Herr’s Roast Pork Potato Chips Spark Un-porcine Kosher Controversy
On June 13, Herr’s released three Philadelphia-inspired potato chips flavors as part of its Flavored by Philly: Local Eats contest commemorating local restaurants.
Alongside a Korean BBQ and tomato pie flavor was a potato chip imbued with the flavor of a John’s Roast Pork sandwich. On the potato chip bag is a photo of a hoagie roll piled high with pork and greens, held together with melted provolone cheese.
But something else on the package may catch the eye of Jewish Philadelphians less interested in the contents of an otherwise off-limits, non-kosher sandwich: At the bottom of the bag is a circled U with a D next to it, an Orthodox Union kosher certification.
A closer look at the ingredients supports the unlikely hechsher. The potato chips contain no pork — just potatoes, oil, seasoning, salt and cheese.
But even with an ingredients list that supports a kosher dairy certification, there’s uncertainty about the true status of the chip’s hechsher.
On July 12, a spokesperson from the OU told the Jewish Exponent, “Out of sensitivity to kosher consumers, we asked the company to remove the OU from this product.”
A spokesperson from Herr’s said, “All our manufactured products are either kosher pareve or dairy. It is a requirement of all new products to meet these standards” and that the feedback from the OU “has been reviewed and taken into consideration.”
So are the Herr’s John’s Roast Pork potato chips kosher or not kosher? As is typical in Jewish debates, the answer is yes, but it’s complicated.
“This is an old question in some ways going back several decades, in some ways going back hundreds of years,” said Congregation Beth Hamedrosh Rabbi Yonah Gross, kashrus administrator at Keystone K, a local hechsher.
Herr’s John’s Roast Pork flavored potato chips contain no treyf, and Herr’s facilities have been kosher-certified for the past 40 years, according to its spokesperson. Though the product may lose its hechsher, it may still be covered under the OU’s kosher certification and technically keep its kosher status. On the OU’s website, “Herr’s Roast Pork Sandwich Flavored Ripple Chip” is listed under “OU Kosher certified Herr Foods, Inc. Products.”
The potato chips in question may violate the Jewish legal concept of marit ayin, or appearance to the eye, the idea that because something appears to violate Jewish law — even if it technically does not — it should be forbidden for good measure.
The debate has recent precedent: In September 2021, OU did not certify Impossible Pork, a plant-based alternative to the meat product, as kosher.
“The Impossible Pork, we didn’t give an ‘OU’ to it, not because it wasn’t kosher per se,” said Rabbi Menachem Genack, the CEO of the Orthodox Union’s kosher division, in a Sept. 27, 2021, JTA.org article. “It may indeed be completely in terms of its ingredients: If it’s completely plant-derived, it’s kosher. Just in terms of sensitivities to the consumer … it didn’t get it.”
23 comments:
If we have Facon flavored stuff and Bacon bits with hashgacha why can't we have no-PORK Flavored Chips?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTBRXHOOqvY
Genack is suddenly camera shy? It's not like Elefant is able to decide these controversial whoppers. These whoppers need the approval of the Big Boss!
This entry should go back up on top so the oylam can see from the video how the OU issued pre-emptive (& empty) propaganda in a slick attempt to head off public backlash.
The OU refused to certify JEZEBEL restaurant till they changed the name.
Does the OU believe that Moshiach came and was mattir the Chazir (770)?
Yeah, "case by case basis" because they are always on the look out to $$ cash in, and always horeving to find new ways to smooth finstereh things over so they can get away with it!
The OU was not only mattir 770 but even against it's own rules to certify blatant Meshichistim. It was no secret that Sholom Rubashkin is Meshichist that goes way beyond his clown Yechee yarmulka.
Chazirishe essen like the potato chips meets OU approval
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb60m04I8kw
And so does chibuk venishuk of a chazir like Hillary.
Mon Jul 31, 01:29:00 PM 2023
In the above post the duck was oiver at least a dozen issurim.
His poetry and his reporting plus all the others he felt to plug just tripled his rishus that has no refuah.
Boruch HaShem this is the only'avlah' at the OU. Kain yirboo.
Just as a minor note (in the Name of Reb Yudel Shlit'a) the D part is a real issue, the pork flavor part is a non issue at all other then to the bored and boring toomlers.
Very sad how some OU staffers can't control their emotions to defend the indefensible.
The OU has a rule against Messianics because their beliefs are problematic for kashrus so secretly allowing it is defrauding the public even by the OU's official standard.
The personal behavior of the OU Chief is also called into question. When the video first emerged there was a lot of chatter among rabbonim. A rosh yeshiva of an establishment yeshiva even angrily asked why is the oylam eating from OU if this video is the metzius and what this man Genack is about.
The above are the issurim & rishus*, not calling attention to shameful OU behavior.
* When an avaryan in Vilna tantzed with a goyta befarhesya in the gass, the Gaon said they will also get him on the fact that it's Shabbos & he was being metaltel muktzeh at the same time. So here you have Genack vos er shpringt to embrace Hillary, while he is also farkoifing the treifenner anti-Torah Democrats in his rabbinical costume. Triple rishus indeed. "Ashre(k)cha"!
Whats the issue? Chazal (Reb Elozor ben Azarya) say a person should NOT say "I abstain from pork because I dont like it, but rather I do so because of Hashem's commandment"!
Hence theres nothing wrong wih eating anything that tastes like chazer! In fact it demonstartes the above.
Proof, is that Rabbah salted "SHIBUTA" fish in honor of Shabbos. Chazal say Shibuta tastes like.... CHAZER!!! Rabbah ate it likavod Shabbos!
There is a Rov who complained to them about JEZEBEL that it had serious issues even after it was taken on. Whoa, did they EVER threaten that Rov for daring to provide his input! The OU are like Mafia!
You see and report what’s on your agenda.
You can’t stand the fact that HoRav Genack is a huge talmid chacham so you jump at every thing you see and back handedly accuse him of kol Davao ashir.
The fact is that when Hillary walked by she saw him and gave him a hug. SHE INITIATED the hug and by the time Rabbi Genack tried to wiggle out of it, it was over.
The fact that Rabbi Genack is Karpov Kemal his gets you even more incinerated so keep on hocking about the one and only thing that he Did NOT initiate.
And that’s the issue here. You never found out the truth about this incident.
Even according to your whacked out logic you should at least give him the benefit of the doubt.
In Hebrew (if you know anything about Hebrew or Jews) they call it “being Dan lekaf zechus”
But with your Mitzvah Loshon Horah and in this case Mitzvah Moitzee Shem Rah it was doicheh all other men slick requirements.
I really should waste my time defending hoRav Genack - no need for that - but the oilom has to know with what Rabbi Genack deals with. With what kind of leshmah nut cases.
Again, there is no refuse for you so don’t complain when the world caved in on you.
Thinker is rather tzemisht.
The package doesn't have the picture of a shibuta on it. It has the picture of a pig.
The seforim also say that it's natural for a Yid to get an ekeldik feeling at the sight & thought of maacholim assurim so Thinker needs to think harder in the pirush of that Chazal.
'You Know Who' has got ants in his pants in KG that anyone dares pull the porky propaganda rug out from under the OU. He of course wrote the pair of juvenile comments within a few minutes of each other to attack 'the duck' and to pretend that only 'toomlers' are in the opposition to porky preferences.
'You Know Who' should at least be happy that mechuton Bryks is not the only rabbinic imposter who grabs people to hug & kiss. And as per 'You Know Who' we are all supposed to look up to OU head MG, are we not? You would think that 'You Know Who' would be touting the Clinton intimacy as a Mayseh Rav instead of attacking the messenger as a bearer of lashon hureh!
Was Jezebel the G-d forsaken place with the owner from "yener" chevra that everyone could feel how he & his buddies affected the svivah? The OU really knows how to play dumb when there's a few bucks to be made. The OU should also "stay in the closet" instead of "coming out" as slimy profiteers.
Milmar Food makes the OU "Glatt" chicken & beef deli items under the labels Spring Valley & S'Better Farms that are sold in Costco, BJ's & supermarket chains
https://midhudsonnews.com/2023/07/27/skoufis-report-charges-goshen-company-with-repeatedly-falsifying-projections-to-secure-ida-incentives-2/
State Senator James Skoufis, chairman of the Senate Investigations and Government Operations Committee, Wednesday asked the Orange County District Attorney’s Office to investigate any potential criminality in the Orange County Industrial Development Agency’s approval of more than $2.25 million in incentives to Mack Bros., Ltd./Milmar Food Group in Goshen.
Financial incentives are granted to businesses that maintain they could not move forward with their project “but for” the incentives.
Skoufis’ committee said the “but for” principle was “summarily ignored” when the company stated in its application that the project would go forward regardless of whether they were awarded the tax breaks – yet the senator noted the IDA granted the incentives.
“It’s disappointing that the new administration is in many ways operating similarly to the old administration – certainly the old administration got slapped with felony charges and convictions – and so I am not suggesting that is happening here – but the same approach, the same culture persists, and that is again, taxpayers be damned,” he said. “We’re going to do whatever we want to do to hand out effectively blank checks to any corporation that walks through their doors.”
The findings of the senator’s investigation also showed “a sustained pattern of deception” where Milmar relayed to the Goshen Town Planning Board in April 2022 that no job creation was anticipated – “presumably in order to skirt concerns about water, sewer, parking capacity, and other site planning issues that might show their process – then, just a few months later, articulated to the Orange County IDA that in fact 50 new jobs would be created – all in order to coax the agency’s support and secure tax breaks.”
Skoufis said Milmar “didn’t need those tax breaks (and) publicly admitted they didn’t need these tax breaks, then proceeded to lie to the Orange County IDA. Yet, the IDA granted these tax breaks anyway.”
Meanwhile, Orange County DA David Hoovler said he will look into the matter.
Mon Jul 31, 10:24:00 PM 2023
You read in some "sefoorim HaKedoishim"..... and therefore thats binding on the OU.
Bacon bits must be some kosher machshava.
Its not that anyone disagrees with the sefoorim HaKedoishim, its just that what you read there
Is for heiligeh paople not for amchoo yeedin.
Mon Jul 31, 10:54:00 PM 2023
Just double checking that this mitzvah Moitzee Shem Rah is still le'toeles.
Of course it is. Otherwise there can't be a kindergarten response to You Know Who with his "heiligeh mishpoocheh.
Which is also le'toieles. Of course.
Vos vill ehr ????
Deh Shoiteh Choosid.
Milmar is owned by Martin Hoffman, a Monsey area resident who is member of Riverdale (Bronx) Reform Temple. His father Milton Hoffman was owner of Wilton kosher caterers in Monsey that was sold to Tyson Foods.
Martin married Helena Makinen. That is a Finnish name from Finland & she was bas bayis by President Gerald Ford so she is presumably not a Yehudis. President Ford actually walked her down the aisle at the wedding. Martin & Helena were frequent guests at President Ford's summer home in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
Does anyone know if the Hoffmans own any non-kosher food producers too?
(Is that nutcase who works for the OU going to jump in now to threaten oinshim for reporting this?)
I am certainly familiar with the ekelkeit mussag that Jul 31, 10:24 pm tzaichens tzu. Rebbeyim taught us in both cheder & mesivta that the "sefoorim HaKedoishim" being downplayed by Aug 1, 1:27 pm as supposedly for Kedoishei Elyon only is actually for "amchoo" hamoin am too.
Do you fanatic OU defenders have any limit vee veit you go with your tummeneh shtussim to protect the brand?
You are sooooo full of it Mr. OU Cover Up Arteest!
Genack did not "try to wiggle out of it". He even went ahead & kissed the Chazirette mit geshmack when no one was forcing him to. Many rabbonim were shown the video by askonim when it first came out. They all expressed shock, disgust and highly critical commentary of your big Liberal Modern Orthodox hero Genack.
The fact vos er kent episs lernen makes it noch erger.
Go join your hero in the inyanim that are close to his heart:
Paying several tens of thousands of dollars for wall portraits - not of Rav Akiva Eiger - but his idol Abe Lincoln because it was he who freed the Shvartzas.
Sitting on the Woke NJ State Commission to release Shvartza criminals from prisons as if there aren't genug Shvartzas committing crimes in the streets.
Running the cover up for the treif veal & siruv of R' Moshe Feinstein, personally, for the benefit of his buddy Katz.
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