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While shopping for Shavu'ot, I noticed that the caterer had marked on their eggplant rollatini "made with 6-hour cheese". I was pleased that they did this, as I had never seen this marking, previously. It helps me plan my menus better knowing this.

I've never seen this type of marking on any kosher cheese. With the confusion of what defines "hard cheese", I can see that having this marking on kosher cheeses being very useful. As far as I know, except for 1 or 2 items from Cabot that have a hecher, all the commercial brands are obviously soft cheese (cottage and cream cheese is easy to determine that it's soft.) Why haven't the kashrut agencies placed this notice on their labels?

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  • You could ask also why these agencies never tell you what b'rocho to make on their products. Perhaps they dont know!
    – preferred
    May 27, 2014 at 19:47
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    It's an interesting point. But, I'm inclined to say that many mashgichim DO know the bracha to make. After all, to give a proper hasgacha, they need to know a product's ingredients!
    – DanF
    May 27, 2014 at 19:52
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    There is a Yad Yehuda regarding melted cheese and it is debatable what is considered aged cheese,so they probably leave it up to the consumer to ask their own Rav
    – sam
    May 27, 2014 at 19:55
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    @DanF, knowing the ingredients is only the first step in determining the Bracha. Next might involve Machlokes in poskim, or issues which are not at all obvious and clear and would take work to actually determine the final Halacha. Anyway, counter example: HaOlam Parmesan cheese says it is 6 hour cheese on the label. Most cheeses are not, or it is a matter for a Rav to decide. They tend to say when it is obvious. In my younger years I remember when 6 hour cheese was unheard of in the Cholov Yisroel cheese market due to the cost.
    – Yishai
    May 27, 2014 at 19:56
  • @Yishai - Thanks for your perspective. I'll have to check the Ha'olam label (not a brand I typically buy) you mentioned. I didn't realize there was so much uncertainty.
    – DanF
    May 27, 2014 at 20:01

1 Answer 1

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There is a limit as to how much information the kosher manufacturers are interested in displaying on their products and a limit to what the average kosher consumer will appreciate and understand.

Many kosher products, particularly national brands, want to appeal to the kosher conscious consumer but don't want to make the kashrus information too obvious because they don't want to alienate their nonkosher customers. Displaying detailed kashrus information like waiting time after cheese might stand out too starkly.

Also, Kosher consumers may get confused by too much kashrus information. The OU stopped specifying whether a product was only dairy equipment and opted for the simpler OU-D for both true diary and dairy equipment for this very reason. Some other agencies still display DE for dairy equipment. I can imagine the confusion of having an OU-D 6 to connote the need to wait 6 hours or adding the beracha rishona and achrona ( and maybe Shiur!).

As far as any questions regarding a product whether the need to wait six hours or the beracha you can typically find that information on the kashrus agency's website out by calling their Kashrus Hotline. Here is an OU discussion about waiting six hours with an itemized list of cheeses: http://oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/are-all-fromages-created-equal-waiting-between-cheese-and-meat/

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  • +1 for the link. I think it contains the most useful point in the discussion: Cheeses usually have production dates stamped on the bar code and the date of production is a big driver in determining if it is hard cheese for this purpose. So in that sense, they already are printing it on the label, if you know what to look for.
    – Yishai
    May 28, 2014 at 3:13
  • @Yishai that's valuable if you follow the second approach cited. Personally that approach is very literal... During refrigeration there is minimal aging as when compared to standard aging of cheese which is certainly the kind of aging actually referred to by the Rema.I have a hard time believing ( if this logic is taken to the extreme) that if a soft cheese is frozen for six months it ages in any significant manner like classic hard cheeses do.
    – Yoni
    May 28, 2014 at 3:35
  • oukosher.org/blog/consumer-kosher/aged-cheese-list
    – Eli83
    Jun 3, 2022 at 16:12

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