Consumer Kosher Articles
Bishul on Shabbos Part IV: Sweet ‘N Low and Equal
In a previous issue of the Daf HaKashrus (Vol. 23, #9, p.41) we explained that Splenda, a mixture of sucralose, dextrose, and maltodextrin, can be added to coffee in a kli sheni on Shabbos based on the principle of ein bishul achar bishul. Sucralose, the actual sweetening agent, is cooked during the manufacturing process. Dextrose […]
Bishul on Shabbos: Flavored Nescafe Coffee
WHEN I PREPARE NESCAFE INSTANT COFFEE ON SHABBOS, I POUR HOT WATER FROM AN URN DIRECTLY INTO A CUP, AND THEN ADD THE COFFEE. I’VE TAKEN A LIKING TO NESCAFE VANILLA AS WELL AS NESCAFE HAZELNUT. DOES THE PRESENCE OF THE FLAVOR COMPLICATE MATTERS? It is permitted to cook on Shabbos a dry food that, […]
What is Yoshon?
The source for the laws pertaining to Yoshon are found in Vayikra (23:9-14). These laws are applicable to the Chamishas HaMinim of barley, oats, rye, spelt and wheat.
These grains are Yoshon if they took root prior to Pesach. If the grains did not take root prior to Pesach then they are chadash until the subsequent Pesach. There is a halachic dispute if the hashrashah (grain taking root) must be 3 days or two weeks prior to Pesach. The laws of chadash do not apply to other grains such as rice, corn and buckwheat.
What could be wrong with… ? – Part I
When I was a child, shopping for a kosher candy bar was a simple matter. In those days, a candy bar was only a nickel. We would carefully review the ingredients printed on the back label. If there was no gelatin in the candy, we wisely concluded that the product was unquestionably kosher. No matter […]
OU Kosher Presents FAQ’s on Cheese in honor of Shavuos…
How is cheese made kosher? As with any food, all of the ingredients in the cheese as well as the equipment used during the manufacturing process must be kosher. However, a special prohibition makes kosher certification of cheese a bit more challenging: the ban on gevinat Akum, which means that cheese not made under special rabbinical […]
The Halachot of Waiting Between Meals
A overview and discussion of the laws of waiting between meat and milk
Rabbi Eli Eleff Joins in Administering Kashrus Education
Rabbi Yosef Grossman, OU Kosher Senior Educational Rabbinic Coordinator In the beginning, going back to 1996, there were the Advanced Seminars on Kashrus, OU Kosher’s ASK OU mashgiach training programs, held every other summer for three and one-week sessions. A decade later, the seminars became the Harry H. Beren […]
Rabbi Menachem Genack, CEO of OU Kosher
Rabbi Hershel Schachter once told me that if there’s a disagreement in matters of halacha at the OU between him and Rabbi Yisroel Belsky, you are the deciding vote. The halachic decisors at the OU are the three of us. So if there’s a dispute the majority rules. You’re also involved in running the office? […]
Meet the Woman Who Keeps Tootsie Rolls Kosher
If you keep kosher, and enjoy eating a handful of Tootsie Rolls or drinking a tall glass of Gatorade, you have Phyllis Koegel to thank. As marketing director of the Orthodox Union’s Kosher Division, Koegel is charged with convincing companies of the financial and commercial benefits of going kosher—and getting the OU symbol, the most widely […]