Consumer Kosher Articles
The Many Lives of Kosher Salt
By Rabbi David Arfa, Rabbinical Coordinator, OU Kosher April 12, 2019 What exactly is Kosher salt? Kosher salt is really a misnomer: it should be called koshering salt. This is salt that was used to ‘kasher’ chicken and beef, by removing the blood from the flesh. Remember the familiar red and yellow box of kosher salt in Bubby’s pantry? While its […]
Expo East
Every year in downtown Baltimore, just off of the harbor, executives and marketers from across the natural food industry gather their organic cotton bags and pack quinoa-kale lunches for two days of health food nirvana. Expo East brings together food and health product companies who line up in hundreds of booths, creating an opportunity for […]
OUKosher Visits the Thaifex World of Food Show 2018
For the last 15 years, the Thaifex World of Food show in Bangkok has been the ultimate food show for innovation. Vendors and visitors travel from across the globe to show off their food and beverage products or to sample some of the products that may not have even hit the market. Some of the […]
Checking Fruits & Vegetables: Halachic Positions of Rabbi Chaim Yisroel Belsky zt”l
1. One is obligated to inspect fruits and vegetables that commonly contain insects prior to use. A 10% likelihood of infestation is a guidepost to help assess what is considered common. If people generally expect to find insects in certain fruits or vegetables, infestation is a common occurrence. However, if people would be surprised to find […]
OU Kosher Cheese: Why some of America’s top cheese brands are now going kosher
It’s early morning in the Sardinian countryside and a farmer is milking his sheep while an Orthodox Jewish kosher supervisor looks on. The supervisor, known as a mashgiach, is sleeping in the farmer’s barn, and he’ll be there all week. Welcome to the world of kosher cheesemaking. The weeklong kosher cheese run in Sardinia is […]
What’s Booming in Kosher Beverages?
OU Kosher Supervision has a Presence in Almost all Packing Plants Making Most Beverages Kosher With all the ready to drink products flooding the market these days, you’d think that people are drinking a lot more. But according to a top CEO in the beverage industry, consumers are drinking the same amount as they always […]
OU Kosher Halacha Yomis: Chanukah
Which oils or candles should be used to light Chanukah lights Whether olive oil and wax candles can be used at the same time The types of oils or candles which should not be used for Chanukah lights Whether one can use wax candles after using olive oil the first night of Chanukah Which Oils […]
Is this Olive Oil Permitted for Use for the Chanukah Menorah?
by Rabbi Akiva Tendler, RC Dressings, Emulsifier, Oil Overview: With Chanukah quickly approaching our thoughts turn to olive oil used for the Menorah. Many people are confused with the various types of olive oil and those which can be used to fulfill the Hiddur Mitzvah of lighting with שמן זית. In this article we will […]
Lab-Grown Meat The Controversy
by Yossi Krausz Unless you have vegetarian tendencies, there is a good chance you enjoy a juicy, flame-broiled steak. The caramelized results of the Maillard reaction, which gives browned food its distinctive flavor, make being an omnivore enjoyable. But pretty soon, even those who don’t eat meat from animals on philosophical grounds may be able to […]