delays of U.N. aid.

The agency says only 20% of the capital is accessible to aid workers and estimated on Sunday, Nov. 17, that more than 20,000 Haitians were displaced over four days. Half of the 20,000 displaced were children and many now face disease and hunger.

The U.N. warns that without more international support “the suffering will worsen exponentially” for Haitians.
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Organic carrots from California company linked to deadly E. coli outbreak

November 19, 2024
A deadly outbreak of E. coli in the United States has been linked to organic carrots. The Food and Drug Administration is now warning consumers not to eat or serve multiple brands of bagged organic whole and baby carrots, supplied by Grimmway Farms from California.

It is now recalling various brands after one person has died and more than a dozen others became sick, with 15 being hospitalized.

Washington state had the most people sickened with eight, followed by New York and Minnesota with five. Oregon and California had three while a dozen other states had at least one person get sick with E. coli. Symptoms of the illness include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

The organic carrots were sold in some big name stores from Aug. 14 to Oct. 23. They include Wegmans, Trader Joes, Simple Truth and Full Circle, among others.

The whole carrots do not have a best-if-used-by date printed on the bag. However, the baby carrots have a best-if-used-by date ranging from Sept. 11 through Nov. 12.

People who have the recalled carrots should either return them to the store or throw them out. In addition, wash any surfaces that came in contact with the carrots.
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Blackstone strikes deal with Jersey Mike’s Subs: WSJ

November 19, 2024
Private equity firm Blackstone could soon own the popular sandwich chain Jersey Mike’s Subs. According to The Wall Street Journal, the deal would value Jersey Mike’s at $8 billion, including debt.

In an update Tuesday, Nov. 19, Blackstone responded to the Journal’s report and confirmed it has struck a deal to take a majority stake in the Manasquan, N.J.-based sandwich chain.

Blackstone has a history of investing in franchise businesses. It just made a deal in April to buy Tropical Smoothie Café. The Journal also mentions Blackstone’s deal for franchiser Hilton Hotels was the “most profitable private-equity investment in real estate ever.”

Jersey Mike’s, which now has over 3,000 locations, has its roots as a sandwich shop that opened on the Jersey Shore in 1956. In 1975, 17-year-old employee Peter Cancro bought the shop, changed its name to Jersey Mike’s, and began franchising it years later. He remains the company’s CEO.

Consulting company Technomic said Jersey Mike’s is the second largest sub-style sandwich company in the U.S. by sales after Subway.
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Ben & Jerry’s says parent company is silencing its pro-Palestinian views

November 15, 2024
Ice cream maker Ben & Jerry’s is suing its parent company, Unilever, accusing it of silencing the brand’s attempts to speak out in support of Palestinians. Ben & Jerry’s filed the lawsuit in federal court this week, claiming Unilever has repeatedly violated agreements that protect the brand’s independence.

The complaint alleges Unilever blocked the company from making statements, taking actions and making donations to certain activism groups. The lawsuit accused the company of attempting to intimidate its personnel into silence.

At the heart of the dispute is Ben & Jerry’s independent board. It was established in 2000 when Unilever acquired the company. The board was designed to ensure the ice cream brand could continue its activism.

Ben & Jerry’s claims Unilever has tried to dismantle the board and shut down its efforts to speak out on social issues, including pro-Palestinian messaging during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.

The lawsuit provides several examples of Unilever allegedly blocking Ben & Jerry’s from taking a stand.

In December 2023, Ben & Jerry’s sought to release a statement calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. However, the complaint alleges Unilever threatened to break up the board if the statement was issued.

In May, Ben & Jerry’s wanted to tweet in support of Palestinian safe passage to the U.K. The company claims Unilever blocked the tweet.

Unilever allegedly cited concerns about current events in the Middle East, including an Iranian missile attack on Israel at the time.

The following month, Ben & Jerry’s attempted to release a statement backing student protests over civilian deaths in Gaza but was allegedly blocked again.

In September, the lawsuit claims Unilever stopped Ben & Jerry’s from supporting legislation introduced by Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders to block U.S. arms sales to Israel.

Ben & Jerry’s also said Unilever blocked donations to organizations such as Jewish Voice for Peace and the Council on American-Islamic Relations, citing concerns over the groups’ anti-Israel stances.

In 2021, Ben & Jerry’s also sued Unilever to prevent the sale of ice cream in Jewish settlements in the West Bank. Unilever has previously stated it wants to remain “neutral” on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Unilever has rejected the accusations in Ben & Jerry’s lawsuit and said it will defend itself “very strongly” in court.
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Lawsuits accuse Kraft Heinz and Lindt Chocolate of lying about ingredients

November 15, 2024
A federal judge refused a motion by Kraft Heinz to dismiss a class-action lawsuit against it, which accuses the food giant of lying about its Mac & Cheese claims of no artificial preservatives in its ingredients label. U.S. District Judge Mary Rowland ruled on Wednesday, Nov. 13, that the plaintiffs made a reasonable allegation that Kraft Mac & Cheese contains a synthetic form of citric acid and also has sodium phosphates.

Rowland noted that synthetic citric acid is different from the natural variety.

The lawsuit specifically alleged the ingredients were used as preservatives, which makes Kraft Heinz’s claim of “no artificial flavors, preservatives, or dyes” on its label false.

The plaintiffs reportedly used scholarly studies and U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance to back up their claims.

However, Kraft Heinz contends that the allegations are untrue, and its ingredients do not artificial preservatives. In a statement to Fox Business the company said the lawsuit has “no merit” and that it stood by its ingredients listed on the label.

The plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit are seeking damages for fraud, violations of consumer protection laws, and unjust enrichment. It’s one of many legal challenges alleging deceptive food labels.

Swiss-based chocolate company Lindt is also facing a class-action lawsuit. The lawsuit alleged that Lindt’s dark chocolate bars of the 70% and 85% cocoa varieties contain “significant amounts” of lead and cadmium.

The plaintiffs cite a 2022 Consumer Reports study that shows higher levels of heavy metals in 23 out of 28 chocolate bars it tested compared to various brands of candy, including Lindt.

The plaintiffs argued that the claims by the chocolatier of its “expertly crafted” chocolate made with the “finest ingredients” caused them to believe that the products were free of such metals.

Lindt acknowledged that the phrases are not meant to be guarantees. The company said the phrases are promotional in nature and the presence of such metals is “unavoidable” in the chocolate-making process.

In September 2024, Lindt attempted to have the class-action lawsuit dismissed. However, a judge ruled against it, allowing the lawsuit to proceed in the courts.
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