Kosher in the Factory
Your RFR: Your OU Kosher Customer Service Agent
As an OU certified company, the primary contact you have with the OU, besides your rabbinic coordinator (RC) at OU headquarters, is your RFR (rabbinic field representative). Out in the field, the RFR is the face of the OU, and you may not be aware that your RFR is both a valuable source of information and can provide service that you should be aware of — and avail yourself of.
Many company reps who are assigned to work with the OU Kosher program are not fully aware of the tools that are at their disposal or what assistance can be obtained from their friendly visiting RFR. You are no doubt familiar with organic certifiers, government agencies (FDA, USDA, etc.), as well as third-party auditors like SQF, BRA and AIB. Kosher certification is a very different program, and your RFR also has a very different role compared to other auditors.
The Following Are the Orthodox Union Requirements For Placement Of The OU Certification Mark:
• The OU symbol may only be placed on products that have been authorized and certified as listed on your Schedule B (list of certified products). The OU D must be used on products certified as dairy.
FDA Guidelines on Carmine Bring a Boon to the Kosher Consumer
We have all heard of the dangers associated with artificial colors. With many artificial colors having been found to be carcinogenic, one certainly understands that consumers would prefer not to see “artificial colors” listed on the ingredient panel, and industry is proud to prominently display a “No Artificial Colors” disclaimer to win over the health conscious consumer. This has helped spur demand for cochineal extract and carmine (a more purified form of cochineal extract). These dyes are made from carminic acid which is extracted from the cochineal scale insect and are therefore natural products.
OU Kosher Baking Manual Sets Industry Standards
The Orthodox Union Kosher Division, the world’s largest and most respected kosher certification agency, today announced the publication of the “OU Manual for the Baking Industry,” a compendium of the knowledge and experience of the expert OU rabbis who travel the world applying the time-honored laws of kosher to the industrial practices of today.
Dear Rabbi… What are the Requirements to Have My Tanker Trailers OU-Certified?
Dear ____: Thank you for your interest in OU kosher certification of your tanker vessels. Kosher products can potentially lose their kosher status if stored in vessels without kosher status, hence the requirement for kosher verification of tanker transports. The kosher verification program of tankers involves the designation and dedication of tankers for kosher use. […]
The OU’s Spice Maven Tells Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
The spice products certified by the Orthodox Union include tropical aromatics (pepper, cinnamon, cloves, etc); leafy herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, etc.); spice seeds (sesame, poppy, mustard, etc.), and dehydrated vegetables, among others. Spice companies typically produce blends such as curry and chili powders, poultry seasoning and all sorts of other custom blends.
Kashering from a Davar Gush II
I was recently present for the kashering of a cheese plant. The cheese is first heated in a large vat (kli rishon) and then transported via strainers into an unjacketed mixer vat. Since this second vat has no independent source of heat, the product that is poured into the vat is considered to be an irui kli rishon of cham litoch tzonen. However, since the consistency of the cheese at this stage is that of a semi solid, it is likely that we should view this cheese as a davar gush. How do we kasher the mixer that had an irui of a hot davar gush, and the pipes that continue on from there?
At Takara, the Traditional and the Modern Combine to Produce High Quality Sake
Although the production facility at Takara Sake is modern, the process for making sake is traditional. Sake is rice wine, and to develop the delicate flavor profile that reflects high quality sake, considerable care must be given to maintaining the long-perfected methods that Takara Sake brought over from Japan.
The process starts out with steamed rice, which is fermented using a Japanese method that induces the rice grains to yield desired flavor notes. Traditional sake does not have any additional flavors other than those native to rice. The finished product is crisp, clean, and powerful. Takara Sake has added to its traditional sake product line apple, lychee, and other flavors.
Milk from a Possibly Treif Cow
Halacha states that milk from a tereifah animal – meaning an animal which suffers from a mortal wound, as understood by Chazal – is non-kosher. (Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 81:1) This prompts a good question: How can one know whether or not the milk he consumes is from a tereifah cow?
Coffee
Coffee is perhaps one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world. Its history can be traced back as early to the 9th century, and it is believed to have originated in Western Ethiopia. In fact, some suggest that the name coffee might come from Kafia, an Ethiopian city. The popularity of coffee is known to have spread to European countries by the 17th century and eventually made its way to the American colonies. It is somewhat interesting to note that coffee was not well received initially in America. The popularity of coffee grew during the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812, when the country experienced a tea shortage. Today, coffee is a very popular beverage in the United Sates, as well as the rest of the world.