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Are Starburst Fruit Chews kosher? This website below clearly has an OU on the right side. However, Gelatin appears on the ingredient list, and the oukosher.org website doesn't have any reference to Starburst, as far as I can tell.

https://www.marsfoodservices.com/products-brands/candy/starburst.aspx

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  • 2
    welcome back :)
    – Double AA
    Mar 18, 2015 at 15:04
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    Thanks. Returning bc it's a matter of vital importance, of course.
    – ArghMo
    Mar 18, 2015 at 15:07
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    The only thing I found on OU is an old alert related to the variety pack. See oukosher.org/kosher-alerts/skittles-starburst-variety-pack. Best bet is to call OU directly. If you get an answer, please post.
    – DanF
    Mar 18, 2015 at 16:33
  • Another point to consider is that the OU only appears next to one of the products. This may mean that the others are not kosher. Do you see an OU on the actual product in the store? Mar 18, 2015 at 21:06
  • 1
    I received a package of individually wrapped candies. No OU on the individual wrappers.
    – ArghMo
    Mar 23, 2015 at 1:30

4 Answers 4

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Although the website has an OU printed there, if you click in to the nutritional information it says that it is not Kosher.

In addition, here is a reproduction of an e-mail claimed to be from the company saying that the gelatin in the product is beef. It is not economically feasible to use Kosher beef to make commercial gelatin, and the OU does not regard gelatin derived from non-Kosher animals as Kosher.

So it would seem that the reasonable conclusion is that it is not Kosher according to the OU, and the OU should be contacted about the misplacement of their symbol on the website you linked.

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  • Thanks. Agreed - that will probably be the conclusion. I emailed OUkosher yesterday, so I'll be sure to post the reply.
    – ArghMo
    Mar 19, 2015 at 19:06
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    @ArghMo Any update? Apr 12, 2021 at 17:03
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Here's the reply I received from the OU. The Webbe Rebee didn't say anything about the OU appearing on the Starburst website.

*Thank you for contacting the OU.

We do not currently certify any Starburst candy.

Please do not hesitate to contact us again should you have any further questions.

Sincerely,

The Web(be) Rebbe Orthodox Union Kashruth Division*

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    Thanks for reporting back. I sent the following note to Mars and will post here if I get a reply: Your product page for Starburst Fruit Chews (marsfoodservices.com/products-brands/candy/starburst.aspx) displays the "O-U" symbol of the Orthodox Union with rollover text of "Kosher," but someone who contacted the Orthodox Union (judaism.stackexchange.com/a/56694/2) learned that "We do not currently certify any Starburst candy." As such, the use of this symbol on the product page probably constitutes false advertising. I recommend that you remove it.
    – Isaac Moses
    Mar 23, 2015 at 13:06
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    @IsaacMoses Looks like it was removed?
    – Double AA
    Apr 24, 2015 at 2:39
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    @DoubleAA indeed, it has. I didn't get any other response from them, but I'm glad of this outcome.
    – Isaac Moses
    Apr 24, 2015 at 2:51
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I spoke to Wrigley's which actually makes Starburst and consumer info lady said "it's not kosher but every thing in it is kosher"

I laughed inside

My next obvious question was what does she know about the gelatin?

Her answer was "it's beef derived "

So not kosher but actully treif big time

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    Why is beef derived gelatin "treif big time"?
    – Double AA
    Apr 24, 2015 at 2:38
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Beef derived gelatin is still beef, so I think the gelatin would have to be derived from kosher beef, which is not likely what Starburst would pay for.

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    Plus they'd have to mark it "fleishig" so people can wait 6 hours after eating a fruit chew.
    – Double AA
    Oct 22, 2015 at 15:15
  • @DoubleAA, I'm pretty sure the OU regards beef derived gelatin as pareve. They require the material to be Kosher, but the resultant product they do not regard as fleishig.
    – Yishai
    Sep 13, 2016 at 18:37
  • @Yishai Oh sure, but I'm just speaking accd to the OP's logic. Other people think it's not only pareve but kosher even from non-kosher beef. The OP though can't fathom its changing halakhic status at all.
    – Double AA
    Sep 14, 2016 at 1:30

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