Working as a full-time mashgiach is an exciting yet complex job, and COR – Kashruth Council of Canada has released a video to show consumers just how much effort is involved.

COR Senior Mashgiach Rabbi Brogna is featured in the 16-minute video which gives viewers a behind-the-scenes look at a typical day in the life of a mashgiach.

In the video, Rabbi Brogna shows off the wide variety of tasks that he may be required to do on any given day, from performing hafrashas challah (separating challah), to taking new equipment to be immersed at the mikvah, to checking produce for insects, to verifying that all ingredients on-site bear acceptable kosher certification.

A highlight of the video shows Rabbi Brogna checking herbs for bugs at a COR-certified shawarma restaurant.

After demonstrating the lengthy process involved in checking one head of coriander for bugs, Rabbi Brogna explained that a busy restaurant may require 200 heads of coriander to be washed and checked per day.

“You always have to put in perspective how many hours a day it actually takes to properly ensure that produce is bug-free,” said Rabbi Brogna. “We don’t want any of our COR consumers eating insects. Eating an insect is like eating non-kosher meat – it has the same status. It takes hours to (check produce) properly. A mashgiach could literally be checking vegetables for 5, 6 or 7 hours a day and that can be his main responsibility.”

COR employs over 70 part-time and full-time mashgichim who work in local food service and catering venues, plus approximately 30 mashgichim worldwide who supervise COR-certified manufacturing plants.

Rabbi Tsvi Heber, COR’s Director of Community Kashrus asserted that this video is a tool for the public to better understand how a mashgiach conducts his duties.

“It’s important for people to see this video so they can appreciate the dedication of the hard working mashgichim who certify their food,” said Rabbi Heber. “People should appreciate the level of professionalism that is required by a mashgiach, whether in dealing with the Jewish community in answering their questions or dealing with proprietors of all different backgrounds. As Jews we believe in the aphorism ‘you are what you eat,’ so it’s important to see the sacrifice of the mashgichim who uphold our holy laws of kashrus.”

(Chavi Fine – YWN)