Consumer News
“America’s Favorite Candy”, Tootsie Roll, Goes Kosher
Tootsie Roll Industries, Inc. today announced that Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Frooties and DOTS have become kosher-certified by the Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certification agency. New packaging bearing the “OU” symbol will be distributed nationwide beginning in the next few weeks.
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.
“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/.
Heering® Coffee OU Certification Announced
Heering Coffee Liqueur Joins Cherry Heering Liqueur certified by the Orthodox Union
OU’s First Advanced Kashrut Seminar for Women: Food for Thought on the Intricacies of Kosher
As millions of students of all ages were enjoying their last days of summer freedom before heading back to school, the Orthodox Union got a jump on the academic year by kicking off its weeklong Advanced Kashrut Seminar for Women, the OU’s first-ever course for women. Twenty-five women participated in the program.
Statement from OU Kashrut Department
A recent article raised questions about the standards of Israeli food establishments under OU supervision. The article did not claim that kashrus was compromised. Rabbi Yosef Minsky, the OU representative in Israel, has informed us, and our initial review and consultation with other agencies in Israel indicate, that the standards in place are essentially comparable with other reliable mehadrin agencies and Badatzim in Israel.
Rabbi Yaakov Luban, Senior OU Rabbinic Coordinator, who has extensive knowledge of food service establishments, is being dispatched to Israel this week, and will perform a thorough review of the OU operation. For the past 25 years, Rabbi Luban has been involved with food service establishments in various capacities; as a Rabbi in Edison, NJ, OU Rabbinic Coordinator, and auditor of local Vaadim around the country.
Rabbi to appear with Legal Expert: Let’s Talk Kosher
Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator and Vice President of Communications and Marketing of OU Kosher, will be one of two experts appearing in the webinar, “Let’s Talk Kosher! Kosher Food: What Does it Mean for Food to Be Labeled as Kosher and What Are the Implications for Food Producers, Distributors and Marketers?” The webinar will be presented by the Orthodox Union and the Food Institute on Thursday, August 27, 2009 at 12:00 p.m., Eastern time.
OU Announces Advanced Kosher Course for Women
From August 24-28, OU Kosher will offer a special kashrut course specifically geared for women. In the course, according to Rabbi Grossman, participants will enhance their kashrut knowledge and skills by “hands-on” instruction from OU experts, as well as from OU instructional DVD’s in areas of kosher food management such as checking vegetables for insects; Hafroshat Chalah (the separation or tithing of challah); blood spots in eggs; shaylos (or questions) dealing with chickens which should be brought to a Rav for a psak (halachic decision); meat and dairy control; identifying and purchasing kosher fish; and becoming an educated kosher consumer.