Can skinless salmon be assumed to be kosher?
Although kosher fish are usually identified only by the presence of scales [1] , the Orthodox Union has a long standing policy of accepting as kosher all reddish-pinkish fillets, even without a piece of skin by which the fillet can be identified. The basis for this policy is that there is no fish [2] that […]
Color Additives and Kashrus
The following article is an overview of colorants used in the food industry. Kashrus considerations for colorants focus not only on the manufacture of colorants themselves but on any ingredients that may be used with colorants to help make them compatible in a given food system. The first part of the article will survey natural […]
Preparing for Sukkot 5777 – Q&A
SUKKAH Q & A Are there any rules as to where a sukkah may or may not be located? The sukkah should not be located in an area that has a bad smell.1 It cannot be placed under a tree or awning. It should preferably be built on a patio, deck or driveway and not on […]
Yom Kippur: A Halachic Guide
The following is meant as a convenient review of Halachos pertaining to Yom Kippur. The Piskei Din for the most part are based purely on the Sugyos, Shulchan Aruch and Rama, and the Mishna Berura, unless stated otherwise. They are based on my understanding of the aforementioned texts through the teachings of my Rebbeim. As […]
Is Your Oven Kosher? – Part III: What Every Kosher Cook Must Know
MICROWAVE OVENS Our discussion up to this point has focused on gas and electric ovens. A microwave oven follows the same general principals, but the application of these rules is different because of the manner in which a microwave oven operates. A microwave oven heats the water molecules (every food has some moisture), and the […]
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 […]
The Return Of The Evil Weevils In Rice & Barley
Recently, the OU has received complaints from consumers about high levels of infestation in barley and rice and other grain products. Many of these complaints have revealed that the affected products were beyond or close to their expiration dates. The Problem: While our certified packers sift all incoming products such as grain and flour etc., […]
Jewish Life Returns To Poland: ASK OU Is Ready
Standing on the site of the Warsaw Ghetto, it’s hard to believe that this very place where Jews fought to their deaths to preserve Jewish life, has now become the epicenter of a Jewish renaissance in Poland. But what is now even more astonishing is that some of its very leaders were often ignorant of their Jewish […]
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 […]