Kosher Professionals

Pas Yisroel Shiur for Kosher Professionals

A chaburah discussing what foods fall under the category of Pat with regard to the requirement for Pat Yisroel.

Kashering Of HTST Systems-Plate Pasteurizers

Many of our plants feature kashering of HTST plate pasteurization systems. It is particularly common for this kashering to occur via automated CIP, whereby the CIP system is programmed to operate at kashering temperatures.

Fish Industry Kashrus Meeting

For the past several months there has been much public discussion about the presence of parasites found in the flesh of fish, with the OU’s position consistently lenient. On June 1st, the OU hosted Rabbi Moshe Vaie, the world renowned expert in the field of hilchos tolaim and author of Bedikas Hamazon Ke’halacha. Rabbi Vaie, along with two other speakers, gave a thorough presentation about the current issue and its impact on the kosher fish industry. Also in attendance were kashrus professionals and representatives from the major kashrus agencies in the United States and Canada.

Cholov Stam: An Update from the Farm (and Lab)

In a recent issue of Daf HaKashrus, we presented information about the contemporary controls and regulations that pertain to government inspection of milk, demonstrating (with the concurrence of Rav Belsky, shlita) that the Igros Moshe’s heter for cholov stam is alive and even stronger than before[1].

Lo Basi Ella L’orer: Cooling Water Systems

Cooling water systems

A common way to cool products is through the use of a cooling water system. In a cooling system, ambient or chilled water is used to cool hot products. The product transfers its heat with the cooling water (for example through the use of a heat exchanger) and then the water in turn is cooled. Most cooling systems accomplish this through the use of a cooling tower. Cooling towers make use of the cooling effect of evaporating water. Allowing a small portion of the water to evaporate into a moving air stream provides significant cooling to the rest of the water. While cooling towers are efficient ways of cooling water, they are also known to breed dangerous pathogens such as legionnaire’s disease. Therefore, although as we will discuss there are situations where we need to be pogem cooling water, under no condition should anyone taste cooling water חמירא סכנתא מאיסורא.

Lo Basi Ella L’orer: Being Pogem Water

Being pogem water

A common way to heat products is through the use of a water loop. Steam from a boiler is used to heat water which then cycles through a loop and in turn heats products. This same water loop can be used to heat multiple products either simultaneously or one after the next. The water which heats the non-kosher products will become non-kosher based on the halacha of “tipas chalav shenafal al hakdairah mibachutz” (Y.D. 92:5). Even a dedicated kosher kettle will become non-kosher if it is heated with “tainted” water.

Kashering Ben Yomo

One very practical application of ta’am lifgam is found in the middle of hilchos basar b’chalav. The Mechaber (Y.D. 95:4) says that if one places ash into a pot of hot water before dirty dishes are placed in it, then even if some dishes are milchig and some are fleishig, the pot and the dishes will remain kosher. This is because the ta’am of the ash combines with the ta’am of the fat and gives off a ta’am that is lifgam. This is the basis for the leniency to kasher kailim that are ben yomo, by using a davar hapogem (e.g. caustic).

Lo Basi Ella L’orer: Chumra d’Pischa

The term Chumra d’Pesach usually brings to mind Pesach minhagim that go beyond the letter of the law such as whitewashing walls or kashering leichter. However, there are also various halachos brought in Shulchan Aruch that are attributed to chumra d’Pesach as well.

OU KOSHER PRESENTS “How To Kasher” DVD of Collected Seminars on the Kosherization Process

OU Kosher, has long shared educational and informative DVDs on kashrut-related issues with the community, and now presents “HOW TO Kasher,” a DVD of collected ASK OU and ASK OU OUTREACH kashrut seminars related to the process of kosherizing that have occurred over the past several years.

ASK OU Outreach Brings Its Kashrus Experts to Brooklyn, April 18, 25 During Sefirah, for Shiurim

Rav Belsky, Rabbi Elefant to Answer Halacha and Policy Questions:
The Orthodox Union will present its popular OU Kosher program, ASK OU OUTREACH, in Brooklyn by holding a series of kashrus shiurim on two Sundays in April – April 18 and April 25. Both days fall during the period of sefirah, a perfect time for introspection and Jewish education.