Questions tagged [hechsher-certification]
Questions about kosher certification of commercial food products.
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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. ...
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When did kosher bakeries, restaurants, etc. start requiring supervision?
If my neighbor Shmerel keeps kosher and otherwise appears to be observant to the best of my knowledge, then I'd be allowed to eat in his house (assuming I'm invited), eid echad ne'eman b'issurin, his "...
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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)
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Creating a crowd-sourced database of non-dairy OU-D products
Several questions/answers on this site have pointed out that the OU-D hechsher does not always mean that the product is actually dairy. (But that it is, in reality, "OU-DE" [dairy equipment]. See here ...
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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? ...
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Providing services to a forbidden ceremony
If a secular society criminalizes discriminating against a ceremony (e.g., a wedding between arayot [forbidden sexual unions, e.g., incest, bestiality, or homosexuality] or an idolatrous ritual), is a ...
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Shofar Certification
When purchasing a Shofar, is it necessary to look for a 'hechsher' to ensure that it was manufactured properly (e.g, no cracks), or can its suitability be determined just by visual examination?
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Does every thing need a hechsher?
Do objects used in food preparation and foods that have no or little chance of being not kosher really need a hechsher?
Please cite sources, if you can.
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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 ...
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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 Gold,...
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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 ...
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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 (...
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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 ...
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Why does medical marijuana need a kosher supervision?
Today, NY State joined several others in opening clinics to dispense medical marijuana. Distribution of this is restricted to patients who have severe illnesses such as Parkinson's Disease, epilepsy, ...
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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 ...
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Do restaurants need a kosher certificate?
There is a concept of "Eid echad ne'eman b'issurin" which means if a person testifies on something that is questionable we believe him. An example would be regarding kosher: if I go to a friend's ...
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Maris ayin and kosher certification
What reasoning is used by mainstream kosher certification agencies to certify food items containing only kosher ingredients but packaged and/or designed to look and/or taste non-kosher. For example, ...
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Why are junk foods, which are poor for your health, certified kosher?
Why do rabbis allow hechsherim on junk food and other foods which are clearly bad for you health? Many products are clearly not good for you such as soda pop, baked goods with trans fats, food with ...
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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 ...
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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 non-...
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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 ...
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A site to search Kosher Symbols by characteristics?
Several years ago, I found a website that let me search and sort Kosher symbols by look and other characteristics. It seemed like each symbol was tagged with its distinctive features. This was very ...
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Does Vegan Certification Have Any Halachic Weight?
There are a number of organizations that offer Vegan Certification for food products; the concept is the same as kosher certification, (though that is the only similarity). Examples would be Vegan.org ...
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Certification of Shochtim
Do Shochtim need any kind of certification or license in order to shecht? How does one get a license? What if someone slaughtered without one?
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Who certified this yogurt as kosher?
Looking at unclear hechshers on some yogurt packages:
Dannon "Light and Fit" yogurt has a capital K without any other identifier.
Yoplait "Light" has a capital K D.
I was told that the letter K ...
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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 ...
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Is there a concept of "bitul beshishim" with regards to fish?
Years ago, some brands of Worcestershire sauce as well as a few salad dressings were marked "OU fish". This meant that one was not allowed to use this sauce on a piece of meat or have it on the same ...
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Allergen information says "may contain..."
If a product is labeled dairy, but the allergen information says "may contain traces of milk," can I assume that it is actually only dairy equipment? If it didn't say anything, maybe they just didn't ...
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Kashrut of Kellog's cereal
The cRc recommends Kellogg's cereals with only a k on the box. In my experience, I have not heard of anybody who disagrees with this. This is an unusual situation, though, since normally a plain k ...
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Which hechsheirim are reliable?
There are so many hechsheirim (Kosher certifications) out there.
How is an individual supposed to find out which hechsheirim to rely on, and which not to?
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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 (...
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Does extra virgin organic coconut oil have to have a hechsher?
I am specifically referring to Coconut Oil. I know that my question is similar to this one: Is Extra virgin olive oil kosher by default? but My question is also about non-olive oils. Due to the huge ...
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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 ...
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How to validate Kashruth of an old Shofar?
I have an old Shofar. When I say old, I don't mean a family heirloom or antique - I bought it on a family trip to Israel in the early 1990s. There have been some articles recently discussing the ...
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Eating in a restaurant that is not under the beth din
Can one eat in a resturaunt that claims to be kosher, yet does not have a certified kashrut certificate from the local beth din?
Is this a violation of a prohibition by the owner? Does the owner have ...
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Does "Nivdak" flour, grains, beans or pasta exist?
I know Bodek, among other brands sells pre-checked (for bugs, worms, etc.) produce. However, I have not seen any commercially available pre-checked rice, barley (etc. - pretty much any grain that is ...
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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 ...
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KORC - Kosher Symbol
I was in Costco today and saw chopped romaine lettuce with the KORC symbol. I was wondering if anyone knows if this symbol is accepted by the OU or other large Kashrus organizations.
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Can one trust the Kashrut of Alcoholic Beverages in bars?
Kosher organizations, like the CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council), supply lists of alcohol recommended for purchase and consumption.
May one purchase these alcoholic beverages from a bar (where the ...
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Shochtim who learned from translated materials
The Maharil in his Tshusvos Chadashos ("New Responsa," mentioned here), writes (Siman 93) that the custom is not to give kabblah to shochtim who learned the laws shechita in German (translated ...
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Does bagged lettuce need a hechsher?
Does one need a hechsher on commercially available bagged lettuce? Or is the standard washing process used by the producers sufficient to remove all insects of halachic significance?
Anecdotally, I'...
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Does electronic cigarette juice require a hechsher?
Does electronic cigarette "juice" need to be kosher (require a hechsher)?
Does it matter what flavor the juice is?
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What's the Bishul Akum heter for hard-boiled eggs?
I've seen prepackaged hard-boiled eggs in the grocery store with an OU. As eggs are relatively inedible raw, what is the heter vis-a-vis bishul akum for them? (Or are they having a Jewish mashgiach ...
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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 ...
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Are Dunkin' Donuts kosher without hechsher?
Can one (who is not strict about cholov Israel) eat Dunkin' Donuts without a kosher certificate?
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What is the point of a hechsher on Cholov Stam?
I assume that the widespread custom of eating/drinking Cholov Stam products (products using milk in which the milking was not observed by a Jew) is relying on the leniency of R' Moshe Feinstein that ...
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Do multiple hechsherim (kosher symbols) on a product make its kashrut less reliable?
A former rebbe whom I highly respect advised me not to eat any food product that has more than one kosher certification on it. His thinking was that in principle, the concepts of kashrut and achdut - ...
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Why would aluminum tins need a Kosher L'Pesach hechsher?
A few days ago, my son noticed that a small aluminum tin that we used had a stamp from the Badat"z that said Kosher L'Pesach.
I know that people put food in aluminum tins. But I don't know of anyone ...
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In Israel, what is the difference between l'mehadrin and badatz
In Israel, what is the difference between l'mehadrin and badatz? Also, is there a regular kosher that is different from these two?
Do they differ with respect to kashrut standards (e.g., require pas ...
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What's with this "approved for Pesach" tape?
That's masking tape from the hardware store, with an "approved for Pesach" label by the Badatz. What??
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