OU Kosher Staff

A Change For The Better: Nishtaneh (Change) in Kosher Law

The concept of Nishtaneh and the Usage of Biotechnology for Ingredients

The Catered Affair On Shabbos

Taking Responsibility It goes without saying, but unfortunately needs repeating, that in preparing a catered kiddush, not only must someone be responsible to oversee the kashrus of the food, but someone must insure that the halachos of Shabbos are adhered to. Who will accept this responsibility? The baalei simcha are preoccupied with other things. The […]

Warming Food On Shabbos

In warming food on Shabbos, there are three issues to consider – the first is potentially d’oraita and the latter two are d’rabbanan – bishul, hatmana and chazara. Bishul/cooking includes, but is not limited to, finishing off the cooking/baking of a food (e.g. baking/warming a challah in a manner that removes the last vestiges of […]

Kosher Oils

Many years ago, it was a common, though unsound practice of many frum people to check the kosher status of food items they wanted to eat by reading the ingredient listing printed on the label. This was not a good idea for two primary reasons: Although ingredients are generally required to be identified, there are […]

Across The Divide: Building Bridges

Several decades ago I spent some time in Rome, Italy. Faced with the depletion of the stocks of food that I had brought with me, I set out to explore the availability of kosher food in the Italian capital. I was advised that there was a store that specialized in kosher food. It took all […]

The Key To Ingredient Approval In Today’s World

When Bob, the purchasing agent at kosher-certified Joe’s Fine Baked Goods of Palo Alto, California, is evaluating a potential supplier of margarine, he uses some of the same criteria that anyone involved in a purchase would consider: he wants the product to be of appropriate quality, and it should be appropriately priced. But before he […]

The Primary Ingredients In Detergents

This article is being presented with the intent of helping RFR’s who visit detergent and cleanser plants to be able to simplify their visits by knowing where specifically potential problems might arise. There are essentially ten types of ingredients that go into the making of a detergent. The Surfactants and Quats are the areas of primary concern in certified detergent plants. The other categories are primarily Detergent Group Ones (acceptable from any source in a Detergent Plant).

Chocolate Covered In Halacha & Kashrus

Perhaps one of the most exciting food treats for children and adults alike is chocolate. Incredibly popular, it has been consumed for generations as a tasty snack or an important component of a delicious dessert. To the delight of many, medical researchers have begun extolling possible health benefits of moderate chocolate consumption. Known to contain […]

Michigan Dessert Corporation

Our company is a custom developer and manufacturer of specialty dry mix products for major restaurant chains and food processors in the United States and overseas. Richard Elias and Gary Freeman have owned and managed the company since 1983 and have seen a tremendous growth in customer base and product variety. We are based in […]

When Dreams Become Reality: The Marvels Of OU Special Production

It is without question that the primary objective of companies which commit themselves to kosher certification is to broaden their market and increase sales. However, the nature of the kosher program might also restrict a company from pursuing other markets that could compromise its integrity. For example, for companies that typically manufacture OU-D certified products, […]