Why Check for Insects?

As we sit down to enjoy a crisp, green salad or prepare to garnish a dish with a fresh sprig of parsley, probably the last thing on our minds at that time is insects. But insects should actually be foremost on our minds, as the act of eating insects, as we shall explain here, violates a very serious set of prohibitions. Let’s start from the beginning.

The Torah expressly forbids Jews from eating insects (tolayim). In Leviticus 11:41, we are told, “And every swarming thing that swarms upon the earth is a detestable thing; it shall not be eaten.” Any food known to be subject to insect infestation, therefore, cannot be eaten until the insects have been removed.

But what if you’re not sure? What is the status of a food item that is only suspected of containing an insect? Are you obligated to check the item to determine the presence of an insect, or can […]

2025 Starbucks Information

In general, Starbucks stores serve hot treif meat and cheese. Therefore, since 2011, STAR-K Rabbinic Administrator Rav Moshe Heinemann shlit”a suggests that if at all possible one should avoid buying drinks prepared with equipment that may have been washed with treif equipment. There are drinks (see list below) that are prepared without any contact with questionable equipment and are acceptable at any store.

When one is traveling, (traveling means when one is away from home and no other viable kosher certified coffee option is readily available), this creates a situation of sha’as hadchak – i.e., a difficult situation – and one need not be concerned with the restrictions on the beverages listed below (based on the psak of the Noda B’Yehuda quoted in Yad Ephraim, Y.D. 122-6, D’H’ Shelo. It can be found in Shu”t Noda B’Yehuda Kama 36). One does not need to be driving on the highway to fit into the […]

The STAR-K OTC Medicine List: Understanding How the List was Compiled

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Ideally, one should purchase over-the-counter (OTC) products with a reliable hechsher. STAR-K certified products contain only kosher approved ingredients. A product containing a trace of a non-kosher ingredient (even if it is batel b’shishim) cannot be certified STAR-K. Similarly, all certified products are manufactured without any keilim concerns.

Unfortunately, very few OTC products are kosher certified, and kosher consumers who require such products are often confronted with shailos (questions).

STAR-K has reviewed ingredients used in hundreds of OTC products manufactured by many of the major pharmaceutical companies, including Bayer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, McNeil, Novartis, Pfizer, Procter & Gamble, Purdue Pharma, Merck and Nestle.

In compiling a list of “approved” medications for use by one who is a choleh (ill) or has a maychush (discomfort), the following halachic guidelines were used:

Equipment

►If all ingredients are kosher, there is no concern that the medicinal ingredients were produced on treif equipment (see Yoreh Deah 122:6).

►If a non-kosher […]

Heimishe Kosher Visits STAR-K

02 | 10 | 2014

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/213354/heimishe-kosher-visits-star-k.html

STAR-K Kosher Certification recently held its first Winter Kashrus Training Program for a group of mashgichim from New York. The participants, who live in Boro Park, traveled to attend the seminar in Baltimore on three consecutive Sundays, January-February. The program was the brainchild of Mr. Meir Rand, a Chasidishe mashgiach who has worked in various kitchen venues in Boro Park. Realizing the lack of Chasidishe mashgiach training, he approached STAR-K Kashrus Administrator Rabbi Zvi Holland with his well-accepted idea of a training program.

“I was very, very happy with the program; I learned such new chidushim and how to deal with people in Kashrus work,” says Mr. Rand. “I have no words. It was mamash amazing–meyradik!

“The Chasidishe community doesn’t yet have such a training program for their mashgichim,” continues Mr. Rand. “We have no mesuderdik system for training them and we found out that STAR-K has the best training system […]

STAR-K Hosts J.E.W. Seminar

01 | 21 | 2014

http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/211002/star-k-hosts-j-e-w-seminar.html

On Wednesday, January 8, STAR-K Kosher Certification’s Baltimore offices hosted a seminar for Jewish Experience Week (J.E.W.). The seminar, led by STAR-K Kashrus Administrators Rabbi Zvi Goldberg and Rabbi Zvi Holland, enlightened college students from around the country about the function of a kosher certification agency and various practical Kashrus issues.

Rabbi Holland’s presentation, “The Wonderful World of Kosher Certification”, covered the history of kosher certification, the globalization of food production and Kosher certification, the difference between a local agency and an International agency, non-profit public agencies certifying kashrus as opposed to individuals, the need and value of retaining public trust in kosher agencies, how halachic decisions are made at STAR-K and how they are kept separate from business, and STAR-K’s unique role as the only major non-profit Kosher agency dedicated only to Kosher. An informative Q & A session followed.

Rabbi Goldberg’s talk, “The Mystical and the Practical”, addressed the Torah […]

Pas Haba’ah B’Kisnin

For a detailed pas habaa bkisnin discussion see here.

I. Varieties and circumstances that warrant a Birchas Hamotzi:

Pizza:
Three slices of 18″ pizza pie
Three slices of 16″ pizza pie
1/2 of a 14″ thin crust pie,
1/2 of a 12″ regular pizza pie
1/2 of a 9″ deep dish pizza pie

Other:
Bagel chips made from bagels
Calzone – 1 from a pizza shop; 2 pre-packaged frozen
Croissants (when augmenting a dinner meal)
Croutons (toasted)
Matzos (Sefardim should ask their Rabbi)
Melba toast
Mezonos rolls – that taste like cake and are augmenting a dinner meal, and those that taste like bread
Soft pretzels (when augmenting a dinner meal)
Stromboli – 1 from a pizza shop; 2 pre-packaged frozen

II. Varieties and circumstances that warrant a Birchas Mezonos when eaten as a snack:

Bagel Chips
Breadsticks
Croissants (as a pastry)
Flatbreads (all varieties)
Hard Pretzels
Kichel
Matza Tams
One slice of pizza
[...] Read More

Heter Iska: Guidelines and Form

1. It is vital that instructions are followed as stated in the correct sequence. Not following the procedure properly may invalidate the heter iska.

Eruv Chatzeiros in a Hotel on Shabbos

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Fall 2013

Q: When a person stays in a hotel for Shabbos, does he need to make an eruv chatzeiros to allow him to carry items in the hallways and lobby?

A: In order to answer this question, we need to review some of the basic halachos of eruv chatzeiros.

In the times of Chazal, it was common for private houses to be situated around the perimeter of a rectangular central courtyard, known as a chatzeir. The chatzeir was used by the members of these houses for chores, such as washing clothes and grinding grain. The Torah considers a chatzeir to be a reshus hayachid (a private domain) if it is surrounded on all sides by walls of the houses and one could, therefore, carry in the chatzeir on Shabbos. However, due to the fact that a chatzeir is less private than a house, the Rabonnon forbade carrying in a chatzeir […]

Beyond Milk and Meat…

Published Fall 2013

This past spring and summer, applicants from across the U.S., Mexico and Canada took advantage of an array of kashrus education opportunities hosted by STAR-K Kosher Certification in Baltimore, Maryland. In April and June, STAR-K administrators addressed the rabbinic alumni of Yeshiva University’s Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary (YU/RIETS) and Yeshivas Ner Yisroel, respectively, during their Yarchei Kallah. In July, STAR-K held back-to-back Foodservice Kashrus Training and Tenth Annual Kashrus Training Program seminars. Rabbi Dovid Yachnes, rav of the Orlando Torah Center, wrote a letter of appreciation that perhaps best sums up the impact made during all of these educational efforts. Commenting on these efforts, STAR-K President Avrom Pollak said, “STAR-K is always interested in supporting rabbonim and their communities around the country and the world, with accurate kashrus information and halachic resources, to further our mission of promoting kashrus and observance of halacha.”

Dear STAR-K,

Please allow me to share […]

Maintaining Proper Standards of Kashrus In Our Yeshivos & Schools

By: Rabbi Dovid Heber

Published Fall 2013

Kashrus has come a long way. Kashrus agencies ensure the highest standards of kashrus in factories and food establishments worldwide, by maintaining a staff of experts in halacha, and in food technology, equipment and ingredients. Consumers have been trained to know which products are acceptable and how to maintain a kosher kitchen l’mehadrin. Kashrus in shuls is usually overseen by the rav of the kehila.

However, one area of kashrus that has received little attention – even throughout the past several decades of unprecedented kashrus growth – is kashrus in our schools. These “heiligeh mekomos”, where tens of thousands of our “tinokos shel bais rabban” spend much of their time during the course of their formative years, deserve the same attention as factories, eating establishments, shuls and our homes.

It is difficult to address the needs of each school as every situation is different. The issues at a yeshiva with a full-service […]

Kashrus Goes Crunch

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

Published Fall 2013

Everyone wants to emulate a winner. The world of food manufacturing and marketing is no exception. Whenever a new product reaches the marketplace, or a new business venture is successfully launched, rest assured that product or venture will be duplicated, cloned, or modified
immediately. One only needs to travel north of Baltimore to Pennsylvania Dutch country to see this in reality. Southern Pennsylvania is home to tens of snack food manufacturers, and is aptly dubbed “the snack food capital of the United States.”

Snack foods have always been an integral part of the American diet and the American way of life. But, snack food modifications do not stand still. As our eating habits, tastes, and health awareness change, so have snack food styles. As production streamlines and technology becomes more innovative, snack food companies continuously modernize to keep up with the times. Of course, one dimension of the snack food industry that always remains constant is kashrus. No matter how […]

Sheva Brachos Guidelines

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Kashrus Kurrents Spring 2013

Q: Could you give me some guidelines as to when sheva brochos are recited?

A: When a chosson and kallah get married, sheva brochos are recited on three occasions: (i) under the chupah, (ii) at the end of the meal following the chupah, and (iii) at the end of subsequent meals that are made lekovod the chosson and kallah. It is this third category which is commonly known as sheva brochos. If the chosson and kallah have both been previously married, sheva brochos are recited only on the day of the wedding.1 If either the chosson or kallah has not been previously married, sheva brochos are recited on the seven days following the wedding, with the day of the wedding reckoned as the first of those seven days.2 If neither the chosson nor the kallah have previously been living an observant lifestyle (or if one of them has […]

Getting Into the Thick of Things: GELATIN

By: Rabbi Avrohom Mushell

Published Spring 2013

Have you ever had a slice of p’tcha galarita – that spicy, globby stuff Bubby used to cook up? How did she manage to make it so thick?

Better yet, open a can of gefilte fish. Look at the stiff jell that comes as its broth. Why is it that when you cook your own gefilte fish, you do not get that solid jelly from your broth? Did you ever wonder why theirs is so thick and yours is not?

COLLAGEN may be the answer to this thickening question.

Collagen is a fibrous, insoluble protein that makes up a major portion of bone, skin and connective tissue. By cooking animal bones or adding fish bones to the broth of your gefilte fish, you will extract some of the collagen from the bones. This gives you the wobbly jelly in p’tcha or in the gefilte fish that comes in a can.

The most common form in which collagen is marketed is partially hydrolyzed state known commonly as gelatin. […]

The Global Demand for Kosher

For nearly fifty years, the demand for kosher-certified products has increased dramatically. Currently one of the hottest food trends, Kosher has become big business. Steady annual growth of the Kosher industry over the past two decades has led to an exponential rise in the numbers of products now available to the kosher consumer. The most recent Lubicom Marketing Consulting research data indicates that it has developed into a $12.5 billion industry for reasons explored below:

12.35M Kosher Consumers in the US
1.3M Year-Round Jewish Consumers of Kosher Products
35M Non-Jewish Consumers of Kosher Products
195K Kosher Certified Products
19K Kosher Products in US Supermarkets
11.4K Kosher Producing Companies and Plants

The United States dominates global kosher sales, launching the majority of all new kosher products available worldwide. To meet this demand, companies throughout the world are seeking kosher certification to expand their existing markets and enhance sales strategies. Many of these companies are choosing STAR-K Kosher Certification […]

What is a Kosher Certification Agency?

A kosher certification agency is an organization of Rabbis, food technologists, and field supervisors with the expertise and resources to execute the Laws of Kashrus. It is responsible for assuring Kosher consumers that food products and ingredients meet all kosher requirements. Once these requirements have been met, a letter of certification is issued to the manufacturer who is then authorized to advertise its kosher status, and display the kosher symbol and promote the product as kosher.

All kosher certification agencies are not identical. It is essential that the kosher certification agency has widespread acceptability so that a product bearing its symbol can be marketed to as wide an audience as possible. The manufacturer can then take advantage of the rapidly growing demand for kosher food.

How to Kosher a Plant: Individual Stories

By: Rabbi Tzvi Rosen

It’s Takke a Taco

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.Ordinarily it is not impossible to substitute ingredients to create an […]

An In-Depth Explanation of the Kosher Certification Process

>Get Kosher Certified
What is certified kosher? STAR-K Kosher Food Certification is a guarantee that food products and ingredients meet all kosher requirements. This kosher certificate also authorizes the manufacturer to display the STAR-K emblem on the product to advertise its kosher status.

The procedure for acquiring kosher certification is relatively simple. Upon receipt of your application, a representative of STAR-K will evaluate your company’s ingredients and products. Then a contract will be drafted, detailing all the requirements and obligations of both parties. All kosher requirements, as well as a list of all your ingredients and products, will be enumerated. Furthermore, the contract will outline the correct emblem authorized for each product indicating each product’s Kosher status. A signed contract guarantees that regular visits will be made periodically by a Rabbinic field representative of the STAR-K. The purpose of the Rabbi’s visit is […]

Taking the Mystery Out of the Certification Process

Star-K Kosher Certification is a guarantee that food products and ingredients meet all kosher requirements. The Star-K symbol has worldwide recognition and acceptability, with its certified Star-K products being sold around the globe. Certification authorizes the manufacturer to place the Star-K emblem on the product packaging to demonstrate its kosher status.

We believe that it is worthwhile to take time to study the different services offered by the many different certifying agencies. Making the right choice, an informed choice because you have asked the right questions, is one of the most important factors in determining whether or not your company receives maximum benefit from kosher certification. We suggest that you take a few moments to read “How to Choose A Kosher Certification,” which will provide you with helpful hints regarding questions you should be asking.

1. No Obligation Application
The procedure for […]

Guideline of the Certification Process

Application requesting kosher certification submitted*

STAR-K contacts applicant to begin the review process*

Applicant provides a list of all ingredients and names of suppliers*

STAR-K reviews data and estimated fees*

STAR-K makes an initial inspection which includes a thorough review of all ingredients, all plant equipment, and manufacturing processes

STAR-K submits a contract proposal outlining all agreed upon terms for kosher certification

After all terms and issues have been satisfied, STAR-K issues a letter of certification, authorizing use of the STAR-K symbol on the products approved

*These are […]

Kosher in Depth

The Jewish religion incorporates within its tenets a regimen of dietary laws. These laws determine which foods are acceptable and conform to the Jewish Code. The word kosher is an adaptation of the Hebrew word meaning “fit” or “proper.” It refers to foodstuffs that meet the dietary requirements of Jewish Law. Market studies repeatedly indicate that even the non-Jewish consumer, when given the choice, will express a distinct preference for kosher certified products. They regard the kosher symbol as a sign of quality.The barometer of Kosher and non-Kosher depends on two variables: the source of the ingredients and the status of the production equipment. Kosher certification, which is the guarantee that the food meets kosher […]

Kosher in Brief: What Is Kosher?

The tenets of kashrus (kosher dietary laws) are rooted in the Written and Oral Torah (the Bible). In the post-Biblical era, the rabbis elaborated upon these laws with explanations, details, and organization. These laws determine which foods are acceptable and conform to the Jewish Code.

The word kosher is an adaptation of the Hebrew word meaning “fit” or “proper.” It refers to foodstuffs that meet the dietary requirements of Jewish Law.

The barometer of kosher and non-kosher depends on two variables: the source of the ingredients and the status of the production equipment. Kosher certification, which is the guarantee that the food meets kosher requirements, revolves around these two criteria.

A common misconception is that kosher reflects the conferring of a blessing on food by a rabbi. There is no truth to this whatsoever. Although Jewish ritual does require the recitation of a blessing prior […]

Shmitta 5761

By: Rabbi Dovid Stein

For over nineteen hundred years the Jewish people have longed to return to Eretz Yisroel, the land of Israel. It is only in land of Israel that we can realize our full potential as a nation; it is only in the land of Israel that the Torah’s blueprint for life can be completely fulfilled. Over the millennia the most important dimension of this longing was the yearning to once again be able to fulfill the mitzvos hatluyos ba’aretz (agricultural laws), the commandments that can only be observed 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 Mitzvah of Shatnes

By: Dr. Avrom Pollak

This article is an attempt to provide a review of some of the pertinent details of the mitzvah of shatnes, to educate consumers so that they avoid purchasing garments containing shatnes, and to dispel many of the myths about certain types of clothing and textiles that do or do not contain shatnes. We hope to reduce the all too frequent instances in which the joy one naturally experiences upon purchasing a new garment is diminished when shatnes is discovered.

Pruzbul

By: Rabbi Mordechai Frankel

Updated August 2022

View / Download PDF of Pruzbul Form Here

Jewish law obligates every Jewish person to cancel, after the culmination of the Shemita year, various types of debt due to him or her. This does not apply to a debt owed to beis din.

If a creditor executes a Pruzbul, he or she is not obligated to cancel debts. A Pruzbul may be executed at any time before the end of the Shemita year. However, since a Pruzbul covers only debts already existing at the time of its execution, it is usually implemented at the very end of the Shemita year, shortly before Rosh Hashana of the post-Shemita year.

When a creditor arranges for the execution of the Pruzbul form below before three men acting as a Beis Din, debts […]

Mitzvos on the Fringe

By: Rabbi Moshe Heinemann

Just as the Torah carefully directs us in the arena of kosher diet, what we can and cannot eat, how food may and may not be prepared, and what foods are considered required eating, similarly, the Torah provides us with a kosher dress code regarding the clothing we wear, what fabrics or combination thereof may or may not be used, how clothing should or should not be worn, and what styles of clothing are recommended. One of the Torah‘s great “how to” mitzvos is the mitzvah of tzitzis. The Torah instructs us to insert specially wound fringes onto the corners of any four cornered garments where the corners surround the wearer.

Good Fences Make Good Home Owners

by Dr. Tzvi White, reviewed by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Star-K Rabbinic Administrator

Home ownership, the American dream. After moving in one hopes it doesn’t turn in to an American nightmare. So many things to take care of; so many things to consider. Utilities, the structure, the appliances – the list is seemingly endless. Dealing with normal home issues is hard enough, just think how many more issues have to be considered in a kosher compliant home. Kosher mezuzas on all entrances. Kosher appliances to make the kosher kitchen user friendly. No trees hanging over the backyard area where the sukkah is to be built. Moreover, does anyone realize that roofs, porches, balconies and landings have to be kosher as well? How do you make a porch kosher compliant? The answer – build a ma’akeh.

What is a ma’akeh?

[...] Read More

2010 Kashrus Training Seminar

Star-K’s seventh annual Kashrus Training Program was held in Baltimore from July 12 thru July 15, drawing a diverse crowd

Native South African Rabbi Jonathan Shippel founded and directed Ohr Somayach in Cape Town, where he built a Jewish learning center, a vibrant congregation, and a Jewish day school. Presently living in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, he is a much sought after international speaker and a senior lecturer for Gateways.

2009 Kashrus Training Seminar

STAR-K’s SIXTH ANNUAL KASHRUS TRAINING SEMINAR DRAWS PARTICIPANTS FROM FAR & NEAR

They came from L.A. and Irvine, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and White Oak, Brooklyn and Great Neck, as well as from Baltimore, Brighton, Chicago, Lakewood, Providence, and as far away as Madison, Wisconsin.

The 26 participants of STAR-K’s sixth annual Kashrus Training Seminar, included rabbonim, kollel fellows, and others serving in klei kodesh who have studied Yorah Deah. The intensive seminar featured lectures by Star-K’s rabbinic staff members, including its Rabbinic Administrator, HaRav Moshe Heinemann, and its President, Dr. Avrom Pollak.

HaRav Heinemann spoke of the intricacies of bishul akum, in a shiur entitled, “Bishul Akum and Ne’emanus of an Akum”. Dr. Pollak discussed practical guidelines for setting up a local vaad hakashrus and gave advice for decisions one faces in doing so, in his lecture, “A Certifying Agency’s Administrative Issues”.

In addition to explaining the various segments of the kashrus industry, sessions covered […]

2008 Kashrus Training Seminar

STAR-K’s FIFTH ANNUAL KASHRUS TRAINING SEMINAR IS WORTH THE TRIP

What do Plano, Texas, Thornhill, Ontario, and Olney, Maryland have in common? They are just some of the hometowns of STAR-K’s fifth annual Kashrus Training Seminar participants.

2007 Kashrus Training Seminar

STAR-K’S FOURTH ANNUAL KASHRUS SEMINAR TO BENEFIT POLISH JEWRY

With the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492, Poland became the recognized haven for exiles from Western Europe, and the cultural and 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. Of the scant 11 percent (369,000) of the Polish Jewish population which 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 that 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 only recently been discovered.

[...] Read More