Questions about kosher certification of commercial food products.
7
votes
3answers
767 views
Mehadrin vs. Non Mehadrin
What's the difference between mehadrin and non-mehadrin certifications.
(e.g. at http://www.kosherinjerusalem.com/where_to_eat/kosher-hotels)
11
votes
5answers
7k views
What Issues Exist with the Tablet K Hecksher?
The Tablet-K hechsher is quite common on products in US supermarkets - especially cheeses. There seems to be a strong sentiment that it is not an acceptable hechsher, but I've heard no halachik ...
9
votes
3answers
111 views
Must I check the kashrut certificate every time I visit a bakery or restaurant?
Say I visit a bakery, restaurant, jail, hospital, or nursing home. And say I already know that the food there is kosher. Must I still check the kashrut certificate every time I visit?
(Gershon ...
5
votes
0answers
191 views
Fresh fish need hechsher
Does fresh fish from a supermarket or fish market require a hechsher? I would be tempted to believe that a fish known to be of a kosher variety would not need certification since there is no shechita ...
4
votes
3answers
351 views
kashrus of mouthwash, toothpaste, lip balm
What are the halachic and factual issues involved in, and various rabbis' holdings on, whether flavored mouthwash, flavored toothpaste, and flavored lip balm need to be kosher, or need a hechsher ...
13
votes
2answers
447 views
Why doesn't the OU put DE on food packages anymore?
The OU used to put DE next to the OU symbol when a product was Dairy Equipment. Such a product can not be eaten with meat but can be eaten right afterwards (you don't need to wait the amount of time ...
11
votes
2answers
3k views
Is there a problem with Triangle K? If so, what?
I want to know what the OU's or any other Orthodox kashrut agency's problem is with Triangle K. I have read about the Ralbag family which founded and runs the Triangle K and they are clearly Orthodox. ...
8
votes
4answers
605 views
Who determines the kosher status of “new” foods?
Who determines the kosher status for "new" processed foods (e.g. Jell-O)? A few orthodox rabbis' approval? General consensus by the Jewish religious community? Certain kosher standards organizations? ...
8
votes
4answers
190 views
If a product with a Hechsher doesn't say dairy does that mean it's pareve?
I'm not sure when this practice started, but I noticed that many/most/all Kosher Certifications indicate whether a product is dairy or not. Does a lack of such a marking indicate that the product is ...
-5
votes
1answer
79 views
slander or truth abou OU Kashrus [closed]
I don't want to look like a total jerk but i heard from someone whose sister is married to an important rav that the OU kashrus is not so reliable as you might believe. they depend on paperwork that ...
5
votes
3answers
1k views
Which hechsheirim are reliable?
How can I find out which hechsheirim are reliable and which ones aren't?
6
votes
4answers
200 views
asking to see a kashrus certificate
A restaurant has a sign on its window, or a notation in an advertisement, indicating that it's under the kashrus certification of Rabbi So-and-so or Agency Such-and-such. The first time someone walks ...
14
votes
4answers
466 views
Does a Food Mashgiach have to Sacrifice his Life?
Suppose a Mashgiach of a food establishment is threatened to "keep quiet" about some of the questionable behaviors [for purposes of the question, consider both actual non-kosher, and possibly ...
11
votes
1answer
170 views
In a bulk food store, must I ask to see the original label every time I return and buy my favorite food?
I know that where I live, some foods don't need kosher certification. But most do.
Say I go to a reliable bulk food store, ask to see the original bucket that a certain food came in, see a reliable ...
7
votes
2answers
178 views
Are there any hechshers that certify food as kosher for B'nei Noach?
Are there any hechshers that certify food as kosher for B'nei Noach? Or any restaurants that offer such food? If not, how do observant B'nei Noach ensure that the meat that they eat was definitely not ...
6
votes
2answers
115 views
Brochos Listed on Food Packages
I noticed that many times there are Brochos listed on food packages (e.g. "ברכתו מזונות"). Is there any standard with regards to who is supplying the Halachic data? Is it generally the Hashgacha ...
5
votes
1answer
74 views
Claims on food labels: says who?
Sometimes a food item under rabbinical supervision claims on its package label not only to be under that supervision but also to contain only yashan grain, or to not contain sh'ruya, or to contain ...
5
votes
4answers
182 views
Unsupervised meat and closed restaurants/butchers
How does Basar SheNith'alem Min Ha'Ayin (meat that has disappeared from view) apply vis a vis restaurants/delis/supermarkets/butchers that have closed for the night/weekend/holiday? I was just ...
2
votes
2answers
134 views
Does it make logical sense to “not hold by OU kashrus”?
Apparently there are some people who do not rely on the OU for kashrus. I have seen a few online references (i.e. this Matzav post) that claim this makes no logical sense, since virtually every other ...
2
votes
1answer
191 views
Does cheese without a hekhsher tref dishes?
I've heard that Rav Soloveitchik ztz"l used to eat non-hekhshered cheese. Can you explain how the creation of hashgachah agencies has changed whether things need hashgachah, and would it be reasonable ...