Glycerin sources, USA- 30% + Animal or other non-kosher

There is a misconception by some in the kashrus field, re: Glycerin sources in the USA.

USA product Glycerin, over 40% is from non-kosher sources. The pharmecutical glycerin is from whatever is more economical at the time.

A glycerin product manager at Cargill provided some data to support the general trends noted above. He wrote in a July 2012 email that “Total glycerin usage in the United States is about 45 million lbs. per month. Approximately 30% is non-kosher tallow-based and 70% would be vegetable-based. That includes imports of vegetable-based glycerol and all the glycerin made here in the United States.”

Mono- and diglycerides, used in most breads and baked goods as well as in a wide variety of other foods, are formed by chemically joining glycerol to fatty acids found in animal fats or vegetable oils. The mono-and diglycerides principally act as emulsifiers, preventing breads and baked goods from crumbling or going stale, and/or keeping oil and water components of a food together (e.g., in salad dressings). Based on the data given above, the percentage of vegetable oil-sourced mono- and diglycerides commercially used today in the United States is also approximately 70%. - See more at: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/09/24/glycerol-and-mono-and-diglyceride-updates-mostly-vegetable-derived/#sthash.kBkQ4Bzl.dpuf

Glycerin is a by-product of biodiesel production. This “waste glycerin,” (and, to a lesser extent, that produced from used cooking oil, which is increasingly being used as a biofuel today), has greatly increased the supply of glycerin in the market. Much work is currently being done on ways to produce biofuels from waste glycerol. - See more at: http://www.vrg.org/blog/2012/09/24/glycerol-and-mono-and-diglyceride-updates-mostly-vegetable-derived/#sthash.kBkQ4Bzl.dpuf

Infested Fruit

What are "scale" insects? found on

What are "scale" insects?
 Found on lettuce, blueberries, romain, etc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X235UXA0m4Y

Wild Salmon, canned, fresh, frozen, etc.

Wild Salmon, canned, fresh, frozen, etc have the anisakis worm. Regardless of which hashgocha is on it.
Most other fish have the worms by the belly flap, Salmon has them through out the entire flesh.
There is no change in the list of infested fish. All Herring, most flounder, All pollock fish (fish sticks, Surimi, sushi california roll), etc are infested. Tilapia is a clean fish.

Alert: Fruit Leather

Fruit leather is often made from cheap low grade fruit that is often infested product. That includes Apricot,

Strawberry, etc.   One certifiers' product is that cheap low grade product, Therefore stay away from their certified fruit leather.

ALERT: If they use the method "glass bowl on a light box" to check for insects, don't rely on them.

A Mashgiach, Rav Hamachshir, kosher certifier that relies on checking the water for infestation is fooling himself and the kosher consumer as well.

Checking the water just "does not" work.

http://star-k.org/cons-vegchecking.php?checking=floret

Don't eat anything in that place! Don't trust them for kashrus!

We took a few thrips, aphids, large mites, etc and put them in a glass bowl together with some common leaf particles, some dirt, etc that's common on heads or hearts. First we tried it in a well lit area then on a light box as suggested. We had 2 experienced trained experts in insect checking, and they weren't able to locate all of them even after an extended period & they were told how many there were. Some may be even on the leaf particle or under it.

The water does also distort the vission somewhat, it should be emptied onto a coffee filter paper, then checked.

Checking the water just "does not" work.

http://www.crcweb.org/videos.php what not to do!!

A few comments re: the video of checking Romaine. Some insects will be on the foam bubbles that he's blowing, and you can't see them.