Mi Yodeya is a question and answer site for those who base their lives on Jewish law and tradition and anyone interested in learning more. It only takes a minute to sign up.
Sign up to join this community
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 yisroel, accept non-cholav Israel milk, require mashgiach temedi for various food establishments)?
Also, has this changed since 2011 when a related question was answered here and, if so, how?
Mehadrin is a general term, meaning enhanced/ stricter kashrut. People use it to describe a particular standard, or they might mean a general term for one or several hechsherim (kosher supervisions) e.g. Bedatz Eida Chareidis, Rav Landau, Rav Rubin, Sheeris Yisrael, Rav Machpud etc. The term can also be used by a local rabbinate hechsher to denote a higher level than their usual standard. In other words, it can mean anything or nothing. There is no universal standard. A person needs to ask the specific organization(s) what they mean by mehadrin - this can include not relying on heter mechira, a mashgiach temidi, more careful checking of bugs in vegetables and grains, using "bug free" leafy vegetables, chalav Yisroel, glatt meat, slower and more careful shechita and kashering, using milk only from Shomer Shabbos farms, checking if fruit is orla rather than relying on the majority of that species, etc. etc.
Badatz, as previous posters have mentioned, is the name of several organizations. The Badatz Eida Chareidis, Badatz Mehadrin (Rav Rubin), and others. Again, each has their own standards, and can be asked. Anyone can call themselves "Badatz X" - the word Badatz doesn't mean anything on its own.
Mehadrin (from hiddur, meaning "beautified" or "embellished") is the generic term describing a certain level of kashrut, as described here, covering e.g., the presence of a supervisor in a kitchen, the type of meat being served (glatt vs. non-glatt), how shmita is being handled, etc.
Badatz (acronym of Beth Din Tsedek) is a name for a kashrut organization that supervises kosher products. They typically only supervise mehadrin products, this is the case for instance of the most well known Israeli Badatz Eidat Hacharedi, Badatz Chassam Sofer from Bnei Brak or Badatz Beit Yosef.
There are other, non-badatz, agencies certifying and requiring mehadrin products, e.g., R Landau in Bnei Brak.
Regular kosher is not mehadrin, by definition. I do not know of a Badatz in Israel who would certify non-mehadrin foods.
Some of the differences between what regular kosher agencies accept and mehadrin don't are halav Israel, shmita heter mechira and no requirement of mashgiach tmidi.
