A Halachic Exercise in self control

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Published Summer 2013

SCENE 1: You are hungry. You desperately need something to hit the spot. Suddenly your friend offers you a delicious chocolate frosted cupcake . . . complete with sprinkles. Your mouth begins to water . . . you are just about to take that first irresistible bite when your inner voice raises the age-old query, “How do you know if it is Kosher?” Your ecstasy is short lived. Your hand pulls back and you put the cupcake down. You exercised self control. You are still hungry but you passed the test.

OTZER BAIS DIN: Proper Distribution of Shmitta Produce

Rav Aharon Tendler, Ner Israel Mechina High School

Our rabbis have taught that if the Jewish nation would observe two Shabbosos, they would be immediately redeemed1. Generally, this is understood to mean that the redemption will come if we observe two consecutive Shabbosos. The question arises as to the significance of two Shabbosos, and many responses have been provided. There is a beautiful answer offered by the former Chief Rabbi of Moscow, Rabbi Fishman, in his introduction to a commentary on the Yerushalmi Mesechta Shevi’is. Rabbi Fishman maintains that the two Shabbosos actually refer to the seventh day of the week when we refrain from all melacha, constructive work, and the seventh year of shmitta, when we withdraw our ownership from the land of Israel and declare all produce ownerless and available for all to take.

The Kashrus of Tea – With No Strings Attached!

By: Rabbi Baruch Beyer

Published Summer 2013
Americans, generally, do not drink as much tea as the rest of world. This may have something to do with a certain party they had in Boston a while back. That being the case, you might be surprised to learn that tea is second only to water in worldwide beverage consumption. In fact, some estimates place tea consumption in the billions of cups daily. That’s a lot of tea. However, with recent health benefits being ascribed to tea, its popularity in this country is definitely on the rise. In this article we will explore the world of tea and what questions there are vis-à-vis kashrus and halacha. First, a little background is in order.

Kashrus in High Spirits

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Winter 2005

Jewish life-cycle events, be it a bris, a bar mitzvah, or a wedding, are special occasions that we anticipate eagerly and celebrate with joy. At any simcha, we fill our cups with wine, raise our glasses of schnapps, and with great fervor pronounce a resounding “L’chaim!” in honor of the blessed event. This custom of melding alcohol with simcha has been a Jewish practice from time immemorial. The cup that is raised today, however, bears very little resemblance to that of yesteryear.

It’s a Siman that it’s Kosher: Avoiding Bosor Shenisalaim Min Hoayin

An Interview With Rabbi Moshe Heinemann
STAR-K Rabbinic Administrator

INTRODUCTION:

The world of kashrus has played, and continues to play, a dominant role in the life of a Jew and the life blood of Judaism. This centrality is evidenced by the significant halachic treatment of kashrus in the Shulchan Aruch, by our Poskim, and in contemporary Torah journals, as well as the particular attention paid to the kosher consumer stretching from the aisles of the supermarket to the media portfolios of the marketplace.

Star-K Certified Canned Vegetables

(The following list of certified canned vegetables are certified kosher only when bearing the Star-K symbol)

Aegean Gourmet
Finesse
Ningbo Orient Jiuzhou
Sysco

Agro Dutch
Foodtown
Noam Gourmet
Sysco Arrezzio

Alessi
Freshlike
Olympion
Sysco Classic

Allens
Fronte
Pacific Delite
Sysco Imperial

Alma
GFS
Pathmark
Taco Mac

Ambrosia
Gandules
Pocahontas
Taylor

America’s Choice
Geisha
Popeye
Tongfa

American Roland
Georgia Belle
Premium
Tops

Ashley
Giant
Princella
Trappey’s

Assagio Classico
Gold Plum
Red Feather
Tuna Delight

B-Tam
Great Value
Red Rooster
Tyling

Bellagio
Guiguo
Reese
U.S. Blue

Benz’s Bilo
Happy Chef
Restaurant Row
U.S. Food Service Roseli

Bountiful Harvest
Harvest Valu
Roland
U.S. Red

Brown Beauty
Herko
Royal Prince
Uncle Williams

Bruce’s
Homefolks
Royalty
Ungers

Butterfield
Horn of Plenty
Ruby
Veg-All

California Delight
Inter-Food
Rykoff Sexton Green
Vigo

Casa Diva
Jeraci
San Pablo
Vitarroz

Casa Fiesta
Jinke
Santa Lucia
Viva Mexico

Chai-Kee
La Romanella
Saruhan
Vivaci

Chopsie’s
Lijiang
Selena
Wegman’s Whyte’s

Classic/Arrezzio
Louisiana
Smart & Final
Wolco

Conservas Martinez Garcia
Mancini
Snack Delite
Yarden

Crest Top
Manolito
Southern Home
Yilong

D&S
Marco Polo
Stone Mountain
Zumdieck

Del Destino
Marcove
Stop & Shop

Dintel
Mexene
Sugary Sam

Dorman
Milfiore
Sun of Italy

Dunbars
Mistral
Sunfield

East Texas Fair
Monte Lupo
Sunshine

Eden
Montecito
Super G

El Rio
Moody Dunbar
Supremo Italiano

Empress
Natural Value
Sylvia’s

Can it be Kosher

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

How often have we heard the query, “What’s the problem with plain canned vegetables? It’s only vegetables, water and salt in a can!” True. It’s also true that today you can buy vegetables with a hechsher, salt with a hechsher, water with a hechsher even cans with a hechsher! But does 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 = 4? Can a kosher consumer buy canned corn off the shelf or should the kosher consumer beware?

Hydroponics

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

The AeroGarden is a unique hydroponic system, enabling home-growing of vegetables. ( Note: STAR-K no longer certifies The Aerogarden) The entrance of this system into the marketplace presents an opportunity to discuss the history and halachos of hydroponics.

All Washed Up

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

In the health conscious world of the new millennium, healthful fine dining and garden fresh vegetables have taken an honorable position of prominence. Salad bars are in vogue. A colorful salad helps dress up the bland dinner plate. Fresh vegetables are healthy and wholesome. Unfortunately, it also causes havoc with the G-d fearing housewife, or the caterer’s mashgiach, who want to make sure that the vegetables served are not only clean and fresh, but insect-free, as well. Oftentimes, this task is tedious, time consuming, and frustrating. This is particularly true when dealing with large quantities of exotic, leafy vegetables that have to be inspected in a relatively short amount of time. What is the answer?

The Tell Tail Sign

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Our Rabbis in their sage understanding of human nature tell us, “Al tistakel b’kankan elah b’mah sheyaish bo.” Do not look at the outer receptacle, look at its inner contents. This adage has often been loosely translated into the famous American adage, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” In the case of kosher fish supervision, in order to determine whether the fish is, indeed, kosher it has to be judged by its cover.

The Torah states clearly how one is to determine whether or not a fish is kosher. If the fish has ‘snapir v’kaskeses’, fins and scales, the fish is kosher. Fish that have only fins, such as catfish, or totally smooth skin, such as eel, or crustaceans, such as lobster, are non-kosher.

Fish production is an active global enterprise. Nile perch from Nairobi, tuna from Fiji, farm-raised salmon from Chile and flounder from China arrive daily to fish companies […]

The Sweetest Fruit of Them All

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Unbelievable but true.

Overheard conversation between Mother and a precocious seven year old at a typical supper table…

“Now dear you must eat your fruits and vegetables!”

“I just finished a delicious double portion.”

“Great what did you eat?”

“A yummy chocolate bar.”

The Spice of Life: A Kashrus Overview of Salt & Pepper

By: Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech

The use of spices in preparing food has played a role in history disproportionate to their nutritional value. A ransom paid by Alaric the Goth that included three thousand pounds of pepper delayed the attack of Rome for two years. The discovery of the New World was due, in great measure to the search for such spices; that was the main objective of the early trans-Atlantic explorers. Our Rabbis tell us1 that the Torah is compared to salt and the Mishna to pepper. Indeed, the kashrus issues related to salt and pepper give us sufficient reason to analyze these primary food ingredients.

Olive Oil: The Contemporary Industry of Antiquity

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Olive oil, the liquid gold of the ancients was touted for its nutritional, medicinal, and cosmetic value. As a fuel it illuminated the home. As a food ingredient it was a feast to the palate. Olive oil production is one of the world’s oldest industries. Interestingly, much of this ancient industry has not changed over the millennia.

It’s Takke a Taco

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Those tried and true N.Y. subway travelers of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s remember the memorable poster of the smiling Indian holding a delicious corned beef sandwich with the caption, “You don’t have to be Jewish to Love Levy’s Real Jewish Rye.” Today, with the virtual explosion of ethnic foods, you don’t have to be Japanese to enjoy Sushi, you don’t have to be Italian to enjoy ravioli or minestrone, and you don’t have to be Mexican to enjoy tacos and burritos. However, the common link between all these ethnic foods is that today the kosher consumer can sink his teeth into a delicious enchilada or schwarma that bears reliable kosher certification.

Industrial Eggs: Not As Simple As it May Seem

By: Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech

The talmudic paradigm for a concept that is blatantly obvious is Keveiasa Bechuscha, the issue is as clear as the permissibility of mixing eggs into dairy products. However, things are not always as simple as they may seem, and just as the Ba’alei HoTosfos in Maseches Eiruvin discuss how less than “obvious” this concept may be, the production and use of eggs in modern food production pose questions whose answers are far from being considered obvious. The purpose of this article is to discuss some of the issues that confront modern kashrus supervision as they relate to egg production.

Enzymes

By: Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech

Published Spring 2013

Centuries ago, the ancient Greeks recognized that there were certain properties in leaven which caused chemical changes in flour and water converting it into bread. They called the magical ingredient “enzyme” which is the Greek term for “in leaven.” Today enzyme remains the term by which we refer to these biological catalysts. We now understand that enzymes are proteins found in every living organism be it animal, vegetable, or microbial.

Dried Fruit: Nature’s Way of Wrinkling Gracefully

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

It has been called nature’s candy. It’s a sweet source of nutrition whose popularity is on the rise. Commensurate with its growing popularity is its demand. In today’s global economy the dried fruit trade literally spans the entire globe. Apples from China, prunes from Bulgaria, figs from the Middle East, dates from Tunisia, or raisins from South America, and of course apples, peaches, plums, raisins, figs, and dates in the good old USA. Naturally, this growth presents a whole new set of challenges to kashrus agencies. How do you send a mashgiach to supervise date productions in Pakistan, raisin productions in Iran, or plum productions in Bulgaria?

Candy is Dandy

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Kashrus Kurrents, Winter 1997

Walking through a candy store leaves one with little doubt that great creative genius has been a long time associate of the candy industry. It is an absolutely amazing act of wizardry to see the multitude of confectionery varieties, shapes, textures, and tastes that can emerge from sugar, chocolate, and corn syrup. Chewy caramels, cotton candy, lollipops, chocolate pralines, nut logs with creamy nougat fillings, the list is endless.

So what could be wrong with candy? Especially if the ingredient panel states only simple, natural ingredients? Not so simple.

At times a product may have nothing that presents a Kashrus problem, but at other times the seemingly identical product can be very problematic.

Let’s take a behind the scenes tour of Kosher candy manufacturing, where we can examine the production processes and procedures of some of the popular delicious confections enabling us to pinpoint the Kashrus […]

A 30 Year Retrospective on Kashrus Kurrents

By: Dr. Avrom Pollak

Published Summer 2008

Approximately thirty years ago shortly before “Pesach” 5738 Mr. A. J. Levin, a vice president of the Orthodox Jewish Council, began publishing Kashrus Kurrents. In that first issue, printed on the familiar yellow paper with the blue Kashrus Kurrents logo, it was deemed necessary to advise the Baltimore community that they cannot rely on labels or advertisements that merely states ‘Kosher for Passover’. From that same issue we learned that the fledgling Star-K organization had just inaugurated its kosher hot-line whereby one could get accurate kashrus information Monday through Thursday between the hours of 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

The Importance of Accurate Kashrus Information

By: Dr. Avrom Pollak

As Bnai Torah we tend to consider ourselves sophisticated and knowledgeable regarding matters that we deem important. We are not easily swayed by glitzy advertising, nor are we apt to blindly follow recommendations from others unless we are convinced that the proffered advice is sound and based on actual knowledge. When making a major purchase such as an automobile, or deciding which yeshiva or seminary is the right choice for our son or daughter, we make a decision after deliberate and careful investigation of the facts. Of course, we do accept the opinion of others, but only after we are convinced that the one dispensing advice has factual knowledge of the issue at hand.

Kosher Chickens: From Coop to Soup

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Published Spring 2007

There is a strange but true phenomenon that has resulted in our society’s technologically
motivated, highly competitive marketplace. If a manufacturer or producer desires to remain viable and competitive, he never loses sight of the fact that successful business demands innovation, creativity and growth. Status quo in the manufacturer’s lexicon often means stagnation, and no company wants to stagnate. In turn, the manufacturer on the move continues to innovate in an environment that encourages survival of the fittest. This presents additional challenges for products requiring kosher supervision from a kashrus agency. These axioms are very keenly felt in the production of kosher poultry, where halachic ingenuity and technological advances converge. The average kosher consumer rarely, if ever, has the opportunity to see a large or small slaughterhouse in action. Therefore, Kashrus Kurrents offers its readers an inside look at the policies and procedures of […]

Star-K Side Bar Summer 2007

Other News From The STAR-K

STAR-K Kashrus Training Program!

Hotel Kashrus on the Front Lines

Rabbi Mayer Kurcfeld, Star-K Kashrus Administrator

Published Summer 2007

Introduction

The world of hotel kashrus is exciting, stressful and always a challenge. Effective hotel
kashrus demands a keen understanding of modern equipment and complex facility
dynamics, along with an excellent mastery of the hotel food and beverage industry. These
criteria are essential in facilitating the role of the administrator and mashgiach as respected members and powerful presence in the hotel kitchen. The role of the mashgiach, once typecast as that of an old man with a white beard sitting on a chair, has changed. Not only does the mashgiach need to know that dairy and meat must be kept separate, the “new-age” mashgiach must relate to the kitchen and serving staff with diplomacy and grace.

Planning Your Simcha; The Agony or Ecstasy

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Published Summer 2007

The joy, the planning, the anticipation, the expense — there is a lot that goes into a Yiddishe simcha. Be it a chasuna, Bar Mitzvah, or bris, every significant life cycle event is extra special and the baalei simcha want to ensure that their guests have a good time. Central to that goal is a delicious seudas mitzvah. Endless hours of planning are spent making sure everything is perfect, from the decor to the menu. Is the same effort expended regarding the kashrus level of the event? If the simcha is being catered, does the caterer have reliable kosher certification? As catering costs have risen, consumers have opted to cater their own simchas. This article will attempt to address some key issues that one should consider when catering an event.

Kashrus seminar-2007

With the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, Poland became the recognized haven for exiles from Western Europe and the cultural/spiritual center of the Jewish people. Prior to the outbreak of World War II, it housed the second largest Jewish community in the world, with nearly 3.5 million Jews. All that changed rapidly following Nazi Germany’s invasion in 1939. A scant 11 percent (369,000) of the Polish Jewish population escaped the death camps. Many fled their native Poland in reaction to anti-Semitic violence or repression under Communism. Those who stayed often turned their backs on Yiddishkeit. Now, Polish Jews are feeling a new sense of tolerance and security in their post-Cold War democracy. An increasing number are returning to their Jewish roots, which in many cases have been discovered only recently.

Rabbi Mati Kos is the first known religious person in his family in the past […]

Shmitta 5768

By: Rabbi Zvi Goldberg

Published Fall 2007

Dates of Kedushas Shviis, sfichim, and biur can be found in our 2008 Pesach Directory, click here.

For over nineteen hundred years, the Jewish people have longed to return to Eretz Yisroel, the land of Israel. It is only there that we can realize our full potential as a nation, and the Torah’s blueprint for life can be completely fulfilled. Throughout the millennia, the most important dimension of this yearning was to once again be able to fulfill the mitzvos hatluyos ba’aretz (agricultural laws), the commandments that can be observed only in the land of Israel. With Hashem’s help, many of us in this past generation have realized part of this two thousand year-old dream. Yet, this realization has presented us with new challenges.

The Safety of Our Kosher Food

By: Dr. Avrom Pollak

Published Winter 2007

How many Kashrus Kurrents readers have heard this true Jewish fish tale? In the early 1900’s, when it was customary for Jewish housewives to make homemade gefilte fish, a very important food safety issue came to light. Diphyllobothrium latum, a fish tapeworm, was identified in the intestines of Jewish homemakers. It was measured at 30 feet and had a life span of up to 20 years. This largest parasite of humans attacked the digestive system of the cooks, who would periodically taste the raw concoction of ground freshwater fish to ensure the correct mix of salt and pepper. Although not fatal, gastrointestinal symptoms accompanied by increased weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy and fatigue were present for months, until the cause was finally discovered. In our day, the pernicious anemia that results may more likely be obtained from eating sushi or raw contaminated beef.

Star-K Side Bar Spring 2008

Other News From The STAR-K

STAR-K CERTIFICATION

It’s Kosher on Paper Only

By: Rabbi Baruch Beyer

Published Spring 2008

If you have ever left cookies in the oven a little too long, and they became stuck to the pan, you know what a frustrating experience it can be. Imagine multiplying that feeling hundreds or thousands of times, and you will begin to understand one of the major problems that commercial bakeries and food producers face all the time. To avoid this problem, food manufacturers use release agents to grease the pans. These agents are frequently found in a spray form, like PAM, and must always be kosher certified. Paper pan liners may also be used as release agents, particularly in bakeries. They provide more consistent browning and baking with no added fat or calories, and require less clean-up. Pan liners are also used by candy makers, and may be used as cupcake holders or wraps for frozen gefilte fish. Consumers are also discovering […]

McBiodiesel: New Not So Kosher Vistas for Spent French Fry Oil

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Published Spring 2008

In an energy driven world with limited fuel resources, and a public that is totally enamored with its automobiles, industry is constantly looking for inexpensive new sources of alternative fuel. Biodiesel fuel is one answer. Biodiesel is a chemical process that separates vegetable oil or animal fats into two parts: methyl esters – which is another name for biodiesel, and glycerin. The biodiesel is then blended with alcohol to make biodiesel blends that can be used as a substitute for diesel fuel or other fuel substitutes.