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Thursday, December 09, 2010

Lo Basi Ella L’orer - Grape juice concentrate

Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 134:5) paskens that yayin nesech is batel in 6 parts water. Although bitul usually require 60 parts, wine is an exception. Wine that is diluted 6 times loses its status of wine, and is viewed as becoming nifgam. However, this is not true in all situations. The Gemara (Menachos 87a) relates that Rav Yosef had a vineyard which was so flavorful that standard meziga required dilution in 6 parts water. Likewise, grape juice concentrate can require many dilutions just to reconstitute to single strength, and will clearly not be batel in 6 parts water. Because grape juice concentrate is used so widely as an ingredient in both foods and drinks, it raises many questions regarding bitul and kashering kailim.

Bitul in beverages
Grape juice concentrate is commonly sold at a concentration of 68° Brix, which means it is 5 1/3 times more concentrated than ordinary single strength (~16° Brix) grape juice. For every one part concentrate, it will take 4 1/3 parts water to reconstitute back to single strength. Therefore, grape juice concentrate will require a dilution of 32 parts water (5 1/3 * 6), to be considered batel.

There is a machlokes between the Taz¹ and Shach² as to whether wine is batel b’shaish or b’shishim in shar mashkim (e.g. fruit juice). Bidieved, we follow the opinion of Taz that even in fruit juices, wine will be batel in 6 parts (See Igros Moshe Y.D. I:62). Likewise bidieved, grape juice concentrate will be batel in 32 parts fruit juice. However, since Shach requires bitul b’shishim, we should kasher the equipment, since regarding the next production, it is viewed as still lichatchila. Similarly, a bal nefesh should avoid whiskeys that have wine added or are aged in sherry casks. Although bidieved there are reasons to be maikel, lichatchila it is advisable to avoid these questions³, especially since today one can buy whiskeys with hashgacha.

Non-kosher grape juice concentrate mixed into kosher wine or grape juice requires bitul in 60 parts. Even though the grape juice is in concentrated form, it is still batel b’shishim. Regarding bitul b’shishim, which is a bitul of ta’am, we evaluate the issur in its present form⁴, as it is when it is mixed in. Therefore, we do not require 320 parts to be mivatel the concentrate, only 60.

Bitul in foods
Grape juice concentrate is a common ingredient in breads. Although we have seen that wine is batel in 6 parts in water, in bread we require shishim. The Pri Chadash 114:10 explains that although we assume that wine is nifgam when diluted in a beverage in 6 parts, still we cannot assume that it becomes nifgam when combined into other foods. Therefore, if the concentrate is not batel b’shishim the bread is assur.

What if the grape juice concentrate is first reconstituted with water and then combined with the dry ingredients, to form the bread? Do we now require bitul b’shishim for the entire grape mixture? Will pans used to bake such bread require libun gamur?
Rav Belsky said that even in such a case there is good reason to be lenient not to require libun chamur. The water that is added to the concentrate should be viewed as the beginning of the bitul, and not as a reconstitution⁵. There is also good reason not to say ChaNaN, since Rav Moshe Zt”l (Igros Moshe Y.D. II: 36) writes that one can be maikel not to say Chanan by issurim d’rabbanan lach b’lach. Rav Belsky said that in this case, it would certainly be enough to kasher the pans with libun kal.

Ikro kach
The Beis Yosef (Y.D. end of 134) brings the Teshuvas HaRashba (III: 214) that says that any necessary ingredient which is intentionally added (ikro kach) cannot become batel. The Shulchan Aruch (134:13) therefore paskens that one may not purchase any drink to which it would be common to add non-kosher wine or wine vinegar, even if the amount added is surely batel. Rav Moshe zt”l (Igros Moshe Y.D I: 63) explains that Shulchan Aruch only paskens like Rashba regarding issurei hanah, such as stam yayin. Since b’zman hazeh we are maikel b’makom hefsed not to consider stam yayin as issurei hanah, similarly b’makom hefsed we can accept that stam yayin, although it is ikro kach, will be batel. Regarding kailim, there is no need to kasher אפילו שלא במקום הפסד, since the yayin does not give any ta’am into the kailim. Furthermore, ta’am of stam yayin that is absorbed into a kli is not assur b’hanah.

Chazusa
Although grape juice concentrate is also added to products to affect color, bidieved we follow Pri Chadash Y.D. 102:5 that hold that an issur d’rabbanan that gives chazusa is batel. The Pri Chadash explains that whether or not we say chazusa milsa is an (גמרא ב“ק ק“א.) איבעיא דלא אפשיטא. Therefore, regarding issurim d’oraisah we must be machmir, but regarding issurim d’rabbanan, such as stam yayin, even if they are assur b’hanah, we are maikel.

Summery:
• Single strength stam yayin grape juice or wine is batel in 6 parts water
• Stam yayin GJC (68° Brix) is batel in 32 parts water
• B’makom tzorech stam yayin GJC is batel in 32 parts juice, but lichatchila we should kasher unless there is 60 parts.
• Stam yayin GJC is batel in 60 parts in kosher wine or foods such as bread
• Even when there is shishim, if stam yayin was added intentionally as a necessary ingredient (ikro kach) then it is only permitted b’makom hefsed (b’zman hazeh).
• There is no issue of chazusa milsa with stam yayin

Notes:

¹ Taz Y.D. 114:4

² Nikudas Hakesef Y.D. 114

³ See Igros Moshe Y.D. I:62. The wine is not batel b’shishim in the whiskey nor is the entire thickness of the barrel batel even b’shaish. Although there is shishim against the klipa of the barrel, but Shach 135:33 holds that one needs to cheshbon the entire thickness and Chochmas Adam 81:6 says that one should only be maikel btzorech gadol. Also these whiskeys raise questions of bitul issur l’chatchila.

⁴ Pischei Teshuva 98:2

⁵ Although Teshuvas Beis Ephrayim Y.D. 36 says that if an issur shrinks and then swells back up, midi’rabbanan we should require shishim against the enlarged volume, Rav Belsky explained that this is only when the issur has a defined form, such as a piece of meat. But this would not apply to a liquid or a powder that will take on any form.

Monday, December 06, 2010

Lo Basi Ella L’orer - Kavush II

The Gemarah Chulin 111b tells us that כבוש הרי הוא כמבושל. The Chochmos Adam (58:4) explains that this is a הלכה למשה מסיני, and therefore in cases of safek one must be machmir, ספק דאורייתא לחומרא. Therefore great care should be taken when dealing with even possible situation of kavush, and in any situation of doubt shailos should be asked.

Kavush only applies to liquids:
Kevisha not only applies to loose liquids such as water and wine, but also applies to thicker liquids such as honey and cream¹. The Teshuvos HaRosh 20:1 sets forth the general rule in determining what a liquid is for these purposes as follows: If an object placed inside the liquid can wobble around, it is still considered liquid. Once the liquid congeals and holds the object in place, there is no longer kevisha.

Although liquids that are frozen solid do not become kavush, one should not assume that everything placed into a freezer is not subject to kevisha. Aside from the fact that it can take many hours for a drum of liquid to solidify, additionally the drum might contain alcohols or other anti-freezing agents that might prevent it from freezing. For example though pure glycerin freezes at 62° F and water freezes at 32° F, a 2/3 to 1/3 mixture of glycerin and water will only freeze at -51.7° F (much colder than your average freezer!). Just knowing that a liquid was wheeled into the freezer is not enough to remove the chashash of kavush.

Avoiding kavush:
If a tank containing non-charif liquids is emptied before 24 hours then there is no concern of kavush. One should not leave the emptying to the last minute since it can often take quite a while to pump all the liquid out of a tank. One must verify that the tank has been emptied before 24 hours. The mashgiach can either visit the plant, or rely on charts that would indicate that the product was removed. One such method would be to have the plant run a CIP on the tank immediately after it is emptied. The time of the CIP will be indicated on the Taylor chart, and prove that the tank was certainly emptied beforehand.

In some situations there is no available tank in which to move the product. Simply agitating the liquid is not sufficient to stop kevisha. Can one pump the product through pipes and back into the tank to avoid kevisha, or do we view the pumping as merely another form of agitation? Rav Belsky questioned whether pumping is adequate but has agreed that regarding chalav stam/dairy/pareve one can be maikel. Rav Schachter said that if the pumping is done properly it is adequate. Therefore in situations where no other solution exists, we can be mitzaref other mitigating factors to be maikel². In cases where one may pump around the liquid, in order to make sure that rov of the liquid was not in the tank for 24 hours; one must cycle at least 70% of the liquid³.

For example, a tank containing 500 gallons of milk requires that more than 350 gallons of milk to be pumped around and back into the tank every 24 hours to avoid kevisha.

Kli shemachniso l’kiyum
Storage of wine and grape juice has an additional chumra. If a tank is designated for holding liquids for more than 72 hours⁴, it is considered a kli shemachniso l’kiyum. Rav Belsky said that even if the tank ordinarily holds apple juice, if non-kosher grape juice or wine is placed into such a tank even momentarily, the tank will need to be kashered. Until it is kashered, one may not put kosher wine or grape juice into that tank even momentarily.

Bidieved:
If a kosher liquid became kavush in a non-kosher tank, because kevisha takes 24 hours, the tank will always be aino ben yomo. Still the kosher liquid should be emptied from that tank as soon as possible, since it improper to allow for the continued use of a treif kli.
However if an alcohol (davar charif) became kavush in a non-kosher tank, since a davar charif is michalya lishvach aino ben yomo ta’am, the alcohol becomes non-kosher, unless the tank contains enough liquid to be mivatel the volume of the walls b’shishim. Most tankers trucks that are at least 60% full will meet this criterion. There is a dispute between Achronim⁵ as to whether the alcohol will become instantly assur if it falls below shishim. In a case that arose, Rav Belsky was maikel bidieved, b’tziruf other sfeikos (was the cleaning done on the tanker an adequate kashering; is alcohol michalya li’shvach or only a chiltis⁶; is there kavush in a metal kli⁷).

Notes:

¹ Chochmos Adam 58:1

² Issur V’heter (brought by Taz 105:1) holds that there is no kevisha in a metal kli. Chavas Daas and Chut Hashani 63 are maikel like Issur V’heter, and Pri Migadim 105:1 leaves it as a safek “ומתכות יש “מחלוקת. Additionally, kavush kailim are usually aino ben yomo.

³ A mathematical formula can show that it can take until 70% of the liquid is cycled, in order to guarantee that less than 50% of the original liquid remains. This is because the cycled liquid will be mixed back into the tank, together with the original liquid. Some of the liquid will be cycled twice before other liquid is cycled even once.

⁴ See Rama 135:9

⁵ Chamudei Daniel (Hilchos Ta’aruvos 36) is machmir; Mahari Haleivi 13 is maikel; and Chesed L’Avrohom 31 sets it up as a machlokes Magen Avrohom (maikel) and Chavas Ya’ir (machmir).

⁶ See Taz 96:8

⁷ Issur V’heter (brought by Taz 105:1) holds that there is no kevisha in a metal kli.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Dream Foods International has all products OU Kosher Certification

(1888PressRelease) October 26, 2010 – Santa Monica – Italian Volcano® Juices, Volcano Lemon Burst® and Volcano Lime Burst® Now have OU Kosher Certification.

Dream Foods International, LLC, (http://www.dreamfoods.com), a specialist in organic citrus juices, is proud to announce that the Italian Volcano® Blood Orange, Tangerine and Lemon Juices, Italian Volcano® Lemonade and Limeade, and Volcano Lemon Burst® and Volcano Lime Burst® have become kosher certified by the Orthodox Union (OU). President and Founder, Adriana Kahane stated, “We recognize that all of our products being kosher certified by the OU is an important recognition of the quality of our beverages and juices. The certification will help to meet the demand of the growing organic and kosher markets.” Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher’s Vice President of Communications and Marketing, was pleased to welcome Dream Foods International to the ever growing list of fine beverage companies who have recently attained OU certification. Rabbi Safran further noted how all of the Dream Foods’ products are a great example of the synergy that exists between kosher and organic specialty products.

The OU rigorously monitors all aspects of production. It supervises the process by which the food is prepared, examines the ingredients used to make the food and regularly inspects the processing facilities to make sure that its standards are met. “While Dream Foods International’s products have been kosher prior to this certification, the company is pleased to add the more widely recognized certification of the OU. Dream Foods is looking forward to finishing the year with record sales. The combination of new product launches and the new OU certification will put the company in a position to continue our expansion,” continued Kahane. Consumers will begin to see the OU kosher certification symbol on the labels of all Dream Foods’ products in the first quarter of 2011.

About Dream Foods International, LLC
Dream Foods International, LLC distributes super premium organic, kosher, not from concentrate, glass-bottled juices under the Italian Volcano® brand. This line includes organic blood orange, lemon and tangerine juices from Sicily, along with the bestselling Volcano Lemon Burst® and Volcano Lime Burst® squeeze bottle juices. Consumers can buy Dream Foods International’s products at the website http://www.mybrands.com searching under the brand name “Volcano,” or they can search on the company’s website at http://www.dreamfoods.com to get recipes and help locating retailers in their area. To stay informed about all of our upcoming events and latest news, the company can be followed on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/dreamfoods

About The Orthodox Union
The Orthodox Union, now in its second century of service to the Jewish community of North America and beyond, represents the fastest growing segment in Jewish life. The OU is a world leader in community and synagogue services, adult education, youth work through NCSY, political action through the IPA (Institute of Public Affairs), and advocacy for persons with disabilities through Yachad and Our Way. Its kosher certification label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 400,000 products manufactured in 80 countries around the globe.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Lo Basi Ella L’orer - Creating mirsas

The Gemara Avoda Zara 61b teaches that if one is מטהר יינו של עובד כוכבים ברשותו (produces kosher wine for a non-Jew in the non-Jew’s premises) even a double chosem is inadequate to protect the wine against possible tampering. The wine requires as an additional safeguard the presence of a mashgiach who sits and watches or who makes periodic unannounced visits ((שאינו בא לקיצין. Rav Belsky often quotes this Gemara as the basis for hashgacha today. We see how great was the view that Chazal had for unannounced visits that they equate it to having a mashgiach sitting and watching!

Unannounced visits:
Rav Belsky often stresses that the requirement of unannounced visits also means that one must follow an unpredictable visiting schedule. A mashgiach should not consistently visit a plant on a Tuesday or always make morning visits, but should really follow a seemingly random pattern. He recommends that a mashgiach that is scheduled to make monthly visits, should occasionally visit twice in one week, and forgo a visit in a future month, to show the company that he can really come at any time. This should be cleared ahead of time with the RC for the company to avoid any billing issues. The Chochmas Adam 79:12 writes (ואפילו שהה זמן רב אם לא הודיעו שהוא מפליג) the mashgiach may even stay away along time between visits so long as he can be expected at any time. A mashgiach should certainly never say at the end of the visit “see you next month”.

A related problem is that of plants which operate through the night and on Shabbos (24/7). Although the RFR is dedicated and works very long hours, the companies will soon learn that that he never visits them at 3 AM or on Shabbos. Therefore, in order to maintain the mirsas in plants which also operate during “non-business” hours, the RFR must occasionally visit the plants in the middle of the night and on Shabbos. Rav Belsky went so far as to say that it would be worthwhile for an RFR to stay in a hotel for Shabbos and miss tefillah b’tzibbur and krias haTorah in order to be able to make such a visit.

The more a company invests in kosher the greater the mirsas:
The Chochmos Adam 79:12 explains that we say that a double chosem is ineffective when being מטהר יינו של עובד כוכבים ברשותו only if the non-Jew did not incur tircha or substantial expenses in producing the kosher wine. However, if the non-Jew paid for the hashgacha and was required to rigorously clean and kasher his equipment then the regular system of chosamos is adequate. A company that undergoes tircha in becoming kosher, appreciates it that much more. This slightly lessens the overall concern that the company would deliberately try to tamper with the product. It is basic human psychology that the more a person invests in a program the less likely they are to try to jeopardize it. It is important to foster this sense of pride that companies have in being OU certified.

Frequency of visits:
A greater frequency of visits creates a stronger level of mirsas. Companies that use sensitive ingredients such as kosher cheese, wine, grape juice, glycerin or gelatin require greater mirsas and therefore require increased visitation. These ingredients are considered more sensitive because they have non-kosher equivalents which are much cheaper. Companies that produce either dairy/pareve or kosher/non-kosher need even more visitations. Even a factory that only deals in kosher, but can easily produce non-kosher as well, must be watched very closely. One example of such a scenario is an all kosher smokehouse. The equipment is compatible with non-kosher meats and fish, and tight controls are required to ensure they’re not servicing non-kosher clients. In one case, the owner of a smokehouse was caught smoking non-kosher fish afterhours for his own private party.

Where used reports:
Aside from creating mirsas in the schedule A department, there is also a need to properly audit the schedule B. Rabbi Luban recommended at the Mashgichim conference that in mixed plants (Dairy/Pareve, Kosher/non-kosher) the mashgiach should have the company print out for him a where used report for the non-kosher and/or dairy ingredients in the plant and then check this list against the schedule B. For example if the company has a non-kosher cheese flavor, a report should be printed that shows all the products that used this ingredient since his last visit. It is also important that reviews be made of label rooms to make sure that the OU symbol does not appear on uncertified products. (If you are interested in having Rabbi Dovid Irons conduct a label review in plants where there are dairy/pareve or kosher/non-kosher concerns please contact Rabbi Katzenstein.) Sometimes the best way to create mirsas in a company is by demonstrating that you are organized and thorough.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

OU Kosher’s Rabbi Merzel to Present Seminar at October 26 Food and Beverage Show in Miami

Rabbi Mordechai Merzel, rabbinic coordinator for the Orthodox Union Kosher Division, will be a presenter at the 14th Americas Food and Beverage Show and Conference on Tuesday, October 26 from 3-4 p.m. at the World Trade Center Miami.

More than 6,000 industry professionals are to be in attendance, including manufacturers, distributors and buyers within the food and beverage industry, in addition to 350 exhibitors from more than 27 countries.

In his presentation, The Kosher Marketplace: How This Growing Market Can Help Increase Sales and Attract Customers, Rabbi Merzel will shed light on the meaning and implications of kosher certification for food producers, distributors and marketers.

Additionally, Rabbi Merzel will be giving an overview of how companies work with OU Kosher:

• Defining kosher;

• What factors make an item kosher for consumption and others not;

• How to achieve kosher certification;

• The nature of the process to become certified kosher;

• The benefits of kosher certified products;

• What kind of consumers purchase kosher products;

• Not all kosher certifications are created equal.

The OU kosher certification label, the OU, is the world’s most recognized kosher symbol and can be found on over 400,000 products manufactured in 80 countries around the globe.

Orthodox Union Approves Placement of Kosher Symbol on Old World Kosher Sausage

Old World Kosher Sausage today announced that it has been certified kosher by the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certification agency. The new variety of kosher chicken sausage bearing the OU symbol will be distributed nationwide beginning in the next few weeks.

Ethan Feinberg, President of Old World Kosher Sausage, partnered with David Samuels, a manufacturer, wholesaler and distributor of meat products who wanted to share his unique recipe with the kosher community. Old World Kosher Sausage is made from 100 percent OU kosher certified chicken thighs and comes in a variety of flavors which have never been tasted in the kosher food industry. “We are truly honored that David Samuels has chosen to share his secret recipes with us so that we can bring this unique product to the kosher consumer,” declared Mr. Feinberg.

The OU rigorously monitors all aspects of production. It supervises the process by which the food is prepared, examines the ingredients used to make the food, and regularly inspects the processing facilities to make sure that its standards are met.

“With flavors like Chicken Apple Sausage, Hot Italian Sausage, and Sweet Italian Sausage, caterers and restauranteurs can’t seem to get enough of these delicacies. Recent focus group participants exclaimed that the truly exciting and distinctive taste profile delivered a unique culinary experience they had not tasted before,” Mr. Feinberg said.

Old World Kosher Sausage is available in food service and retail packs. For more information contact Ethan Feinberg at .

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Lo Basi Ella L’orer - Bitul issur Lichatchila

In general, one is not permitted to be mivatel issur lichatchila. There is a machlokes whether this is an issur d’oreisah (Ravad) or an issur d’Rabbanan (Tosfos). Though most poskim hold that it is only an issur d’rabbanan¹, yet many² (including Rav Belsky) feel that one should be choshesh for the opinion of Ravad.

One potential nafka mina is in regard to being mivatel issur for the purpose of a choleh she’ain bo sakana. If bitul issur is only an issur dirabbanan then one can be mivatel issur lichatchila for a choleh; however if bitul issur is potentially an issur d’oreisah then one may not be mivatel issur for a choleh³. In general though, Rav Belsky has agreed that one can be mivatel medicines provided the active ingredients that one is interested in are not assur, and the issurim (e.g. glycerin, flavors) are inactive ingredients. In this case since one is not interested in benefitting from the issur, even Ravad would agree that this form of bitul would not be assur d’oraisah. In such cases, according to all opinions, one can be mivatel issur for a choleh⁴.

For example, Children’s Liquid Tylenol⁵contains .43 grams of glycerin per 5ml (1 teaspoon). Therefore, if one mixed each teaspoon of medicine into one ounce (1/8 cup) of water or juice, the glycerin will be batel b’shishim. Liquid Motrin⁶ has <.6 grams of glycerin per 5ml so a teaspoon would be batel b’shishim in about 1.25 ounces. In general most medicines do not contain more than 20% glycerin. Therefore in general a teaspoon of medicine will be batel in 2 ounces of water, though there are some elixir’s and multivitamins that contain very high levels of glycerin (some over 90%!).

The Ran (A.Z. 12b) explains that when there is no kavana to be mivatel (אין כוונתו לבטל) but rather one is intending to remove the issur and will have no benefit from the issur then bitul is permitted. It is for this reason that one is permitted to kasher ben yomo kailim in 60 parts water. Although one is being mivatel the issur so that they may benefit from the use of the kli, this form of bitul is permitted.

A common application of this concept is employed for companies that will not allow wet cleaning of dry blending equipment (e.g. mills). The proper way to “clean” such equipment is with a sufficient flush of kosher material which will then be discarded. Any original material will become batel in the flush, and the residuals of the flush are permitted. This form of bitul issur is permitted because it is intended to remove the issur and causes no benefit. (Note: Cleaning of a chadash mill for a yoshon run, is more complex because chadash is a davar sheyaish lo matirim which is not batel).

k’derech hamichabdim
Alternatively, the equipment can be vacuumed out and cleaned according to the industry standard of cleanliness/k’derech hamichabdim⁷ whose criteria is as follows. If the company is trying to clean the equipment but cannot remove every bit of issur and this is the industry standard then that is sufficient. However, if they are comfortable using dirty equipment then that is not acceptable. At the point where the equipment is considered clean, even though some particles remain, one would be permitted to produce kosher. Those particles will become batel in the kosher production. Although this would appear to be bitul issur lichatchila, it is permitted. This is based on a Mishnah, Terumos 11:8 that says that if one pours oil of terumah from a jug, once the flow stops and 3 consecutive drops of oil drip out, one may put chullin into the jug. From here we see that every bit of tangible issur does not have to be removed; but merely cleaned to an accepted standard. The Rashba (brought by Ran A.Z. 12b) explains that even the Ravad permits bitul of an issur which can never cause a nesinas ta’am. After a sufficient cleaning the kli is considered a kli she’mishtamshim bo b’shefa, and one is permitted to be mivatel. Rav Elyashiv shlita told Rav Belsky that we may rely on this heter lichatchila.

Summary:

• Most hold that bitul issur is assur only mid’rabbanan, though it is proper to be choshesh that it is d’oraisah

• Either way, one is permitted to be mivatel medicine for a choleh she’ain bo sakana, provided the issur is not a key ingredient

• It is not considered bitul issur if one is intending to remove the issur

• If equipment is cleaned to the industry standard of cleanliness/k’derech hamichabdim and is always used as a kli she’mishtmshim bo b’shefa then this is

not considered bitul issur.

Notes:

¹ Chochmos Adam 52:6

² Darchei Teshuva 99:35 (מבי“ט, פרי תואר,מהרלב“ח, ועוד)

³ Yavin Daas 99:5

⁴ Yad Yehuda katzar 99:15; see also Darchei Teshuva 99:35: Since the issur is lach b’lach the tzorech of a choleh is comparable to a hefsed mirubah so we do not say ChaNaN.

⁵ Thomas J. Feldstein; Pediatrics 1996

⁶ Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford Department of Pharmacy

⁷ Levush Y.D. 138:11
ז“ל הלבוש – גת שדרך בה גוי, כשבא ישראל לנגבה מכבדה כדרכו ואין מחייבין אותו ללקוט החרצנים, שאף אם ישארו בה מעט חרצנים לית לן בה דיתבטלו ברוב, ואין זה מבטל איסור לכתחלה שאין כוונתו לבטל.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Something’s Fishy Here: Omega-3 Can Be Derived from Algae

The accompanying sidebar from Martek explains the nutritional importance and benefits of DHA and ARA oils in infant development and growth and actually its nutritional value for all age groups. DHA is a long chain omega-3 fatty acid and ARA is an omega 6 fatty acid. As discussed in the accompanying sidebar, many people mistakenly think that these fatty acids can only be derived from fish. In fact, what prompted this little piece is a prior article in this magazine, which may have given the impression that all DHA and ARA fatty acids are seafood-derived. Fish is of course a category of food which is kosher sensitive, as only fish which have fins and scales are kosher. Thus, in order for fish-derived DHA and ARA oil to be accepted as kosher, we need to know that they were derived from a kosher fish source.

Compounding that concern is that even if the DHA and ARA oils were derived from a kosher fish source, there may be shared equipment concerns in some of the processing plants. Of course, kosher fish-derived DHA and ARA oil is available with the appropriate kosher controls.

However, as we began, there is a significant amount of kosher DHA and ARA oil available that is manufactured through fermentation which can provide the nutritional value of these important oils through a process that uses no fish-derived ingredients. It involves a fermentation process that uses an algae source.

The process starts with inoculating the algae microorganism into approximately a one-liter flask containing media, which in this case means a liquid solution of nutrients that are consumed by the algae microorganism. After a period of growth in the initial flask, a seed fermentor is made up also with media, sterilized and cooled and then inoculated with the contents of the first flask. Again, after a period of growth, a main fermentor (which is a much bigger vessel) is prepared by the same method as the seed fermentor and inoculated with the contents of the seed fermentor.

When the growth is completed in the main fermentor, the process moves to recovery and eventual drying followed by extraction and then refining, bleaching and deodorizing. Kosher requirements are that all ingredients used to make up the nutrients used in the media are kosher. Of course, all steps in the process are kosher controlled to ensure that only kosher ingredients are used in the media, any processing aids, antifoams, etc., and that all equipment is in kosher status.

When completed, we have a completely kosher DHA and ARA oil product that contains all the benefits of the product derived from marine sources, without the use of any fish-derived ingredients. Thanks to the technology of companies like Martek and in cooperation with the OU Kosher, one can get the complete nutritional benefits of DHA and ARA oils — kosher certified and no fish needed.

Rabbi Menachem Adler studied at the Chofetz Chaim Yeshiva in Jerusalem and at Ner Israel Rabbinical College in Baltimore, where he was awarded the Bachelor of Talmudic Law degree and also received rabbinical ordination. He also earned a B.S. degree with a major in computer science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Rabbi Adler joined OU Kosher in 1992 as rabbinic coordinator specializing in enzymes, biotechnology companies, as well as companies in the emulsifier, vegetable oil, dairy and coffee creamer industries. His learned series of Kosher Tidbits on kashrut issues in the area of enzymes and biotechnology have elicited much interest. (A link to a Kosher Tidbit presentation on enzymes is found below.) Married and the father of three children, Rabbi Adler resides in Far Rockaway, NY.
http://www.ouradio.org/index.php/ouradio/channel/C301/P80/

Ask the Rabbi

Dear Rabbi:

QUESTION: As an OU company, I have many customers who want their names printed on the label with no mention of the manufacturer (also known as private label products). We understand the need to sign a contract, to ensure that everyone is “on the same page” with the OU requirements for private labels, though the “legalese” of the contract makes it hard for us to understand what exactly we are obligating ourselves (and what our label company is obligating itself) to do to remain OU certified. Can you advise us in “plain talk” what exactly are the responsibilities of the manufacturer and the label company in the agreement? Specifically, what is this “parallel product” clause, and why is it needed?

ANSWER: The Private Label Agreement (PLA) is a three-way agreement signed by the manufacturer, the distributor and the OU in order to authorize use of the OU symbol on private label goods. Most distributors will use the standard PLA; however, some distributors have a custom PLA. The private label fee for those distributors with a custom PLA is usually higher because of the additional administrative work involved.

Once the PLA has been fully signed and executed, products can be added or deleted by written request to your rabbinic coordinator. In addition, the manufacturer may expand the authorization to additional plants. Here’s a clarification in layman’s terms of the key clauses in section one.

• The manufacturer of the product must be currently certified in order to request and obtain authorization to private label with the OU.

• The production of private label goods is subject to the manufacturer’s authorized production procedures and approved ingredients.

• Identical product clause: The distributor may not have the identical item produced in an OU version and a non-OU version. The distributor can obtain private label authorization for the identical item produced by multiple OU companies.

• The rationale for this clause is two-fold:

1-To avoid consumer confusion: If a product made by one facility bears the OU symbol and the identical product made by another facility does not bear the OU symbol, consumers will become confused and not trust the integrity of the product even when bearing the OU symbol. Additionally, some consumers may inadvertently purchase the product not bearing the OU symbol — not realizing that it may be non-kosher – because they mistakenly identify the product as backed by the OU due to the appearance of the OU symbol on the product that comes from the OU certified facility.

2- When there are multiple manufacturers of the same item, one OU certified and one non-OU certified, there is a great risk of the OU graphic being copied by the non-OU certified manufacturer or the packaging bearing the OU being transferred to the non-OU certified manufacturer.

• Only plants listed on the schedule A of the PLA, i.e., a list of approved products (not to be confused with the manufacturer’s schedule A, list of approved ingredients) can produce certified product.

• No other kosher symbol may appear on the label along with the OU symbol unless specifically authorized in writing by the OU.

• The OU symbol cannot be used on goods not appearing in the PLA without submitting a written request and receiving written approval from the OU in the form of a LETTER OF CERTIFICATION.

• Packaging material bearing the OU may not be removed from the authorized plant without written permission from the Orthodox Union, even if the second facility is OU certified.

• In the event of an error of kosher significance, product may have to be withdrawn from the marketplace. If such withdrawal is deemed necessary, the OU often places notification in the American Jewish newspapers in the geographic area where the product is distributed.

• The expiration of the Private Label Agreement coincides with the company’s renewal date. The agreement is automatically renewed unless canceled by any of the three parties.

• There is a private label fee per distributor, not per brand or product, charged to the manufacturer. The initial year of the PLA is called a registration fee, whereas subsequent years of private label certification are invoiced as certification fees.

• The OU symbol may only be used in advertising when clearly and simply identifying OU products. Any other use – such as inclusion of the OU symbol as a stand-alone in advertisements — must be approved in advance by the Orthodox Union.

• The certified private label product may not contain or be bundled together with non-OU goods (such as a non-OU certified candy bar in an OU certified cereal, or an-OU certified jelly bundled together with a non-OU certified jelly).

Howard Katzenstein was born and bred in Manhattan. He graduated from the City College of New York with a B.A. in economics and business management. Previously, he served as director of a genetic screening program and taught high school biology. Currently, he is Director of Business Management and Trademark Compliance at the Orthodox Union. As the primary liaison to distributors, he has provided a free seminar on kosher to over 30 supermarkets and food service companies in their own headquarters.

OU Kosher Marketing Tips: If you’ve got it – flaunt it

It’s a textbook of sophisticated food technology that is utilized in refining oil, a compendium of kosher law, and therefore, a remarkable combination of centuries-old halacha and the most up-to-date developments. After a long production process, it is now available to set kashrut standards for the entire industry.

The Orthodox Union Kosher Division, the world’s largest and most respected kosher certification agency, today announced the publication of the “OU Manual for the Oil Industry,” a compendium of the knowledge and experience of the expert OU rabbis who travel the world applying the time-honored laws of kosher to the industrial practices of today. (The oil industry refers to edible oils, not petroleum.)

The manual, printed in full color with many illustrations, is the second in a series of such guidebooks scheduled for publication, with the objective that uniform standards of certification be established for entire industries conforming to the rigorous requirements of the OU. The “OU Manual for the Baking Industry” was published last summer.

The manuals are another in a series of departmental initiatives that makes OU Kosher a major force in kashrut education as well as in certification. The standards are not only for the oil industry in the United States, but for around the world as well.

Such leading oil manufacturers as ADM (Archer Daniels Midland) and Cargill are certified by the OU.

The intended audience for the manuals is a wide spectrum of kashrut professionals including the vaadim, local bodies which provide kosher certification in retail businesses, food service facilities, and plants in their local communities. Laymen wanting to explore the intricacies of kosher law will be fascinated as well.

Each of the manuals will focus on three important areas of concern for its specific industry – technology; practical kashrut concerns and the methodology of supervision; and halachic rulings of the OU decisors, or poskim, Rav Hershel Schachter of Yeshiva University, and Rav Yisroel Belsky of Yeshiva Torah Vodaath. The project is a collaborative effort of OU rabbinic coordinators based in OU Kosher New York headquarters; rabbinic field representatives, around the world; the poskim; and administrative staff.

To create the oil manual, a group was put together with Executive Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Yaacov Luban as editor; Rabbi Moshe Zywica, Director of Operations of OU Kosher as coordinator; and Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld, one of the OU Rabbinic Coordinators who oversee the oil industry. A major role in preparation of the text was provided by Dr. Avrohom Meyer, a Ph.D in chemistry, who according to Rabbi Luban in his introduction to the manual, “is a walking encyclopedia of technology and kashrut.” Rabbi Avraham I. Juravel, Rabbinic Coordinator for Technical Services, reviewed the manual and in the process demonstrated his technical and halachic expertise.

They reported to Rabbi Moshe Elefant, Chief Operating Officer of OU Kosher. Because of his broad understanding of the Jewish community and its needs, Rabbi Elefant provided the guidance which was so helpful in seeing that the manual accomplished its objectives.

An Extremely Complex Process:

According to the introduction to the manual, “A prerequisite for a kashrut professional who is engaged in the supervision of any kosher material is a broad understanding of the process of production of that particular item. With respect to kosher oil supervision, the process is extremely complex and requires a basic understanding of chemistry and modern food technology. This manual represents an effort to provide an in-depth analysis of kosher oil production.”

Reflecting the input of Dr. Meyer and the requirements of the industry, chemistry and technology are everywhere in the manual, for example, in diagrams of a triglyceride. Want to know the three crystal components and melting points of Tristearin, a well-defined fat? That’s in there too, and so much more.
The entire project, including planning, research and design, took months, with the writing alone taking four months; the text was reviewed countless times, mostly by Rabbi Luban, with much input and text from Dr. Meyer, so that the manual could appeal to as wide an audience as possible.

“The work is very significant on several levels,” explained Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher. “It’s important to know that each industry has its own requirements and specifications; each of these manuals represents the standards for its industry and what a mashgiach has to be aware of. They enhance the departmental goal of kosher education. And in terms of our corporate culture, they provide transparent standards to be met.”

Industries such as fish and food service (hotels, catering halls, etc.) are in the pipeline and will follow soon. With each manual, something new exists in the kosher world.

Rabbi Genack declared, “This new manual will be a great addition to sources explaining Jewish law for our times. The halachic guidelines of Rabbis Belsky and Schachter, our poskim, will certainly make an extraordinary resource for the kosher world. Only the OU, with its knowledge and emphasis on education, could have done it.”

(To obtain copies of the manual, contact Rabbi Yoel Schonfeld at 212-613-8220, or .)

Friday, October 08, 2010

If it’s Monday, it Must Be Latvia (with Tuesday in Lithuania and Wednesday in Estonia)

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, the Baltic States, the frozen north, and particularly in Lithuania, home to great Jewish communities — now these communities are gone and only memories remain. I share these memories — my grandparents trod this ground 70 years ago.

And so it was with great interest and a deep feeling of nostalgia that I was assigned to the Baltic States, where I have become a regular visitor over the past three years to certify plants for OU Kosher.

This is what a typical trip is like.

Departing from my home base of Antwerp, Belgium, my Sunday evening flight from Brussels to Riga, the capital of Latvia, is an uneventful two hours on Air Baltic. In Riga, I head for Latvijas Balsams, which produces vodka for SPI. SPI is the company that produces the world-renowned Russian vodka Stolichnaya, certified by the OU.
With its modern machinery and the quality of its products, this plant could very well be found in the United States or Western Europe. My work there complete, I take a one-and-a-half hour drive to Valmiera to visit a large dairy plant, Valmiers Piens, which manufactures kosher certified cream for the German company, Best Milk Products.
Heading in the other direction from Riga, I proceed to the newly OU certified Pure Food SIA and its modern plant, which makes fruit preparations for the ice cream and yogurt industry. Its large list of kosher products is sold in Latvia, Estonia, Lituania, Russia, Finland, Belorussia, Germany and the United States. The company’s fruit and berry fillings are produced using equipment that retains the maximum degree of natural aromas, colors, flavors and forms of the fruits and berries. Pure Food uses the latest technologies in the production process, which allow for a high-quality end result and finished product.

That evening, I take a one-hour flight from Riga to Vilnius, formerly Vilna, in Lithuania. The OU certifies a milk powder plant, Marijampoles Pieno Konservai, which also produces for Best Milk in Germany. The plant manufactures spray dried milk powder of high quality.

It is a one-hour drive to the small town of Alytus where the OU certifies JSC Pienalita, also a producer of milk powders for worldwide export. Under the direction of Senior Rabbinic Coordinator Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz, the OU is now in the process of arranging certification for a large, modern ice cream company in Kaunus (formerly known as Kovno). Once all the ingredients are approved, the OU will be certifying Lithuanian ice cream for the first time. (And believe me, there is plenty of ice in Lithuania.)

With time permitting, before leaving Lithuania I make a point of visiting the Jewish cemetery in Vilnius where the Gaon of Vilna, one of the greatest figures in Jewish history, lies, as well as my great uncle Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grodzinski, one of the greatest rabbinic scholars of pre-World War II Europe.

That evening, I fly from Vilnius to Tallinn in Estonia, where the OU has three plants. Genovique is a very large chemical plant producing benzoates and benzoic acid for export to the United States. (By the way, the firm is based in the United States, near Chicago. They also have a plant in China. That’s not on my route.) From Genovique I drive to Jaarva Jani where we certify a large modern milk plant, Epiim, which makes both spray dried and roller dried milk powder as well as whey powders. In order to be able to certify the whey powders, I must visit Eppim’s cheese plant of Eppim in Poltsama, two hours away, to make sure that the liquid whey which they send to Jarva Jani for spray drying is kosher.

Then it’s back to Tallin for the flight home to Belgium, after having spent three days in three different countries in the Baltic States. I know I’ll be back soon.
Rabbi Yisroel Hollander has roamed Europe for the Orthodox Union for more than 10 years. Born in London, he resides with his wife and eight children in Antwerp, Belgium, his base for his weekly travels around the continent. Rabbi Hollander studied at the Gateshead Yeshiva in England for four years before going on to Yeshivas Yad Aharon in Israel.

Wednesday, October 06, 2010

A Kosher Formula

I have heard it said that running a successful kosher program is as easy as PIE: Products, Ingredients and Equipment. One must keep an updated schedule B (products) an updated schedule A (ingredients) and have a proper system for keeping track of the kosher/pareve status of equipment. I would like to add another interpretation to this wise adage. Running a successful kosher program is as easy as π (as in 3.14159…).

Product formulas are not the only formulas that one needs to understand in assessing a kosher program; sometimes we must employ mathematical formulas as well. If we are required to verify the volume contained inside of a pipe we must understand the formula V= πr2h. If we must figure out the volume of the metal of the pipe we must understand the formula V= πh(R2- r2). And if we need to know how much product flowed through a pipe, well, it can get complicated very quickly.
In a more complex question relating to inlet and outlet flows, we consulted with Dr. Don Engelberg, Professor of Physics, Queensboro Community College in New York. We needed to answer the following question. Oil was drawn off a tank at a certain rate and was being replaced at a different rate. In this case the kosher status of the equipment would be determined by whether or not most of the original oil would be replaced within 24 hours.

If, for example, the tank initially held 400 gallons of oil, had an intake rate of 10 gallons/hour and an outlet rate of 12 gallons/hour, would the tank remain kosher? Dr. Engelberg crafted for us the following formula for answering this question.

X = V * (1 + ((I – O) * T / V))O/(O – I)

where:
X = Volume of old oil left at the end (in gallons)
V = Initial volume in tank (in gallons)
I = Intake rate (in gallons per hour)
O = Outlet rate (in gallons per hour)
T = Time elapsed (in hours)

In this case V = 400; I = 10; O = 12 and T = 24. Solving, we find that the volume of old oil left at the end (X) = 186 gallons. Since this is less than half of the original amount, the tank will remain kosher. Easy as pie.

Rabbi Eli Gersten serves as OU rabbinic coordinator – recorder of OU policy. In that important capacity, he works closely with the OU’s senior rabbinic team that reviews and formulates OU Kosher policy. A frequent contributor to BTUS, his “The Science of Kosher Materials” appeared in the Spring 2010 issue.

Decay? No Way! Kosher Preservatives to the Rescue

“May I have a steak well done, please, and a fruit cocktail?” is a request that is commonly heard in a restaurant. It’s very rare to hear someone in a restaurant say, “Waiter, I’d like an order of rotten fruit, please, and do you have any steak that causes botulism?”

It’s a fact of life that innumerable foods are perishable, and without human intervention, will spoil. People have been coping with this problem since time immemorial. In this area, necessity once again proved to be the mother of invention, and so was born food preservation.

Preservation can be defined as, “a method used to maintain the current state of a food and/or prevent damage caused by environmental factors.” In our era, preservatives have become both ubiquitous and crucial in the manufacture of food. However, methods of preservation long pre-date the 21st century.
Salting, curing (i.e., smoking); drying (i.e., dehydration); and sugaring (dehydration followed by packing the food in sugar), are some of the earliest methods employed in preserving food. Pickling (e.g., with vinegar) has a long pedigree, as well. Freezing has been used to preserve food, and is obviously much easier and much more common in this age of refrigerator-freezers. It was, however, Napoleon who ultimately brought about the first utterance of, “Yes, we can!”

Napoleon’s army was starving, and the French government offered a monetary reward to anyone who could devise a way to preserve food for the soldiers. A brewer named Nicholas Appert plunged into preservation research. After almost a decade and a half, he found that wax-sealing and heating of jars kept food from spoiling. He won the prize. This technique eventually made its way to England, and subsequently, cans were invented.

There are three major categories of preservatives: anti-microbials, anti-oxidants, and ripening retardants. Anti-microbials prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi. Anti-oxidants prevent oxidation (in this context, oxygen combining with food) and thereby prevent the food from going rancid. Ripening retardants slow down the ripening of fruits and vegetables, allowing them to last longer.

There are well-known substances used in preservation, and some are known only “to the trade.”
Salt inhibits bacterial growth by reducing the activity of water (bacteria love water); pickling with vinegar (an acetic acid solution) accomplishes that by virtue of the acid’s effect on the food. Sugar, as well, is an anti-microbial. Certain herbs and spices (e.g., cinnamon; chili pepper) function as anti-oxidants, and perhaps, as anti-microbials, as well.

Sulfites (a kind of sulphur compound) serve as anti-microbials in such foods as wine and dried fruits. Benzoic acid functions as an anti-microbial in dressings and condiments. Sorbic acid is used for preservation in products like cheese and jam. Nitrates and nitrites are used in meats. Propionic acid prolongs the freshness of bread. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is formed when meat is smoked; it serves as both an anti-microbial and an anti-oxidant. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is also an anti-oxidant.

Vitamin C, Vitamin E, sulphur dioxide, natamycin…the list goes on and on! One can imagine that, with so many varieties and so many applications, preservatives would be examined and re-examined for safety. And indeed, they are. In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration is responsible; in the Europe, it’s the European Food Safety Authority and the European Commission, Parliament and Council.

Guaranteeing the kosher status of preservatives has its attendant challenges. Here are just two examples:
Vinegar is often produced by introducing microorganisms into a sugar solution (e.g., corn syrup; fruit juice). The first step in this approach to vinegar production is the fermentation of the sugar by yeast. This yields alcohol. Acetobacter then convert the alcohol into acetaldehyde and then into acetic acid (which is the primary ingredient in vinegar) and water. Vinegar is a red-flag ingredient for two reasons. Firstly, it can be derived from wine. In all of kosher certification, you’d be hard-pressed to find something as sensitive as wine! Secondly, the acetobacter’s diet might be supplemented by nutrients that are not kosher.
One of the reasons that herbs and spices are so kosher-sensitive is that they may come from Israel. At one point, Israel was a major exporter of onion, garlic, and paprika. Jewish religious law regulates the use of Israeli produce more tightly than the produce of other lands. Moreover, the flow agents employed by spice manufacturers may contain animal-derived stearates; animal derivatives are always kosher red-flag items. Finally, spice blends may contain wine derivatives, which, as we have seen, can also be highly kosher-sensitive.

At the end of the day, kosher preservatives are the best way to preserve kosher status!

RABBI EIYAHU W. FERRELL: While attending Yeshivat Kesser Torah in Queens, NY, Rabbi Eliyahu W. Ferrell was awarded his Bachelors Degree in Psychology from QueensCollege of the City University of New York. He subsequently received ordination from the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary of Yeshiva University. He has served as a pulpit rabbi at the Downtown Talmud Torah Synagogue in New York City; taught at the Frisch School in Paramus, NJ; and since 2000 has taught at the Passaic Torah Institute, also in New Jersey. That same year he joined OU Kosher as a rabbinic coordinator, now specializing in chemicals and assisting in areas of kosher education, including OU Radio’s Kosher Tidbits and OU Kosher DVDs. In addition, Rabbi Ferrell served as Kosher Director at two outreach summer camps in the Former Soviet Union, and is the author of articles on various Torah topics. Rabbi Ferrell and his wife, Aliza, have four children and reside in Passaic, NJ.

For a Traveling RFR, It’s a Long and Winding Road to the Nearest Plant

As a traveling RFR (rabbinic field representative) for more years than I care to admit to, one quickly learns that regardless of how carefully we plan our days, flexibility is the key to success.

It should have been an ordinary Wednesday morning. When I awaken to go to synagogue for the morning services, I notice there is dense fog in the neighborhood. Fog in the spring in Chicago is not unheard of, but not common. It was eerie not being able to see the end of the block. About an hour later, back at home, the Blackberry goes on as the work day begins. The plan today is to cover a couple of factories near O’Hare Airport and then hop a quick flight over to Fort Wayne, Indiana where my regular monthly route of about 10 facilities will begin. Perhaps I’ll be able to inspect Ellison Bakery and then get to Nestle’s Dreyer’s ice cream facility before the end of the day – crossing into the Eastern time zone does not help with productivity!

Back home, as reveille is sounded for the kids who have to get out the door to school, the Blackberry chirps away as the overnight email arrives. Most days I ignore it until I get out the door – I’m Midwest based, and it’s rare that at 7:00 in the morning anything but the latest announcement that I won the lottery will arrive this early. Today I steal a glance to see what has come in.

The second email on the list is ominous – three of the most dreaded words a frequent traveler can see: Flight Update Message. This is usually not good news. Sure enough, the mid-day flight has already been cancelled. Seems the fog is persisting all across the Midwest! A quick call to the airline confirms flight cancelled – but there is a flight on another airline about two hours from now. Ticket switched, pack quickly, inform my wife I’m not going to be able to drive carpool this morning after all and out the door.

O’Hare Airport, 9:00 a.m. Not too busy today, check-in is efficient. The “Board of Doom” shows flight is on-time. A quick visit with my friends at the TSA and I’m at the gate. Since there aren’t any seats by outlets, I opt for the next gate over which is empty. I see our aircraft arrive, and when I think it’s about time to board head back over to find… the departure monitor is blank. After a moment of panic (did the flight leave already?) the Blackberry chips the news again: Cancelled.

Based on the available flight schedule, the weather, and the number of cancellations already announced it has become rather obvious that I am not going to Fort Wayne today, at least by air. It’s time to regroup and weigh the options. One — fly tomorrow morning; instantly dismissed. I can’t make my route in one day, and staying Thursday night and traveling back on Friday is not appealing. Two – drive to Fort Wayne and run the route. Is there anything critical that has to be done this week? Running down the list mentally, it doesn’t seem so. I’d like to be at Pretzel’s Inc. for their kosher cheese run, but it’s not essential. The verdict: driving to Fort Wayne is not a good option. It will take four hours to get to the area, and with the time change it will be too late to see anyone today.

Now that Eastern Indiana is not going to happen, what’s the next option? Central Indiana still needs to be covered this month, and I should be able to cover the route in the day and a half that I now have left so — it’s back to the parking lot. The priority now becomes the traffic situation. Downtown Chicago lies directly between me and my destination, and that can be ugly. Finally though, travel luck has changed. The radio reports there is no delay through town. En route, cancel tonight’s hotel plans and rebook for a different destination, then let the family know about the latest change in plans.

I’m very fortunate and grateful that the OU has issued me a tablet PC computer. I am sent all of my assigned schedules regularly and can update them anytime online. This has been one of the greatest tools of my kashrut supervision career, and today is a perfect example of why. In the old days, I would have been loaded up with paper copies of the Fort Wayne area route plants – and the change in plans would mean no choice but to stop at home to switch documents; printing everything for a route could easily take an hour. Thanks to technology, no worries!

Crossing into Indiana, the Blackberry chirps away again. An email announces that my friends at Zentis have been presented with a production dilemma and need some assistance. They are on my central Indiana route, and I’m on the way to that area now. I think they were surprised when I walked in the door within 90 minutes of the email going out! The relevant staff and I meet, and I gather some facts on the situation. We work out a proposed plan, check out the rest of the plant and I bid these fine folks farewell. A quick call to the OU Kosher rabbinic coordinator apprises him of the plan, which he will consider and in short order let the company know if this plan is approved or not.

My next stop brings an unexpected surprise. Bay Valley Pickles is running sliced jalapeño peppers today. The front half of the plant is, at least in my opinion, uninhabitable. Fortunately, the warehouse and areas I need to visit are tolerable. I’m fond of some hot peppers here and there, but the concentration of all those peppers being chopped and pickled is something to experience!

After a quick supply run to the local supermarket, I’m ensconced in my hotel room. I have to say that over the years that I have been traveling for supervision, it’s become much easier to eat on the road. Many of the plant people I work with don’t realize that we eat kosher all the time. Twenty years ago, every trip meant take-along from home. Fortunately, there are literally thousands of OU products in stores across the country now and one can put together a pretty good hotel meal without too much effort.

This evening, I’m able to file all my inspection reports for the day and lay out the route for tomorrow’s inspections. The OU Direct website is another terrific tool that has been deployed. From my hotel room, I am able to get all my reports for the day filed – the rabbinic coordinators in New York are apprised of any issues or updates in a timely manner, and I’m saved a lot of time for when I get back home. Kudos again to the OU Direct team back at Headquarters!

A new day dawns, and the weather has not improved. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about flying back this evening, because the situation doesn’t look good. The hotel has pretty good coffee, and some OU General Mills cereal with OU Rice Dream and bananas is the right ticket to start an “OU” day.

Bimbo Bakery starts off the day. One line is down, and they are doing some heavy cleaning. Workers in space suits are making what looks like quite a snow storm. This doesn’t sound like a good match for a black suit, so we’ll detour from our typical route this morning. At Brother’s Baking, there’s some new equipment that has been delivered. We review the installation and usage plans, and I need to assess the kosher status. We discuss how the installation will work, and what the cleaning process will be to prepare the new items for service in their new home. Turns out that the items in question came from another kosher facility, and there will be no kosher issue at all.

The staff at McCormick’s South Bend facility have always been gracious hosts. The QC lab proves ever helpful as we research the warehouse locations for the ingredients I need to find and verify. Computer systems are wonderful – although it does take the challenge out of the great warehouse scavenger hunt of days past. A stop at International Bakers Service starts another search mission. With so many ingredients, how do they manage to know where everything is every time?
Michigan Milk has a facility that needs to be looked at as it embarks on a new kosher product’s production. Here we come across a minor ingredient discrepancy for the new item. I’ll record the pertinent information and send this off to the office to sort out. Turns out in the end that there is no discrepancy at all – the ingredient I recorded is not for the new product, and everything is correct.

My final stop of the route is at Valley Research, now part of the DSM family, to check out enzymes that they process. I’m sad to learn that my previous contact has left the company, but I meet my new contact and we get acquainted as we tour the plant. She is already well up to speed on kosher matters, and I see that this will be a simple transition.

The drive back to Chicago via the Indiana Toll Road is smooth and goes by quickly. On the way, I reflect on the success of the trip even with a rather inauspicious start. A little time lost, but no harm done and overall, a productive trip. I’ll still have to work out Fort Wayne this month, but there will be time to make that up. As Buckingham Fountain and downtown slide by — slowly, it is rush hour after all — it’s time to consider tomorrow’s plans….
Rabbi Simcha Smolensky comes from Denver, Colorado where in younger years he was avidly involved in many outdoor activities, including skiing and mountain climbing. A licensed pilot, Rabbi Smolensky was an active search and rescue pilot for the Civil Air Patrol – Colorado wing in the late 1980’s. He received his B.A. in Psychology and Judaic Studies, University Honors Scholars Program from the University of Denver in 1987. In 1995 Rabbi Smolensly, received rabbinical ordination from Chief Rabbi Shlomo Rivkin, Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis.

Rabbi Smolensky began his kashrut career with the Vaad of Denver in catering events back in 1987. In a brief hiatus from kashrut work, he earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Counseling from St. Louis University and was a counselor in several Midwest schools. Returning to the kashrut world in 1991, he has worked for several agencies in both a field and administrative capacity, including the Chicago Rabbinical Council, Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis and Vaad of Winnipeg. Most recently, he joined OU Kosher’s staff in 2008 as a Chicago-based rabbinic field representative.

Vanilla, Hurricane Hudah, and the OU Flavor Department

In order to get to Indospice, a vanilla bean export company deep in the jungles of Bondowasa Java, Indonesia, Rabbi Moshe Machuca arrives at a local airport, drives up, down, and around steep mountains, past fishing villages, thatched huts, caribou, monkeys, and exotic birds for five difficult, but colorful, hours until he reaches the plant. There he watches as workers at Indospice scald vanilla beans in vats of boiling water and set them in the sun for three to four weeks. The process, called curing, initiates a series of biochemical events within the vanilla bean that yields one of the most cherished, and expensive, flavors in the world: natural vanilla.

Vanilla planifolia grows only in the coastal regions of countries like Indonesia that lie along the temperate zone of the equator, the east-west line that bisects the planet. The vanilla beans take three years to mature. After the curing process, the vanilla beans are exported, almost entirely to the U.S. and Europe, where extraction companies typically remove the flavor by soaking the vanilla beans in an alcohol solvent. Multiple production steps, inherently limited supply, and typically high demand contribute to the fact that natural vanilla extract is second in cost only to saffron in the botanical flavor market.

But users of natural vanilla extract, principally the high-end American and European ice cream, confectionary, and cola companies, have generally had an easy time justifying the expense of using it. Natural vanilla extract is wonderful, and perhaps irreplaceable. It is a complex bouquet of diverse aromas; analytical techniques have identified over 250 different chemicals in vanilla extract, each one contributing a unique note, or aspect, to the flavor. And the fact that it comes from the vanilla bean enables its users to market their products as natural, or real, or pure, a distinct advantage in a society that longs for natural, real, and pure things.

Earlier this decade, however, some of these companies had to rethink the value of these advantages. In April of 2000 a tropical hurricane – meteorologists called it Hurricane Hudah – wiped out the precious vanilla fields of Madagascar. The vanilla buyers had been eagerly, and somewhat routinely, expecting that vanilla crop. The almond-shaped African island, about 60 miles from the coast of East Africa, regularly produced vanilla beans of excellent quality and did so in great quantity: in 2000 its vanilla beans would account for 1200 of the 2000 tons, or 60 percent, of the total market supply. And Madagascar’s well-stocked vanilla storehouses, which were also destroyed by the hurricane, were the closest thing to a supply guarantor in a relatively volatile market.

By the time the hurricane had done its damage the vanilla bean was an exceptionally rare commodity. Making matters worse, the scarcity could not be expected to correct itself for another four years: three years for the new crop to mature, and an additional year of shipping and processing would have to be waited out before the beans would get to the market. Only vanilla beans from places like Indospice, and a handful of other suppliers could be used. Prices quickly leapt. Just before April of 2000 vanilla beans were trading at $40 a kilogram. Prices leapt each subsequent year; $100, $150, $200… By early 2004 the trading price was $300 a kilogram. Buying vanilla at that price was like paying $3 for a red delicious apple when you’re used to paying 40 cents.

Companies that had never before considered doing so began to abandon, in part or in whole, natural vanilla flavor. And they replaced it with artificial vanilla flavor, a product that, while possibly not as rich or full in taste or as attractive in name, certainly, when done well, can hold its own.

When a flavor comes to the OU’s flavor department for evaluation, it appears as a group of chemicals, like this: Artificial Vanilla Flavor —Vanillin, Diacetyl, Maltol, Gamma Dodeclactone, Balsam Peru, Heliotropine.

Just as natural vanilla flavor is a bouquet of different notes, an artificial flavor is also a group of different notes. The difference is that a flavorist – the white-coat-wearing flavor chemist who composes the flavor – can pick and choose whatever notes (that is, chemicals) he or she wants to put into the artificial flavor, either to more faithfully mimic the real thing or to add an attractive, interesting, or fetching dimension not necessarily found in the original.

An artificial flavor must contain, in the language of the flavorist, a “primary characterizing agent,” the flavor that hits the target, so to speak, of the original. Vanillin (or ethylvanillin, which is similar in structure), the first item on the list, plays that role for vanilla.

Vanillin, to be sure, exists in the vanilla bean as well, and is responsible for the essential “vanilla” flavor, without any of the creamy, rich, or comforting accompanying notes. An OU company in the Norwegian forest produces vanillin and ethylvanillin from processed wood pulp. An ingenious description of how to use recycled newspaper print as a source of vanillin earned a Seattle inventor a U.S. patent. More recently, biochemists in England and Germany have brought to market a vanillin made from a fermentation of ferulic acid, which is found in rice and corn. According to the FDA’s definition of “natural flavor” this biochemical route merits that title.

But vanillin, no matter how it is produced, is a pale replication of the real thing. It needs other components to help round it out. A second class of chemicals provides “contributory items,” chemicals that are associated with, and may be found in, the target flavor.

In order to get some sense of what each of these chemicals contributes, I headed to Rabbi Abraham Juravel’s office. He keeps there, right on his desk, an egg-yolk yellow encyclopedia called Perfume and Flavor Chemicals by a New Jersey flavorist named Steffen Arctander. Rabbi Juravel keeps the volume around because it explains production methods for most standard flavor chemicals. But it also explains what they contribute. According to Dr. Arctander and some other sources we dug up, we found that:
Diacetyl contributes a buttery odor;
Maltol a warm, sweet, fruity odor;
Gamma dodecalacton a fatty-peachy, somewhat musky odor; and
Balsam Peru a rich, sweet, cinnamic, vanilla odor.

As a side note, “odors” is a term often used to describe flavors because, actually, much of our experience of a flavor is the way we smell it. There are only four, or possibly five, basic tastes that our taste buds are able to register. All the wonderful variation in flavors is sensed through smell.

Finally, there is the heliotropine. This chemical represents a third class of ingredients, called “differential items.” This class provides fixation, or roundness, to the ingredient, and has nothing at all to do with the taste of the actual target flavor. In some formulas a differential item may add nothing positive to the overall flavor profile but is added simply to confuse simulation of the flavor by another flavor house intent on copying the flavor.

Dr. Arctander suggests complementing vanillin with heliotropine “The most interesting effect of heliotropine as a flavor material,” he writes, “is probably that of being a synergist to vanillin.” It gives a considerable “lift” to artificial vanillin. Heliotropine, Dr. Actander writes, has a “sweet, spicy-floral taste of considerable power.” It comes from camphor or sassafras oil.

That’s vanilla flavor. It can be considerably longer and more complex, or simpler. The OU Kosher flavor department, at any rate, besides working on the day-to-day supervision of the companies, is faced with the task of evaluating each and every chemical in a formula, and retaining paperwork that supports the kashrut of each chemical.

It is now 2010. The market, since the days of Hurricane Hudah, has to some extent corrected itself. The argument for natural vanilla is more compelling than it had been just a few years ago. Vanilla exporters like Indospice are still going strong and Rabbi Machuca still takes his exotic drive to certify the plant. Back in New York, the OU flavor department is still keeping busy, thanks to the creativity of the flavorists charged with replicating vanilla’s distinct appeal. Whatever the choice, the OU flavor department is prepared to handle the application.

Rabbi Gavriel Price services the transportation, ingredients, and flavors industries at the Orthodox Union. He received rabbinic ordination from Breuer’s Rabbinical School in New York and a degree from Reed College, Portland, OR. A frequent contributor to BTUS, his “New Active Packaging Is Another Consideration in Kosher Certification,”appeared in the Spring 2010 issue.