Gelatin free gummy bear type candies.

http://www.confectionerynews.com/R-D/Wrigley-develops-gelatin-free-chewy-candy

A new patent has been filed which would enable chewy and gummy products to be made without gelatin. According to the article Wrigley's is especially aware of the need to eliminate gelatin for those who observe dietary restrictions. This probably means vegetarians, observant Jews and Muslims who are strict in following halal rules.

Potentially it means lots of products can be switched to becoming kosher, and those giving heterim for gelatin and gelatin like products can be put out of their misery.

It will be interesting to see how long it takes for this to be applicable.

Best wishes

Reb Chaim Kanievsky re: Mash'iach

The Gaboim by Reb Chaim Kanievsky, Shlita deny any of the recent stories going around re: statements from Reb Chaim re: Mash'iach. I.e. Chasunah, mishulach, sefer, etc.

Update: Fish infestation

A clean fish for the 9 days is the Tilapia.

INFESTED:
Pollock: including Minced- Minced fish sticks, minced fish patties, minced fish cakes, California roll, Surimi.
FLOUNDER: All,  Georgia, et al is not infested but the fish mongers mislead the consumer claiming "it's Georgia" when in fact it isn't.
Herring:, including fillets- Fillets have less, but it is present. The Gavad of the Aida does not allow any herring in his Bais Medrash.
Sable: Unless farm raised.
Canned Salmon: All, Unless farm raised.
Salmon wild: All.
White fish: Winnipeg minced.
Carp: By head & tail area.
Lox: wild- Farm raised is clean.
Sea Bass: Usually by belly flap.
Sardines: Unless skinless, morocco or Philipines.
Cod: 
Halibut:
Perch:
 Note: Updates to follow:

UPDATE: ALL of the $$$$ Funding for a Matzah bakery is B"H secured.

Now that all of the funding is secure, the search is on for 

SERIOUS INDIVIDUALS,
INCLUDING FINANCIAL BACKING FOR A HAND MATZAH BAKERY IN CENTRAL JERSEY

Respond to fax- 1-888- 887- 7570
or to  kashrusy@aol.com

The Matzah bakery will be under the the control of Rabbonim that will follow Klal yisroel's "mesorah".

Update: Re: Lakewood's "SHATNEZ SPECIALISTS"

 If you brought any clothing to the Lakewood's "SHATNEZ SPECIALISTS", they must be re-checked by a qualified reliable Shatnez Laboratory.

This includes any of their branches as well.
5 Butell Ave
6 Maplewood Terr (Westgate)
47 Kedma (park & 4th)
1427 Laurelwood (14th St)
Sew much more 
363 Cedarbridge Ave

UPDATE: Blueberries: "The rest of the story"

Blueberries [all varieties] are commonly infested with
thrips, scale insects, mites and maggots.

Some Rabbonim seem not to be aware of the facts and the seriousness of this issue and issued some misleading  information.

Different seasons & different localities will harbor some or all of the above insects.
Wild and organic blueberries are the most infested.
Washing may get rid of some but not necessarily all of the insects.

Some of the areas that are more heavily infested include, New Jersey, California, Mexico, Canada, the Carolinas, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maine, etc

Therefore all Blueberries, all seasons, all locals should not be used unless they were checked by trained experts in these insects.


The above includes, fresh, frozen, dried, filling, jams, etc

Kashrus Alert: "Edible Arrangements" The "OK" is not OK, again?

As far as we were able to ascertain, ALL "Edible-Arrangements" are not to be used by the kosher consumer-INCLUDING those under HASHGOCHA!

Edible Arrangements located in many different areas produces arrangements that a kosher consumer may not eat due the commonly infested fruits being used.

The ones that are certified by the OK, should not be used either, as their fruits i.e. Strawberries have the same infestation issues as any other one of their outlets.

UPDATE: Infestation Update:

All "cod-liver" are infested w/ anisakis
SunDried Tomatoes- Infested, especially the ones w/ Hashgocha.
Blueberries- fresh, frozen: infested with scale insects & maggots-DO NOT USE even with Hashgocha. "BMG's KCL allows bakeries & others to use infested blueberries & raisins.
Strawberriess- Fresh- very infested- Cut off green top with a very thin sliver of fruit, peel strawberry so all seeds are removed, rinse, no further checking necessary-
Frozen strawberries-with hashgocha- puree very fine or cook.
Raspberries, Blackberries- too infested, do not use.
Scallions- Check for leaf miners, slice open lengthwise including ALL tubers, wash with soap & winter, rinse.
Celery- lately has been found to have many leaf miners, which can be identified by their wavy translucent trails.
Chives- infested. Use only the specially grown ones, and wash well. Unless you have BMG's KCL, they allow the use of infested chives.
Grapes- Break into small clusters, soak in soapy solution & rinse (soak & rinse 3 times), the wash & rub each grape to remove the scale insects.
Corn on the cob- Infested with thrips, remove kernels, rinse.
Raisins- Are infested, to check them, soak for 24 hours, strain water into a fine mesh cloth, check cloth on a light box. Be familiar with the insects appearance. This includes Raisin bran cereals.
Dried figs- very infested with camouflaged insects, requires checking by an expert or by properly trained individual. Fresh figs- very hard to check.
Bodek Garni bags- are unacceptable, as the holes are way too large and fully grown insects go right through.
Corn on the cob-Infested, fresh or frozen- must de-rkenelize, rinse, eat. canned frozen, fresh kernels are generally clean.

Update: Re: 5 Towns- We aren't talking about mehadrin v. non-mehadrin. "Basic kashrus"

Re: 5 Towns restaurants and other food service establishments.


In general their restaurants, caterers, take-out etc don't have qualified individuals for checking & cleaning fruits and vegetables from infestation. Therefore Refrain from the fruits & vegetables that require Bedikas toliyim. 
The Vaad Hakashrus claims that, The Modern Orthodox Rabbis don't give them a free hand in having a proper standard.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_OVWZVlqRo

Gourmet Glatt and Season's do have properly trained mashgichim, but the other establishments don't have properly trained mashgichim.

Why is the Administrator  busy doing consultant work for other agencies, doing private hashgochas, giving speeches, writing misleading guides and misleading articles for the consumer in checking vegetables. The 5 Towns Vaad doesn't compensate him sufficiently?

The 5 Towns Kashrus Administrator was offered $1,000.00 to a Zedakah of his choice, if the Administrator is willing to be tested hands on on Bedikas-Toloyim- He did not accept the challenge- Raboisai,  because does not know Bedikas toloyim.

He is a good orator, SO?

Corn on the cob (frozen,Fresh, cooked,Microwavable) all infested.

UPDATE: Calif. delight W/ Hisachdus?

Rav Ekstein removed hashgocha.
Why?
Corn on the cob, is known to be infested, including the frozen ones.
 Even if it's soaked and salted.

Are the ones from Mexico, Thailand, any better? [No]

Does a Heimish Hashgocha  help to elminate, not just minimize the insects? NO
Bottom line, (frsh & frozen, cooked) Remove the kernels & rinse.
NOT THE BABY CORN

Quebec strawberries virus spread by "APHIDS" (parasites)

Virus devastates strawberry fields in Quebec

BY CHRISTOPHER CURTIS, THE GAZETTEJULY 11, 2014

Strawberry farmer Louis Marineau explains at his family’s Marineau Farm in Laval north of Montreal, how the strawberry blight is affecting this year’s crop on many Quebec farms.

Photograph by: Peter McCabe, The Gazette

MONTREAL — These days, Martin Marineau is out of bed and working the fields just after sunrise. No matter what the day throws at him, whether it’s sweltering heat, rain or some man-made obstacle, he’ll likely only punch out at around 10 p.m.

Marineau will keep this routine up seven days a week for the next month. It’s the height of strawberry picking season in Quebec and the longtime farmer knows he only has a small window of time to get his harvest in crates and ready for customers.

But like so many of the province’s 700 strawberry farmers, Marineau’s crops have been devastated by the mild yellow edge virus and the strawberry mottle virus.

Kashrus Alert: The kosher certified "cod-Liver" contains insects that are "ossur"!

This is the worms being found in the kosher certified canned "Kosher" Cod-Liver. 

Miami Rabbis allow these questionable (non)kosher cruises.? KOSHERICA

Do the "MIAMI" Rabbis sanction these non-kosher cruises? Miami based cruises!
Isn't it embarrassing that the Miami Rabbis are allowing this scandal in their Miami territor

What size insect is not permitted? According to all poiskim - we are talking about an איסור דאוריתא!

Assisted Suicide, Euthanasia, Death with dignity, End of life, Hospice, Palliative care & finally Chaim Aruchim [it's all the same]

Hospice & Palliative care "end of life" medical decisions- 

When the medical professionals state that the individual  has six months to live, protocol is to arrange Hospice or Palliative care.

The Hospice / Palliative providers will have their professionals take over complete care of the patient. including medication, hydrating, food, nourishment, nursing if needed, etc.

It's alleged that The Insurance Companies may advance three months payment in advance. If the individual doesn't make it for the three months, the funds are not returned to the insurance company but is kept by the providers. (Financial incentive)

The "OK" V Star-K position re: infestation

The OK' s position re: "toloiyim" is to talk about it, publish pamphlets, etc but on the practical end do the following:
Don't train any mashgichim properly,
Don't have any qualified individuals to follow up.
Don't do anything at all.
Even the Star-K has outdone the OK on this one.

The Star-k is not up to par, but they are at least moving in the right direction.

This is "di'oirasah" not di"rabonun".

 No one forgot the Vinegar episodes, the Shufrah, etc all pesach issues, the Jewish frum bakery working on Shabbos, etc

The OK and the Five Towns Vaad do not have sufficient knowledge in checking infestation?

07/17/13-OK Kosher Certification in Brooklyn and the Vaad Hakashrus of the Five Towns and Far Rockaway both certify bakery products in the 5 Towns as kosher. 
On Monday, Rabbi Chaim Fogelman of OK Kosher did not reply to a phone call and e-mail seeking comment. 


And Rabbi Yosef Eisen of the Vaad did not to respond to six phone calls to his office. The phone calls were by the press & others. When one has no answers, he doesn't respond to calls.

100% pure Olive oil isn't a "group 1"

A federal judge in New York gave Kangadis Foods, the marketer of Capatriti brand olive oils two choices: either recall its “100% Pure Olive Oil” products, or apply stickers to every tin notifying customers that what’s inside is not really olive oil at all.


In North American Olive Oil Association (NAOOA) v. Kangadis Food Inc., U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff denied a request by Kangadis to limit the recall and labeling to only stocks held at wholesalers, according to Law 360.

Capatriti brand products are sold in Walmart stores, and NAOOA estimated Kangadis sells about one million tins of “100% Pure Olive Oil” each year.
In its first-ever legal action against an olive oil company, NAOOA sued the makers of Capatriti products in February, accusing Kangadis Foods, which conducts business as The Gourmet Factory, of “unlawful, misleading and deceptive misbranding.”

Olive pomace oil is a refined product extracted from the byproducts of the first pressing, the leftover olive pits and pulp, using high heat and chemical solvents. ”Olive pomace oil is not allowed in any grade of olive oil under any standard in the world,” said Eryn Balch, executive vice president of the NAOOA.
The NAOOA first took interest in the Capatriti brand when it “observed significant price discrepancy in recent months,” said Balch. The lawsuit documents state that Capatriti’s “100% Pure Olive Oil” sold for one-third to one-half the prices of comparable products.

Source: Law 360

Lakewood's Cold Drinks "Gemachs"

1140 Forest Ave., corner Carey St.

422 Third St. Between Forest & Madison Ave

900 Monmouth Ave. 9th & Monmouth

75 Shady Lane Dr.

1105 North Lake Dr.

841 EastEnd Ave.

KCL standards are strictly "political" not any kashrus standards- why pay exorbirant "protection- money"?

AH! The Roshei Yeshiva say "only KCL".
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

ALERT; Lakewood Bais Din L'Inyanay Shatnez, certified test center "not-reliable" R"L

There have been numerous incidents where the Lakewood Shatnez test under the hashgocha of the  Lakewood Bais Din L'Inyanay Shatnez, has been found to be definite Shatnez even though it was certified as Non-Shatnez.

The incidents were numerous, too many to be called a mistake. The places where the Shatnez was fond indicate a complete lack of knowledge of the expertise required to properly check for Shatnez.

Therefore previous tested clothing by above,  should be re-tested by a qualified test center. 

The fact of the Bais Din certification on that Test center puts to question of the Knowledge the Members of the Bais Din poses in the Expertise of Shatnez testing.

The Lakewood Test center, is an offspring of the Monsey test Center, which has been proven on numerous occasions not to have the basic knowledge required for testing.

Therefore one should only utilize a shatnez testing lab certified by "The International Association of Shatnez testers". There are currently 3 certified "reliable" test centers in lakewood.

Please note that Grapeskin  Powder from ‘North of 49 Naturals’ mistakenly bears the OU symbol.  This product is not certified by the Orthodox Union.

UPDATE: Shocking: The 5 Towns Rabbis lost their bearings?

Shocking: Allegedly, The "Five Towns"- Vaad Hakashrus says- 

The VAAD Rabbis don't allow the Vaad Hakashrus to upgrade their bare minimum standards?


NO TRAINING FOR CHECKING FOR INFESTATION?
NO MONEY FOR LIGHT BOXES FOR MASHGICHIM?


Prior to Rockaway kashrus joining 5 Towns kashrus they were at a better kashrus standard, now they went south. Perhaps it's time to separate?




At the Chanukah "Lipa" concert in the 5 Towns
They were giving out free food at 3 different stations that was fleishdik, milchdik & fishdik.

It was not clear that the fleishdik was actually fleishdik. Even some of the frum residents during the year do not realize this and buy the fleishdik takeout food on the assumption it is pareve.

And since the concert was advertised everywhere as a Chanukkah event for kids, it attracted a lot of freya who certainly had no clue. So there were people fressing pizza after fressing fleishdiks.

I think it was a huge michshol and I don't think anyone cares. There have been big problems there that the owners blow off even if (non-Vaad) rabbonim approach them. And Rav Eisen head of  the vaad "claims" usually his hands are tied by the modern orthodox shul rabbis who employ him under constant threat to not make trouble with pesky kashrus inyanim.

Reb Ahron z"l defining a midah and it's potential

In Avos-Perek 5 the Mishnah says האומר שלי שלי ושלך שלך.......ויש אומרים זו מידת סדום why is that מידת סדום?

The Mishnah in Avos says that according to one opinion the policy of what is mine is mine and what is yours is yours is the Midah of Sedom, why is that?, because when a person doesn’t have any feeling for his friend, if he focuses solely on his own personal wants and needs, then he will eventually sink to the level of the illegitimate seizing his friends rights of ownership. You will become desensitized to actual theft because his Yetzer Hora will so blind him with self-centeredness that he will feel everything is his.

The Navi Yechezkel (16, 49) castigates Sdom for not supporting poor people but they did much more than that, they actually murdered townsmen taking in guests. The explanation is that the Navi went to the Shoresh, the underlying source of all their wickedness which was their non- consideration of the needs of the poor. They were so focused only on themselves and they viewed the kindness of Hachnosas Orchim as an act of damage to the town and thus deserving the death penalty.

Milk in todays times

by Rabbi Dovid Wheeler

Traces of pig DNA were found in Cadbury chocolate bars in Malaysia. The Muslims that live there are religious, and their religion prohibits the consumption of or contact with pigs.  Naturally they were very upset.  Since the British chocolate company was purchased by Kraft Foods, questions were raised regarding the other dairy products of Kraft (like Oreo cookies).  (In the past pig milk, a very fatty milk, could be used to “enhance the quality” of cow milk or compensate for watering down the cow milk.)

Found bike- Roadmaster-mt fury 15 speed

For further details Call Shain 732-364-8046 
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Pork traces found in Cadbury dairy chocolate

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/26/pork-dna-found-in-cadbury_n_5393809.html

Coney Island Ritas "store" kosher certification is a fraud

 Coney Island RITA'S web site "falsely" claims to be certified by the OU and the KOF-K.
http://yeahthatskosher.com/2014/05/ritas-italian-ice-now-open-at-coney-island-brooklyn-ny/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YeahThatsKosher+%28YeahThatsKosher.com++%7C++Your+Jewish+%26+Kosher+Travel+resource%29

The Kof-K says they do not certify any Ritas Stores.

Schmerling cheese in Lakewood w/ unacceptable hashgocha

Schmerling cheese being sold in
Lakewood w/ an unacceptable Amsterdam hashgocha.

Note: NPGS is carrying a new bread that does not have a date code and does not say  הופרש חלה 

How "NOT" to check romaine- you will consume insects with these methods

http://www.crcweb.org/videos.php#RomainLettuce

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcsBQrYJAGA

Update: Bodek's kosher certifier's have not yet upgraded their standards on infestation.

"Lakewood" parents- see Mishpach "lifelines" May 14th, time to save your Lakewood kids

Copepods in NYC water-must use a 5 micron filter

Shrimp cocktail: In the spirit of New York City’s “WaterWeek,” here’s a little (microscopic, actually) fun fact. Did you know NYC’s tap water isn’t technically vegan or kosher? Nope. As we speak, copepods—tiny crustaceans that love to eat mosquito larvae—are swimming their way through the city’s pipes and down the pipes of New Yorkers. (And we're all pretty fine with it, because streaming clean water into your home is awesome!) Inhabitat

A must see video at yeshiva world

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/230768/video-how-to-keep-our-children-on-the-derech.html

Update: BMG's "KCL" allows infested blueberries, chives, figs, raisins, fresh rosemarry etc.

Make sure you don't come to 4 corners bagel shop before 6:00 AM because the Jewish mashgiach only arrives then. The Non-Jewish ones are there from much much earlier, preparing for the brissim, breakfast etc. (without a mashgiach)

BTW-Don't be surprised if you can't figure out which one  is the BMG's KCL mashgiach.

Wait till you attend one of their brissim, without any mashgiach either. They have one roaming yid that makes the deliveries to each site. They abide by BMG's KCL guidelines which are politically based not kashrus.

Mehadrin poultry aka=Birdsboro poultry

Mehadrin poultry aka= Birdsboro Poultry is  truly a Mehadrin poultry in kashrus. The owners and management are always looking for ideas to improve the kashrus and the quality of their product.

ANIMAL RIGHTS Organizations -attack humane shechita & allow boiling lobster & crabs live ???????????