FISH OIL standards?

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/Regulation/Codex-fish-oil-standard-must-be-flexible-GOED/?c=P%252BxdiblPOxcXFaXdfNKglw%253D%253D&utm_source=Newsletter_Subject&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%252BSubject

BEER NEEDS A good HASHGOCHA?

CBC MARKETPLACE: FOOD » BEERBeer: Ingredients and additives Broadcast: Oct 28, 1998
Mountain springs, pure water, the finest hops and barley. What more could there be to beer? More than 100 things, actually.Additives in beer is not a new idea. In the 15th century brew masters threw a live chicken into the beer kettle and called the result cock's ale. Today, no chickens, but as many as 108 ingredients in beer.

Palm Oil updates- new sources, etc

http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Financial-Industry/Loders-Croklaan-docks-first-US-sustainable-palm-oil-shipment/?c=P%252BxdiblPOxe0R02K1qrfAg%253D%253D&utm_source=Newsletter_Subject&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%252BSubject

http://www.bakeryandsnacks.com/Markets/Leading-palm-oil-supplier-eyes-Africa-for-expansion-plans/?c=P%252BxdiblPOxc%252BHL%252BWzosCkA%253D%253D&utm_source=Newsletter_Subject&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%252BSubject

Italian Police Seize Spanish Olive Oil

http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil
http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/tag/olive-oil-fraud
Around 54,000 liters of Spanish olive oil have been seized by Italian police in the southern city of Salerno, the press agency AdnKronos reported. Police made the decision to impound the oil on Friday after learning that it was being falsely passed off as Italian.

The discovery was made during a check of a large truck that was making its way to southern Italy from the Spanish town of Valencia. During the check a document was found declaring that the olive oil had been produced in Italy’s Campania region, in which Salerno is one of the largest towns. Further investigation however, uncovered a second document that read “Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 100% Spanish”.

Wearing Shatnez Prevents Tefillos from being accepted!

Wearing Shatnez Prevents Tefillos from being accepted!

Written by: Rabbi Chaim Morgenstern

The aveira of wearing a shatnez garment prevents a person’s tefillos (prayers) from being accepted. Rav Menachem Rekanti explains that the mekatrigim (prosecuting angels) which are created from wearing a shatnez garment confound the tefillos, and the intermediary malach who brings the tefillos to Hashem refuses to do so because the wearer resembles the priests of Avoda Zora.

Qualified trained mashgichim for insect checking

The Mishnah Berurah in Pesach brings from the "Chasam Sofer" "if one doesn't have a trained individual with good eye sight-he should NOT eat vegetables that require checking"
e.g. Romain, brocolli, spinach, cauliflower, strawberries, etc

From a commentor- Anonymous said...
Some in the kashrus field are of the opinion that many if not most mashgichim & Rabonim aren't experts in insect checking. If it stares them in the eye they'll see it.

Salmon Heads are infested

Eida Chareidit Alert: Eida Chareidit Alert: Salmon Heads-5 Adar II 5771-March 11, 2011

The following Eida Chareidit alert pertaining to infestation in the heads of salmon was released on 1 Adar II 5771.

The Eida warns that the heads of salmon should not be used, even after being cleaned and checked, since they are simply too infested. This new directive has been distributed to fish stores with an Eida Chareidit hechsher.

Kashrus Alert: Emirils Wing sauce "OU-Dairy"

Kashrus alert:  Emirils Wing sauce is a sauce for Buffalo wings, it's

"OU-Dairy"

The falacy of kashrus's "it's on the list" (European style)

Schindlers list you can rely on, European kashrus lists you can't rely on.

The fallacy of kashrus's "it's on the list" (European style). It's on the list, means plain and simple "we don't know of anything in the product that should render it as non-kosher". On the other hand they don't know all of the required information including on going personal qualified inspections of the facilities..

Edible (oil) coatings extend shelf life of meat & poultry

Breaking News on Food and Beverage Processing and Packaging Edible coatings boost meat shelf life by up to 50 per cent.
http://www.foodproductiondaily.com/Quality-Safety/Edible-coatings-boost-meat-shelf-life-by-up-to-50-per-cent/?c=P%2BxdiblPOxeyXZJJ7wGpEg%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily

Caviar / Masago has the anisakis worms

Caviar / Masago has the anisakis worms, therefore it's not permitted to be used at all.

Costco selling Israeli peppers, must take terumas u maisrois.

Costco stores are selling Israeli peppers, must take terumas u maisrois.

McNeil should only be used w/ kosher certification."Novaris is kosher certified"

Subject: Fw: Tylenol Grape Flavor From McNeil

בסד
נא לפרסם הדברים לתועלת הרבים חברי הלכה
היות שנתפרסם לאחרונה על ידי בית דין סקוירא אודות החשש בטיילנאל גרעיפ פלעוור של הקאמפני מקניל

Tylenol Grape Flavor From McNeil

Rav Shmuel Wosner, Shlita said

Rav Shmuel Wosner, Shlita said ;

"The problem with todays POISKIM is ,

 they never had years of shimush by an altheh Ruv".

Parve items fried in a fleishig deep fryer, must wait 6 hours for milchig!

http://www.lakewood246.com/news/28236/the-french-fry-controversy-pareve-food-in-the-deep-fryer-2.html

The above article should not be used li'maaseh as it remains "ossur" to consume milk within 6 hours, see Chasam Sofer.

ע' יו"ד ס' פ"ט , פתחי תשובה א' , פמ"ג א' בסוף

"Euro Boys" Shatnez????

"Euro Boys" & " Pier Boys" are 1 & the same (diff. label). Both may very well have Shatnez.

Is most imported Virgin olive oil adulterated? you bet they are!

http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/north-america/davis-olive-center-responds-ioc-criticism/12855

In response to a question

At a gathering of Lakewood Askonim (lishaim shumaiyim) a question was asked on this weeks sedrah "Ki sisah".

There were 600,000 men over 20 that left mitzraiyim, so there were an equal amount of women and at least twice as many children. In total there were at least 1,800,000 that they collected gold for the "aigel". Each one gave at least an ounce of gold, that would be over 100,000 lbs of gold.

Oi vei, not again!

Sardines are "kovush" with non-kosher species?

It seems the issue was found by sardines, most recently from Morocco by the Aidah.

They usually do 3 inspections of removing the non sardine species allong the way till they rid the whole batch of sardines from the non kosher species.

Sliced frozed vegies, do they require a Hashgocha?

Frozen vegies are blanched prior to freezing & packaging. The blancher itself or the heating medium may have kashrus issues, e.g. dairy, treif, etc.

Therefore it should not be used without a proper hashgocha.

Mubarak & Gefen capitulate to the masses

Mubarak & Gefen capitulate to the masses.
Mubarak resigns- Gefen (Kenover) via the OU is making a recall of their Sardines from Portugal. The recall is for oil, water, etc.

The Masses have protested, the OU always listens to the consumer, but they must repeat it loudly.

Some other brands of Sardine results are in

Sardines- King of the Sea brand from Morroco did not have the anisakis worm nor the krill, etc.

Gefen Sardines-removed from Lakewood stores

Gefen Sardines are being removed by the Lakewood stores. Everyone should follow suit and remove the Gefen sardines from their shelves.

BEWARE: If they send you under another brand name on the label. NOTE: Kenover has many different brands they own.
NPGS, Corner of Second store & Kosher village removed theirs.

Trump yoshon flour (General Mills) dist by Dependable is infestated

What other name does Strawberries have?

Strawberries have thrips that hide under the seeds, cleaning may minimize but does not all of them. That's true for fresh, frozen, chocolate dipped, long stem, USA fancy, Driscoll, etc.

In frozen there are coming out with all different Hashgochas, distributors, etc. All the various names & hashgochas don't change the facts.

Strawberries- Fresh, dipped, frozen, dehydrated, etc in any form must be peeled or pureed prior to consuming them.

Maoz Vegetarian-Is it kosher for you?

At Maoz Vegetarian, every day is meatless. But we understand and appreciate that not everyone is strictly vegetarian. This is exactly why we decided to initiate the Maoz Meatless Mondays special promotion and help people take the first step towards a healthier diet and more responsible lifestyle.

Kosher certified by the infamous Rabbi Steinberg, where alledgedly the only item that has to be kosher is his certification fee. The Visiting mashgiach stops in once a week. they are open on Shabbos.

The protein (insects) is in the vegetables.

Trident Gum contains "beef or pork Gelatin"!

התרמית: בשר בקר במסטיק שלכם

‫מה עושים תוצרי בקר במסטיק‬ ומדוע הם מסתתרים בסימון בא‫נגלית בלבד? לאחרונה השיקה חברת‬ ‫גלוברנדס, נציגת קדברי בישראל, את‬ ‫הגרסה הכשרה של מספר מסטיקים‬ ‫ממותג טריידנט * העיתונאית שושנה חן חושפת במוסף "ממון" ש‬המסטיק נושא את הסימון "‪,"Beef Gelatin‬‬ ‫כלומר ג´לטין בקר (צרכנות)
ניצן ארליך
כ"ח בשבט תשע"א 16:10 02.02.11

Bais Din cases for download

Consumers misled by advertising can sue manufacturer even if product not defective, court rules

{ If they left out the "D" or Dairy, you can sue}

Consumers misled by advertising can sue manufacturer even if product not defective, court rules-January 27, 2011


Consumers who buy a product as a result of misleading advertising can sue the manufacturer even if the product was not defective, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

Shrimp shells in Salmon? and in your juices?

 Chitosan is a fiber-like product made from ground shrimp shells that inhibits fat absorption. By Rory Harrington, 28-Jan-2011

Chitosan-based edible coatings and films have real promise in combating Listeria monocytogenes (LM) in cold-smoked salmon, according to new research.

Am I eating Tunisian olive oil? Is it adulterated?

3. Am I eating Tunisian olive oil?
If you like olive oil, you love Tunisian olive oil — or, at least, you eat lots of it.
What the heck am I talking about (you ask)? You´ve never even seen Tunisian olive oil at your grocery store, let alone tasted it (you say).

Wrong, bucko. Tunisia is the world´s No. 2 olive oil exporter, right after Spain. Much of the olive oil we consume in Canada — whatever the bottle says its country of origin is — probably features a significant amount of Tunisian oil.

Kashrus alerts

7 Seas Frozen Gravlax Smoked Salmon, 7 Seas Company - British Columbia, Canada, Consumers of OU products are advised not to consume 7 Seas Gravlax Smoked Salmon, as it appears that a non kosher ingredient was used in that product. Consumers that see the product in the market should please contact the Orthodox Union at 212-613-8344.

The previous alert can be cited with the URL: http://www.kashrut.com/Alerts/?alert=A3331

Y. Herman stated the following in his newsletter: "Liebers pretzels with barley or oats in the ingredients may be Chodosh despite the Yoshon label on the package."

Kashrous alert can be cited with the URL: http://www.kashrut.com/Alerts/?alert=A3329

The "tzinius" situation. The "yesoid" of the problem.

There was another Chizuk for Tzinius in Lakewood's Lake terrace adressed by the revered Mashgiach .
The underlying cause seems not to be the noshim tzidkunios as much as the husbands.

Kosher standards should also be displayed on package for the consumers

NEW YORK — Some of the nutrition information listed in government-mandated food labels will be repeated on package fronts under a new system that food makers and major grocers are introducing.  The Grocery Manufacturers Association and the Food Marketing Institute on Monday announced the industry's voluntary new "Nutrition Keys," which will list calories, saturated fat, sodium and sugars per serving. Manufacturers may choose to use only one or two of the figures in small, package-front icons, or all four.

Strawberry Alert from the Eida Chareidit

The srawberry season just started in Mexico- Frozen strawberries are going to hit the shelves- DON'T TOUCH THEM.

Strawberry Alert from the Eida Chareidit-19 Shevat 5771-January 24, 2011-

Anyone who has been to the shuk of late will agree that strawberries are out in big numbers, looking as sweet and juicy as ever. As I state in my lectures, not everything that appears tasty and perhaps good for the body is good for the soul, which leads me to an alert released today by the Jerusalem-based Eida Chareidit pertaining to insect infestation in strawberries.

The Eida alert states that due to the fact that strawberries are simply infested, one is not to use fresh strawberries at all, which includes after washing. (this refers to buying and eating, without any effort to clean them). (we can include the frozen ones as well NOT TO USE, see Rav Moshe Vaye-)

All prechecked vegtables should NOT require consumer washing.

 Update on the Glatt Alim Celery-13 Shevat 5771-January 18, 2011

Yesterday, I reported on Glatt Alim’s celery which enjoys Eida Chareidit approval, but not the kashrus company’s supervision.  After speaking with the Eida’s Rabbi Yehoshua Rothman, who supervises the greens, I learned the following towards offering readers and explanation to the “authorization” as opposed to supervision.

Avoid all insect prone vegetables, Chamisho Osur plates, etc

Avoid all insect prone vegetables, Chamisho Osur plates, etc that require the consumer to check or wash the product. The consumer is not qualified to check or wash these vegetables, fruits, etc as it requires training by an expert.

Kashrus alert: Does Lamb require a "bedikas chutz"??

Kashrus alert: Does Lamb require a "bedikas chutz"??

There are some Shechitas that do only a Bedikas "pnim" on lamb, they do not do a bedikas "chutz".

The kosher consumer should refrain from using from those shechitas that don't do a proper bedikas chutz as well. Do your inquiries.

New Vegetable Inspection Training Program Has Been Launched

New Vegetable Inspection Training Program Has Been Launched

A new ongoing training program for inspection of vegetables (and fruits) to see that they are free of any insects has been announced by KASHRUS Magazine with classes to be held at the Pos’tiv Produce plant in Allentown, PA and follow-up classes leading to certification to
be held in Brooklyn, NY (and possibly Lakewood, NJ).

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.