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I have noticed that many cans of pepsi don't have a hechsher (kosher symbol) on them. Do they need one?

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    I just had this situation come up in real life, and I knew exactly where to look for all the references I needed!
    – Isaac Moses ♦
    Aug 11, 2010 at 20:19

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The Kof-K gives the hechsher on Pepsi. I have spoken to them and they said the following: the syrup used is all under the certification of the Kof-K. Certain bottling plants have a mashgiach on premises and products which come out from that facility have a kosher symbol on them.

Other plants don't have a mashgiach on premises and the products that come from these plants don't have a kosher symbol. These plants still use the same kosher syrup and therefore, many rabbis hold that it is 100% ok to drink those products. This is because the syrup is kosher and the machines only deal with cold products and never hot ones.

Consult your Rabbi about what you should do.

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    In New England, for example, Pepsi products display a Vaad Harabonim of Massachusetts hechsher.
    – Jonathan Abbett
    Mar 4, 2010 at 6:33
  • Is there really a mashgiach on premises (full-time?) in a bottling plant?
    – Curiouser
    Jan 7, 2013 at 12:15
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    @Curiouser - No, but some areas (such as mine) do not even have a Jewish community near them, let alone a Rabbinical association. Thus, the cans produced in places like this will not have a symbol on them, although they are kosher.
    – ezra
    Feb 3, 2017 at 22:33
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I thought it was Rabbi Zevulun Charlop who gives the certification. Regardless, yes Pepsi is certified, but no the symbol is not on the label.

Most of the major American brands are certified, but often the mark is not on the label. Here's a list, courtesy of kashrut.com and the cRc.

If a soda is totally uncertified, it's generally not recommended. Too many colorings or flavorings that could pose a Halachic problem. (Atlanta's Rabbi Tobias Geffen was famously involved in a reformulation of Coca-Cola to make it kosher, 70+ years ago.)

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This answer comes from a Chof-K publication- Halachicly Speaking:

Pepsi® without a KOF-K It is common to purchase a Pepsi® product without a KOF-K in a vending machine. The Pepsi® syrup and the bottling plants are under two different hashgachos. If there is no KOF-K on the cap or label then the KOF-K does NOT recommend it.

I think The answer is Pretty clear YES

Just as an added point to illustrate the problem in Uman, they used to drink Coca Cola and they find out that they where putting in wine (THATS RIGHT WINE!!!) as The coca cola company adjust the taste to the preference of the country,and Russians like wine so they where drinking Yayin Nessach and such it may be Halachicly not a problem Just Know BUYER BEWARE!!

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    The cRc says American Pepsi is fine. (As for Uman, not recommended; but actually R' Moshe holds stam yeinam [it's not yayin nesech] is batel b'shesh.) But YS, you're bringing up a good point: this discussion assumes you're in USA. In other countries, you'd need to contact a local rabbi. This is also important because Atlanta's "World of Coca-Cola" museum has a room with samples of sodas (including different versions of coca-cola) from around the world; many of those are not recommended.
    – Shalom
    Jun 17, 2010 at 22:21
  • @SHalom - If the manufactures put the wine in because they want the taste there then I believe it would not be batul b'shishem.
    – eramm
    Oct 21, 2013 at 8:15
  • @Eramm close. The general rule for foodstuffs is 1:60 as you mention, but that doesn't apply to flavorings. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's opinion, however, is that the rabbinic prohibition on wine made by non-Jews (but not used in pagan worship) specified that it would be batel 1:6 (yes "six", not "sixty") even though you could likely still taste it.
    – Shalom
    Oct 21, 2013 at 14:34
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If you look on the top of Pepsi and Coca-Cola you will see a faint letter U.

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    What does that U stand for?
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 7, 2013 at 6:23
  • I don't see how this answers the question.
    – msh210 ♦
    Jan 7, 2013 at 6:38
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    @msh210 I think he's disagreeing with the premise, ie sodas do have hechsherim. What organisation's hechsher is a faint U is beyond me.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 7, 2013 at 7:18
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    He obviously means a circle with a U in it; i.e. the OU printed very lightly on the top of the can.
    – Curiouser
    Jan 7, 2013 at 12:14
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    @msh210 Some don't seem to have one. That's why I think he said faint.
    – Double AA ♦
    Jan 7, 2013 at 14:44

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