Israeli imported produce

The following kashrus notice is from a reader's question and the editor's conversation with Agrexco on January 3, 2011.


A reader called me about Carmel Mangoes and whether they were from Israel. Agrexco who produces the Carmel label on produce reported to me that they are importing Mangoes to the United States only from Peru {and Mexico y.s.].

They are importing the following produce to the United States: from Israel :

Red, Yellow and Orange Peppers , Sharon Fruit (Persimmons) ,Herbs

Ed. note: Produce from Israel needs to be tithed before consumption. See www.kashrut.com/consumer/vegetables/#TITHING for information on tithing.

Brown "kraft" paper, is there a kashrus or Passover concern?

Brown "kraft" paper is commonly used by restaurants, caterers, food service to put hot & or greasy food directly on the paper. Many of the manufacturers may use "recycled" material from unknown sources.

Pesach raises additional concerns, starchs. There may be upto 5% starch in some of them. the source of the starch may be chometz, kitinious (legumes) or anything else.

The poultry you eat and some concerns.

Poultry are fed a rich variety of feed to enhance and speed their growth. They also receive injections for diseases & the prevention of them. They are also given growth hormones.

The feed may contain meat, dairy or other non kosher ingredients. The method of preparition may be a question of "bossur-bi'cholov" (meat n milk) issues. 

The injections are given either in the egg prior to hatching or in the chick after hatching. When given in the chick, it's usually done in the neck area which may make it a treifah. Some hatcheries in Eretz Yisroel have a full time Mashgiach to verify that it does not make it a treifah. 

Others give the injections in the egg. It's done in the side of the egg that's more round and there is an air pocket between the membrane and the shell of the egg. They must be careful not to inject past the 17th-18th day as it may make the chick a treifah.

We were able to verify that the Mehadrin Poultry (now includes the Vineland, Skver brands among others) only feed their chickens vegetarian feed and the injections are done in the egg not later than 18 and a half days. We don't know what the others are doing at this time.

Shema Yisrael to help Business & individuals through mentoring

http://www.shemayisrael.com/ortjetusa/
Sustaining and Growing Jewish Business in The USA


The Shema Yisrael Torah Network team has now seen fit to take on the role of reaching out to Jewish Business owners in the United States who are having difficulty. Shema will help in providing Mentors to assist them in many aspects of their business.

Coffee Filters-What's their Passover status?

Coffee filters use some sort of starch to give it body. The starch may be from chometz, legumes, etc e.g. wheat, corn, etc or it may be from potato or tapioca among some other ones.

We haven't been able to ascertain which filters if any are kosher for Passover.

New York State's Kosher Inspectors Eliminated

Kosher Inspectors Eliminated - By SUMATHI REDDY -Wall Street Journal

New York state's kosher law-enforcement division has been gutted, sparking concerns in parts of the Jewish community that the cuts raise the risk of fraud in the billion-dollar-plus kosher-food industry.

"Kashrus"- Quality Assurance V. Quality Control Re: Kosher

Quality Assurance V. Quality Control

Kosher Assurance V. Kosher Control: There is a big difference between Quality assurance and quality control. Quality Assurance is prevention of anything that will compromise the quality or kosher status of the product. Quality Control on the other hand is controlling the damage that may compromise the quality / kosher status of the product.

A chanukah miracle waiting to happen-Bonei Olam

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heCoh4oADXM&feature=related

Mangos imported by Carmel ?

The mangos being imported by Carmel for the past few months are from Mexico not from Israel.

Wheat & Oat Bran re: Chodosh

Chodosh Information – P’sak Halacha- The following is from Y. Herman’s Chodosh list – (yherman@earthlink.net)

PSAK HALACHA From HaRav HaGaon Elyashiv Shlita (in response to our question):

Wheat bran and oat bran are not to be considered Chodosh even if they came from grain that is Chodosh, because bran is not a significant part of the grain.

He was not concerned that some particles of wheat or oat flour could be clinging to the bran.

Hisachdus Harabonim di'Lakewood vi'haglilos kashrus certification

Kosher certification news

The educated Kosher consumer will now have the choice of choosing the highly reliable and sought after kosher supervision of the Hisachdus Harabonim of Lakewood.

Hisachdus Harabonim kosher certification is currently certifying all types of kosher food production.

The Hisachdus Harabonim certifies, Industrial ingredients, commercial food service items as well as retail products for the kosher consumer.

Infestation in various pasta products,

The following insect infestation alert is from the COR on December 24, 2010.

Please be advised that we are receiving reports of insect infestation in various pasta products, some of which were manufactured in the past 2 to 3 months. Insects can be small and black, approximately 2-3 mm in size. This situation is being monitored and is under review by COR.

At this time, we recommend that you check your pasta before cooking. An easy way to ascertain whether insects are present is to spread the product across a white paper plate and look for the signs of infestation. will be revised.

Minced v Ground fish-What's the difference? who cares?

Minced fish: meat consists of minced flesh removed from the fish carcasses by cuts made parallel to the backbone.
Ground fish: Consits of fish meat that was ground. Sometimes it's ground twice for a finer mix.
Surimi, Fish sticks, etc use "minced fish" not ground fish. Some fish have an issue with anisakis or other imbedded worms in the flesh,
Pollock is one of those that have kashrus concerns. Therefore if it's minced, you should refrain from using it.

STRAWBERRIES, may be used "only" after peeling them

Strawberries are an infested fruit. The thrips hide under the seeds, all of the washing & checking can minimize but not eliminate the insects.

Therefore the only method is to peel the entire outside of the Strawberry after removing the green stem.

RE: Frozen strawberries. There are at least 3  frozen strawberries with hashgochas. The cold facts are that frozen strawberries have minimized but not eliminated the infestation completly.

In Eretz Yisroel all of the reliable Hashgochas say that the frozen strawberries must be "pureed" and "cooked" prior to using them. All of the frozen strawberries with any hashgocha in the USA "must" also be pureed and cooked prior to use, including the ones with EIDAH's Hashgocha.

Edible Flowers, how badly are they infested?

Edible flowers come in beautiful shades of various colors and they are edible also. The kashrus issue is the "protein" contained in the flowers because of the high incident of insects, live ones as well. Therefore even if you don't eat them, they should not be on the plate because some of those insects are very much alive and they may enjoy your food on the plate.

The "Mother" of Lakewood's problems

The Pretzel Lady

A little old lady sold pretzels on a street corner for 25 cents each. Every day a young man would leave his office building at lunch time and as he passed the pretzel stand, he would leave her a quarter, but never take a pretzel.

This went on for more than 3 years. The two of them never spoke. One day, as the young man passed the old lady's stand and left his quarter as usual, the pretzel lady spoke to him. Without blinking an eye she said:

"They're 35 cents now."//www.youtube.com/watch?v=C0ugCXra2qw

Lasagna infestation dilema

Heimish pasta has often been infested for a few reasons. Some of the the Heimish  companies produce annually or bi-annualy.  Some of them therefore do not put on date codes. Some of them have very poor humid hot storage facilities. Either the insects are found before cooking or while cooking. Lasagna presents a unique problem, as its cooked with the sauce & added product, one can't see the infestation.

Others have opted therefore to purchase only "dated" relatively fresh product not necessarily the heimish brands but with a reliable hashgocha nonetheless. It's advised if you have a questionable lasagna product, to partially par boil first and check the water for infestation.

Oranges & Tangerines are coated with "LAC" (non-kosher), and scale.

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Oranges & Tangerines may be coated with Lac resin (an extract from insects). we have seen it printed on the bags at Shop-Rite. If one intends to use orange rind, the Lac resin would be a concern. Another concern would be that at times on citrus fruits there are tiny inbedded insects or larvae known as "scale".

Ensuring Food Safety and Kashrus Protection Through Supply Chain "TRACEABILITY"

Executive Summary

To ensure the safety of the domestic and global food supply, demands for brand protection assurance are on the rise from customers and the food industry marketplace itself, along with increasing national and global food safety initiatives. To address these growing requirements, food processors and distribution warehouses up and down the supply chain now find automated traceability systems are a virtual necessity. For many food processors, the current challenge is to identify an automated approach to traceability that is both cost-effective and a good fit for their current business operations.
http://www.pddnet.com/WhitePapersPortal/wpContent.aspx?id=100719&source=Food_WhitePaper_Blast

UPDATE: Worms in herring (jarred)? "2 Mumchim (fish experts) say it's not anisakis, nor a worm

Falsely claimed the OU certified its "tilapia" fish as kosher

The Orthodox Union is suing a Pennsylvania-based seafood-importing company, saying it falsely claimed the OU certified its tilapia fish as kosher, highlighting a common problem in the increasingly global kosher marketplace.

In a suit filed in federal court in Manhattan this month, the Orthodox Union, a Manhattan not-for-profit with a kosher division, sued Western Edge Inc. for trademark infringement and deceptive trade practice, alleging the unauthorized use of its registered certification mark. The suit alleges that Western Edge produced a fraudulent letter when asked by a Brooklyn food company about the kosher status of its tilapia fillets.

Matzo baking in India?

http://www.indianfoodrecipe.co.in/video_view.php?query=35754

This is the answer?

ששאלתם שקמו אנשים שמשתדלים להיות השלוח' דרבנן בעניני הציבור וכו''

שולחן ערוך חושן משפט, סימן ג' סעיף ד

רמ"א וז"ל -להושיב דינים ושופטים מי שירצה ומכל מקום מי שעושה זה בלא רשות הקהל (י"ג) מצער הציבור ועתיד ליתן את הדין תשובת רשב"א

אורים ותומים (י"ג) מצער הציבור. הוא לשון ריב"ש בתשובה, והרמ"א העתיקו ,ותמהני שלא העתיק שהוא חרם רבינו תם ורשב"ם וראב"ן וק"ן רבנים והוא בתשובת מהר"ם דפוס פראג בסופו (קנט-ב') וז"ל, ועוד גזרנו ונידינו וחרמנו בשמתא ובשם מיתה שלא יהיה אדם רשאי ליטול שררה על הציבור לא ע"י מלך וכו 'כי לענוש וכו 'אם לא שימנו אותם רוב הקהל מפני חשיבותם , והעובר על זה וכו' פתו פת כותי וכו' 'ושו נפשו ינוח ברכות על ראשו, עכ"ל.

A good laugh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geYurdqTGak&feature=player_embedded

No shabbos Cameras! Shuls, Yeshivas, have cameras? Check it out.

A few years ago, the Yerushalayim municipality installed a number of security cameras throughout the Old City. It was a time when there was a rash of stabbings and stabbing attempts in the Old City, and the cameras were aimed at helping catch the perps and also discouraging crime in the future, as perps will know they can more easily be apprehended.The issue was raised that perhaps the cameras operating on Shabbos would be a problem for those walking through the Old City on Shabbos to go to the Kosel.

Who is the ultimate decider that it's acceptably kosher?

You!, You are making  the ultimate decision that it meets your kashrus standard, when you put it in your mouth,

Beef prices are on a steady climb up

Herring is on the way out, Herring salad is on the way in.

In Eretz Yisroel and many in the USA as well don't consume herring anymore due to the anisakis worm.

Chopped / ground herring salad does not have the issues.

Some are developing some very interesting herring salads.

Non-Checked produce being put into packaging with Hashgochas

נתפס כשחברתו אורזת עלי ירק לא מפוקחים בתוך שקיות הנושאות ציוני כשרות מהודרים והרבנות המקומית

עלי ירק המוצגת כמפוקחת (גם אם היא נושאת מותגי כשרות ידועים) ממשווק זה עד להודעה חדשה. נא ליידע את המשגיחים בהתאם  גוש חי"ה המעידים על ירק ללא תולעים ובכך נגרמה הכשלה חמורה לציבור. הואיל ואירוע זה אינו הראשון אצל משווק זה הוחלט כי אין לקלוט כל תוצרת של הרבנות הראשית לישראל

THE CHIEF RABBINATE OF ISRAEL

היחידה הארצית לאכיפת חוק איסור הונאה בכשרות

ALL TRUMP (General Mills) is heavily infested at this time

ALL TRUMP (General Mills) is heavily infested at this time.


New Square Kashrus Council-Rabbi C. M. Wagshal, Rabbinic Administrator

RONZONI elbows infested

The following information regarding insect infestation is from the hakhel.info with additional information from the OU and posted on December 7, 2010.

Hakhel.info reported insect infestation has been found in boxes of Ronzoni Elbows. People who keep yoshon and others should be aware that improper storage conditions may be a factor in insect infestation.

listen to this, read the rest, read more.

http://www.bhol.co.il/Article.aspx?id=22071

A very nice Shabbos and Yom-Tov minhag

There is at least one family that at all seudas Shabbos & Yom-Tov each adult (including guests) reads out loud 1 page of "the 39 Melochos of Shabbos" by Rabbi Ribiat.

It doesn't long to finish all of the 39 melochos, and then they do it again.

The chofetz Chaim writes that it's pratically impossible for one to observe Shabbos properly without constantly reviewing Hilchas Shabbos.

Ethics in Kosher certification

We owe it to the kosher consumer


We in the field of Kashrus have accepted a fiduciary responsibility on behalf of the kosher consumer. Therefore, we owe our fidelity to the kosher consumer to uphold and maintain that fiduciary responsibility.

Executives who face troubling decisions are often confused about how to arrive at the right, moral and ethical course of action. This is not surprising since by definition a “moral dilemma” is one where there is no clear right and wrong, only positives and negatives.

Letter from Colgate About their Vegetarian Products

NOTE: Can one rely on the following letter that it's kosher? NO
Letter from Colgate About their Vegetarian Products

For vegetarian consumers, Colgate offers a large selection of products free of animal-derived ingredients. With more consumers seeking such products every day, Colgate is committed to making it easier for consumers to identify and select these products.

PEPSICO is the biggest supporter of "Toeivah" Boycott their products-Pepsi & SABRA salads

The Princeton Committee on Palestine has sponsored a referendum in next week’s USG elections that asks Dining Services to sell an alternative to Sabra hummus in all its retail locations on campus.

The Strauss Group and PepsiCo each own 50 percent of Sabra Dipping Company.

Jerusalem Kosher News articles

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/2010/11/can-the-hechsher-hack-it/

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/2010/11/bringing-kosher-standards-to-the-tzibur/

http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/2010/11/bringing-kosher-standards-to-the-tzibur-2/

NEW!
http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/2010/11/bringing-kosher-standards-to-the-tzibur-part-3/

Boilers In Kosher Production

Boilers In Kosher Production

In order to process/ cook food you need heat. In the commercial & industrial food processing, steam & hot water are used extensively. We will first explain the basics of the "Steam" boiler operating system, & then the concerns to the kosher consumer afterwards. The source used for steam and hot water is a "boiler", heated by different fuels.

PEPSI Alert-

There are PEPSI bottles that do NOT have a kosher certifying emblem on the bottle. Those plants are NOT kosher certified and therefore should not be consumed.

From an Email

A COKE "VP" responded, If the OU is not comfortable to put their logo because they don't visit the plant, the kosher consumer shouldn't feel comfortable consuming it without the logo.

Purchasing food for your employees

Some thought re: Purchasing food for your employees.

In general employers do not provide food for their employees. At times the situation is such that the employer does provide food for the employees. A caterer on an outside or out of town job would usually provide food for his employees. At a company party the food is generally provided by the employer.

If none of the employees are Jewish, may the employer serve non-kosher food which of course is cheaper? Can the employer serve pepperoni pizza? Is there a question of Bosur- bi’cholov, which is ossur-bi’hanoah? The pepperoni is cooked together with the cheese on the pizza pie.

Consumer retail pack "palm shortening", is it kosher?

There are at least 2 retail size consumer packs of palm shortening by the same distributor. One is from Brazil with the Hashgocha of Rabbi Illowitz which is acceptable. The other one is with a different Hashgocha and there is a serious concern of treifus, and should not be used.

What's In A Flavor? what may be some kashrus issues?

What's In A Flavor?

When manufacturing a flavor there will be the unwanted aroma etc. caused by the chemical reaction. How does the flavor scientist circumvent the problem? Most flavors are synthetic, there are over two thousand flavors in use & only five hundred are natural. The various chemicals used in a flavor are made in (PPM) parts per million.

Some of the common chemicals used in flavor manufacturing are; Amyl acetate, benzaldehyde, carvone, ethyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, and methyl salicylate among the many others. Each aroma chemical contributes to the success of the ultimate flavor.

Can one rely on a Hetter not a Psak?

I was by Rav Eliyashev, Shlita last Elul to discuss various kashrus issues. Rav Eliyashev changed the subject and wanted to know if all of the facts are known as far as the ships carrying liquid food items. I told him that some of the information was gathered but numerous ships and shipping routes it's still unclear as what's being hauled, and is no relatively fool proof system in tracking all of the shipments e.g. South America, etc.

Then Rav Eliyashev says והוא כבר עשה ההתירים שלו so I ask who is the Ruv speaking about that made his Heteirim רב בלסקי? He says yes,

Quail eggs? So many calls lately.

There are may types of quail, most do not have any Mesorah at all. There is such an over abundance of food available with mesorahs according to everyone so why bother?

2. Are Guinea Fowl and Quail kosher? We would like to eat the eggs.

The Torah lists 24 species of non-kosher fowl. All others are permitted. However, over the years uncertainty has arisen over the identification of these birds. Therefore, Jews consider a fowl kosher only if there is a tradition that this species has always been considered kosher (as with chicken). There is no such tradition regarding Guinea Fowl and Quail, and therefore, they are not considered kosher.

The above is from the Star-K's site, if they couldn't find a way to use it, that's it- case closed