“In The Bag”: Kosher Certification Of Bagged Salad
One of the great conveniences today enjoyed by the food consumer is bagged fresh salads. Washed, mixed, and nicely packaged, these products eliminate the annoyance of salad preparation and are just waiting to grace one’s table. However, nowadays even seemingly innocuous products must require kosher supervision. Bagged fresh salads are not immune to this phenomenon, as Rabbanim Hamachshirim and kosher agencies face the challenge of certifying these products as insect-free.
The New China: Booming Economy, Growing OU Presence
Approximately twenty-five years ago, the Chinese government decided to remake the country. China was up to that point a completely Stalinist-Maoist economy, wallowing in poverty, despite the fact that it is the world’s third largest country, blessed with various climates and abundant natural resources.
The China Syndrome: Products Help To Fuel Giant Economic Growth
There is no doubt that anyone who has visited China in the last decade as a tourist or businessman has seen the unbelievable growth taking place in every phase of the Chinese economy, save for population. (As of this writing the population is holding at approximately 1.3 billion people.) Like any other industry in China, the food industry is hardly an exception. When numbers are spoken about in China they are not in terms of tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands, but rather in terms of millions and billions.
What happens When A Question Of Jewish Law Goes To The OU’s Poskim
The process of certifying an item as OU kosher is based entirely on halacha – Jewish law. OU RC’s (Rabbinic Coordinators) and RFR’s (Rabbinic Field Representatives) are of course well versed in halacha and apply Jewish law in all aspects of the certification process. During the course of their work, however, when unique situations arise with no clear cut answer or precedent to halachic questions, rabbis in the field and their coordinators in New York have a mighty resource to call on – OU poskim, or experts at the highest levels in Jewish law. The following is a case study on how OU poskim make their decisions, and on the dynamic process which is involved in their deliberations. For this case study, we must travel all the way to Australia, home of a dairy company named Murray Goulburn.
Manischewitz Introduces A New Line Of OU Certified Non-Dairy Cake Mixes
With kosher certification from the Orthodox Union, Manischewitz has announced the introduction of a new line of pareve (non-dairy) cake mixes. This new line, which consists of Extra Moist Yellow and Chocolate Pareve cake mixes, was introduced at the Kosherfest exposition in November at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City.
Coatings For Fresh Produce
A small sign hanging above the produce in a local supermarket reads, “Fruits and vegetables have been coated with food-grade vegetable, petroleum, beeswax, and/or lac-resin based wax or resin to maintain freshness… No fruits or vegetables have been coated with animal-based wax”. The sign is the result of efforts by citizens groups demanding disclosure of ingredients in coatings used on fresh produce. The produce industry, citing the impracticality of constantly changing signs and claiming that disclosure would compromise the confidentiality of coatings ingredients, resisted these demands. The FDA regulation that emerged in 1994 is the result of a compromise between the two groups. Although the sign does disclose some information, it only tells part of a much larger story.
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran Vice President For Communications And Marketing Of OU KOSHER
Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator in the Orthodox Union’s Kosher Division, has been named Vice President for Communications and Marketing of OU Kosher, Orthodox Union President Stephen J. Savitsky and OU Kosher CEO Rabbi Menachem Genack announced today.
Unlocking The Magic Of Nature Through (OU KOSHER) Biological Solutions
NOVOZYMES is the biotechbased world leader in enzymes and microorganisms. Using nature’s own technologies, at Novozymes we continuously expand the frontiers of biological solutions to improve industrial performance everywhere. In 2004, Novozymes had a market share in industrial enzymes of approximately 44 percent, and sales of approximately $100 million. Novozymes’ more than 600 products are a key factor in the production of thousands of products you use in your everyday life – from the textiles in your clothes to the food you eat. In more than 40 different industries and 130 countries, our biological solutions improve industrial performance and quality, while at the same time saving water, energy, raw materials and waste.
Chemical Engineer & Kosher Coordinator for Novozymes
I never learned about kosher rules when I studied at the technical university. And did not really know what kosher was all about, except that it was something about not eating pork. Consequently there was a great deal for me to learn when I became involved in coordinating Novozymes’ kosher compliance.
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