Consumer Kosher Articles

9/11 Diary from the OU Archives: The Triumph of the Human Spirit

IT WAS SURELY going to be just another typical Tuesday at the office. I arrived at the OU’s headquarters– located just six blocks south of the World Trade Center – at 8:25 A.M. and found the other early birds at their workstations. I began to settle down, turned on my computer and was reading my […]

Somtimes It’s Not The Food: Kashrut, Allergens And Microbes

Dairy From The Desert: An Update On The Camel Milk Situation (Or Non-Situation)

A recent Dairy Reporter article about Desert Farms, the US-based camel milk company which is planning to expand its production so as to include camel milk ice cream and baby formula, prompted a flood of kashrus questions, with people asking how the kosher dairy industry will remain free of concern for camel milk content in […]

Consumers’ FAQ’s On Kosher Fish

FAQ About Purchasing Fish

What If Non-Aged Cheese Sits In My Fridge For A Long Time? OU Further Clarifies “Waiting After Aged Cheese”

It is the position of the OU’s poskim (halachic authorities) that one need only wait between eating aged cheese and meat if the cheese is of a variety that is intentionally aged in production, such as Parmesan (must be aged in production at least 10 months) and Emmental (much be aged in production at least […]

Kosher Catering At A Non-Kosher Venue: What’s Happening In The Kitchen

Plan on attending your cousin’s Bar Mitzvah party next week? Or your neighbor’s daughter’s wedding next month? As an increasing number of semachot are catered at non-kosher hotels, it is important for the kosher consumer to be aware of what takes place in hotel kitchens. Indeed, oftentimes guests enjoy a lavish smorgasbord (replete with roast […]

Why Would A Nondairy Product Have a D (For Dairy) Kosher Certification? Can It Be Eaten With Meat?

Among the many questions that come to us at the OU Kosher Hotline and Webbe Rebbe email service, one of the most frequently asked is, “(favorite product) bears an OU-D, but there does not seem to be any dairy ingredients in it. Is it really pareve?” To make a long story short, it depends on the […]

Do I Have to Wait 6 Hours After Eating this Cheese?

Is My Oven Kosher? Find Out How Steam, Aroma, And Other Factors Change Your Oven’s Status…

From the Talmudic kirah to our modern microwave, oven cooking requires specific kosher knowledge. Rabbi Yaakov Luban, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator of the OU Kosher Division, explains the halachos involved and provides a practical guideline.

What In The World Is Whey?: Whey And Its Kashrus Explained

Most people aren’t quite sure what whey is. We know that whey is used in some baked products, that it is a principal ingredient in many nutritional products, and that it has something to do with curds (whatever that means!). L’maaseh, what is whey, and are there any kashrus concerns? The short answer is that […]