My wife was told by a friend that a certain legitimate kashrus organization says that frozen raspberries do not require supervision, and upon calling the organization, she was told that the process the berries go through before freezing removes all insects. Does anyone know what this process is and what the general opinion in the kashrus world is about such things?
-
1For reference, the cRc policy is that frozen strawberries do not need a hashgacha.– MTLCommented Feb 13, 2015 at 14:35
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
The CRC says in a tweet:
[T]he way the berries are processed is sufficient to clean them, as opposed to other frozen products
The CRC generally states the things that a consensus position between themselves, the OK, the OU, the Kof-K and the Star-K (there may be outliers among that group for any given position, but most of them will agree to the position, or at least accept products from each other that conform to that position). However the OK's Vegetable Checking Guide only permits frozen raspberries if they are pureed by the user after a cursory check (described there).
This volume of Halachically speaking agrees with the OK (that raspberries need to be purred to be used) and provides reasoning for it. From the reasoning described there, the process involved is a government required washing. It depends on if, immediately prior to the freezing, after the government required washing, the bugs were a Miyut HaMatzui - a commonly found minority, or if they were Eino Matzui - not commonly found. Halachically speaking agrees about strawberries, for example, that the washing is sufficient, but regarding raspberries it says the washing is insufficient to remove it from that category.
It would seem that the CRC position is about how effective the washing prior to freezing is at removing bugs, and they think it is sufficient.
-
what does the pureeing accomplish that the washing would not? If it is just to remove the issur then how is bitul issur not a problem?– DudeCommented Sep 1, 2016 at 20:56
-
@Dude, In Halachicly speaking it says "The only time we say that we can’t be mevatel issur l’chatchilah is when we have intent to do so. Additionally, we say ein mevatel issur l’chatchilah when we want the crushed item to be crushed just for the fruit to be crushed." It gives sources for that in footnote 19 and 20. Kind of shvach, but I suspect there are more leniencies to connect to make it a better heter.– YishaiCommented Sep 1, 2016 at 21:07
-
it's just the opposite. here is a response from the ou in regards to crushing raspberries... "If the purpose of grinding up the fruits/vegetables is to destroy the bugs and therefore avoid the need to check them, then this is not permitted. This would be considered bitul issur. If that is not the purpose, but rather the person is grinding the fruits because they anyways want to eat the 'sauce', and would grind them even if they were know to be clean, then it is permitted so long as the fruits are not huchzekb'tolayim."– DudeCommented Sep 1, 2016 at 21:29
-
It says the same thing in the link you gave about batul issur as the ou response that I got. which is why I ask, why do they want them crushed after they have been washed and frozen?– DudeCommented Sep 1, 2016 at 21:31
-
@Dude, yeah there is likely some language mistake in the Halachically speaking. You puree raspberries to make raspberry puree, it is the ingredient you need, not whole. I'm not sure who your question is on?– YishaiCommented Sep 1, 2016 at 21:41
I'm not sure why freezing fruit would cause insects to disintegrate. The fruit is flash frozen to prevent the cell walls bursting which should similarly preserve the insects.
Some frozen fruit and vegetables are pressure sprayed to remove insects. For example although thrips are commonly found between maize kernels on the cob, most poskim permit frozen corn due to pressure spraying.
The pressure that can be used depends on how hard the fruit or vegetable is, though. With lower pressure spraying you reduce the probability of eliminating all insects, but it could become a miut she'eino matzuy.
