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Kosher for Consumers
Useful articles and interesting information about Keeping Kosher and Kosher Supervision.
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A summary of the OU's position about using bitul in Kosher food productions.
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Constant Review is Required: An Inspection Report
When this plant was first set up as a kosher facility, it was known that they had a non-kosher plant that produces assorted products on the same campus. Of course, the issue of steam return condensate was brought up. It turned out that condensation from the non-kosher factory was not being returned to the boiler so there was no problem to certify the kosher division.
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A basic phenomenon in chemistry plays a crucial role in industrial kashrus. When two chemicals react with one another, one will be used up before the other. The chemical used up first is called a “limiting reactant” and the chemical which is not used up is an “excess reactant”. Often the excess reactant is recovered, purified, and used again in another production.
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Heering® Coffee OU Certification Announced
Heering Coffee Liqueur Joins Cherry Heering Liqueur certified by the Orthodox Union
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The Gemara Pesachim (76b) teaches that one may not cook fish and meat together since this combination is considered a sakana. Shulchan Aruch (Y.D. 116:2-3) adds that one may not even eat meat after fish or fish after meat unless one eats and drinks in between1. Rama adds that one should not cook open meat and fish in the same oven because of raicha (aroma), though bidieved we say that raicha lav milsa. Magen Avrohom (O.C. 173:1) questions whether this sakana still exists today, however the minhag is still to be machmir.
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OU’s First Advanced Kashrut Seminar for Women: Food for Thought on the Intricacies of Kosher
As millions of students of all ages were enjoying their last days of summer freedom before heading back to school, the Orthodox Union got a jump on the academic year by kicking off its weeklong Advanced Kashrut Seminar for Women, the OU’s first-ever course for women. Twenty-five women participated in the program.
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Statement from OU Kashruth Department
A recent article raised questions about the standards of Israeli food establishments under OU supervision. The article did not claim that kashrus was compromised. Rabbi Yosef Minsky, the OU representative in Israel, has informed us, and our initial review and consultation with other agencies in Israel indicate, that the standards in place are essentially comparable with other reliable mehadrin agencies and Badatzim in Israel. Rabbi Yaakov Luban, Senior OU Rabbinic Coordinator, who has extensive knowledge of food service establishments, is being dispatched to Israel this week, and will perform a thorough review of the OU operation. For the past 25 years, Rabbi Luban has been involved with food service establishments in various capacities; as a Rabbi in Edison, NJ, OU Rabbinic Coordinator, and auditor of local Vaadim around the country.
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The Mishna in Avoda Zara (35b) tells us that Chazal forbade pas akum. The Gemara (36b) explains that this was done as a geder to avoid intermarriage. However Tosfos1 bring a Yerushalmi that says that a later Bes Din removed this issur. The exact extent of this retraction is a disagreement between the Mechaber and the Rama. While all agree that bread baked by an akum for personal use is still forbidden, there are differing opinions as to how careful one must be to avoid eating pas palter, bread baked by an akum for the purpose of selling.
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Considering the long days that Mashgichim put in and the hundreds of miles that they drive daily, it is no surprise to hear that most mashgichim rely on coffee to keep them going. While caffeine is a plus for those who work in an office, for those out on the roads those 10 minute coffee stops are quite literally life savers. Let us take a moment to understand if there are any kashrus concerns with picking up a coffee while traveling on the road. This question was presented to the OU poskim Rav Schachter and Rav Belsky.
