Articles

Bitul

A summary of the OU’s position about using bitul in Kosher food productions.

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.

Fish and Meat

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.

How Pas Yisroel is Created

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.

Is Sake Kosher?

A discussion of the rules of Kosher sake.

In Times of Difficulty: A Question of Meaning, a Meditation on Kashrut

These are difficult times. Editorial pages, news and financial reporters bemoan the dramatic loss of wealth in the country and around the world. Trillions of dollars of net worth – lost. Homes – foreclosed. Businesses – shut down. Charities – struggling. Unemployment nearing record levels. Even those who have secure employment feel the anxiety. There […]

Mechiras Chametz

Mechiras chametz accomplishes two functions. It prevents the owners of the chametz from violating the issurim d’oraisah of ba’al yiraeh uba’al yimatzey and it saves the chametz from becoming chametz she’avar alav hapesach (mid’rabanan). Ideally we try to arrange all sales in the most lichatchila manner so as not only to protect the kashrus of the products but also to prevent the owners from violating issurim.

Mechiras Chametz today is typically arranged by authorizing a Rabbi to act as the legal agent on behalf of the one selling the chametz. This same procedure is utilized in regards to mechiras chametz for companies. However the question arises, who may authorize the sale of chametz on behalf of a Jewish owned company?

Mowed Lawn Aroma

A flavor, like a musical chord, is made of a set of notes. The fullness of a flavor is the result of the interplay between the numerous chemical components that constitute the flavor’s profile.

A flavorist creating a fruity flavor – let’s say, peach flavor for an ice cream –will usually need a “green” or botanical note to round out the flavor. One of the popular chemicals used by flavorists to impart “greenness” is called cis-3-hexenol. A whiff of pure cis-3-hexenol reminds one of a freshly mowed lawn.