What Bracha Does One Recite on a Granola Bar?
If one does not understand the process involved in creating a granola bar, one could study the ingredient panel a hundred times and still not be able to answer the above question. However, through our access to the companies that produce these bars we are privy to information that is important in resolving this issue.
ASK OU Outreach Program in Passaic-Clifton Draws Rave Reviews
The Harry H. Beren ASKOU OUTREACH post-Shabbat visit to the Passaic-Clifton community on November 7 drew many participants to the first “Understand Kashrut as You’ve Never Understood it Before!” program. Rabbi Yosef Grossman, OU Director of Kosher Education, declared “Fantastic! Excellent! These were just some of the words of feedback we received from the participants in the first series of ASKOU OUTREACH Kashrut shiurim in the Passaic – Clifton community.”
OU Honors Schreiber Foods, Inc.
Schreiber Foods Inc. and its President and CEO Michael J. Haddad will be honored at the Orthodox Union’s 111th Annual Dinner & Awards Presentation, with the National Kashrut Leadership Award, Sunday evening, December 6 at the Hudson Theater and Millennium Broadway Hotel in New York.
Lo Basi Ella L’orer: Bishul Akum
Questions of bishul akum surface all the time, and it is important when reviewing products and ingredients to be mindful of the issues of bishul akum. The following are some recent issues that have been discussed in the office relating to bishul akum.
“The Original” Wrapole’ Premium Quality Tortillas Now Certified by the OU
Ellen Libfeld, Vice President of “The Original” WrapOle’ Premium Quality Tortillas®, announced the Orthodox Union will be the certification agency for product made in Florida. All products will continue to be Pas Yisroel and made with the same ingredients customers have enjoyed since 1996.
OU KOSHER to present “Cooking on Shabbat” Webcast, November 17
On the heels of the success of and feedback from previous OU Kosher webcasts to which thousands of listeners have tuned in, OU Kosher will present “Cooking on Shabbat — A Hot Topic — News & Views about Stews & Brews” featuring OU Kosher authorities and senior halachic consultants Rabbi Yisroel Belsky and Rabbi Hershel Schachter. The webcast will take place Tuesday, November 17, 3:30 PM EST. To watch the webcast live, visit http://www.ou.org/ouradio/kosher_webcast/.
Bitul
A summary of the OU’s position about using bitul in Kosher food productions.
Sake and Miso
Mailbox י”ז תמוז אשר במהרה יתהפך לנו ליום שמחה כבוד הרבנים החשובים שליט”א תמוה לי קצת הנושא אודות חשש בישול גוים – כי ראיתי הרב בעלסקי שליט”א כותב שכל מתחלה נעשה הבישול רק כדי לעשות ממנו דבר שאינו עולה על שלחן מלכים אז אין כאן חשש בישול עכו”ם [וזה ההיתר שנוקטים האו יו ברייז קריספיס, […]
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.
Recycled Ingredients
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.
