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I just got off the phone with the OU, and I want to advise everyone of the fact that the OU is simply not a reliable organization.
There is a product called Dirty Chips sour cream and onion flavor, which carries an OU–not OU-D. In fact, the ingredients state sour cream, and it is almost certainly not batul.
When I called, they were aware of it, and said they has sent an email to their list about it.
Is that sufficient? How about a recall? How can they rely on the fact that they sent an email? Do they do that with neveilah also, or just with basar b’chalav?
Truth is, I’m not very impressed with their other divisions either. Their JLIC arm regularly places and pays the salary for conservative “rabbis” from YCT.
The chassidim are correct- maybe you can’t trust these hechsherim.
Just move to israel, they don’t have the OU there!
If you think the chassidishe hechsherim are better you are gravely mistaken. the chips don’t say parve, so you can’t assume automatically it is parve. You need to use some common sense.
How about a recall?
My guess would be that the OU does not have the power to demand a recall.
In any event, if you’re going to avoid the OU, then you’ll have very few options to eat. The OU not only supervises OU foods and establishments (obviously), but is used by many, many other hechsheirim (both in manufacturing of foods and eateries) for ingredients and such.
just with basar b’chalav?
Oh, please. This is not a case of basar b’chalav — it’s not as if the chips themselves were cooked with meat — they’re still 100% kosher. In addition, very few, if any people, are going to cook their potato chips with meat.
The Wolf
Ummm assuming it is oareve IS common sense……right? It should say pareve….sure like they are going to actually write that its pareve! They dint even do that in Israel!
The chasidishe hechsheirim are machmir on many chumras.
They put out an alert in March.
Maybe they didn’t feel a recall was necessary – it does say “sour cream” on the package.
The product is obviously not pareve, it contains sour cream.
using ou-d on an oviously milchig product is an almost recent change in policy. sort of belt and suspenders. It really shouldnt be necessary. However, now that it is the policy, some people may not bother to read ingredients. Always a mistake. So for such people they should correct it. But it is not something to get very excited about.
done.
Shopping, t here is OU in EY, however, from what I understand it is alot worse then OU America.
Also, it is important to realize that hecherim rely on each other.
most will accept the hecher for an ingredient when approved by most of the others, unless it involves a chumra they adhere to.
The chasidishe hechsheirim are machmir on many chumras.
Yeah they Slap a label on twizzlers and Charge extra for it on a “Chumra”
My guess would be that the OU does not have the power to demand a recall.
If that were true, that would be a much bigger problem than the occasional oversight. They should have a contract with their supervised companies forcing a recall when a serious kashrus concern arises.
The OU not only supervises OU foods and establishments (obviously), but is used by many, many other hechsheirim (both in manufacturing of foods and eateries) for ingredients and such.
Although that’s true, other agencies can pick and choose which products they allow based on OU supervision. The typical consumer is not as well educated as other kashrus agencies to be able to make such distinctions.
This is not a case of basar b’chalav — it’s not as if the chips themselves were cooked with meat —
Correct.
they’re still 100% kosher.
We can nitpick on the term 100%.
In addition, very few, if any people, are going to cook their potato chips with meat.
Agreed. In a broad sense, though, the issur of basar b’chalav includes eating dairy with meat, as well as within six hours (according to each one’s minhag).
Also, aside from bb”c, many are machmir not to eat milk products which rely on the heter of chalav stam, so mislabeling a product is problematic anyhow.
My original limud z’chus still stands, though.
after posting I realized I had fallen right into your trap.
You really are a very clever troll.
Now how many people think that trolling like that is funny and good and how many think it not good?
If that were true, that would be a much bigger problem than the occasional oversight. They should have a contract with their supervised companies forcing a recall when a serious kashrus concern arises.
I don’t know whether it’s true or not. As I said, it was simply my guess. I don’t know enough about the OU’s policies and contracts or the economics behind whether or not the threat a mass recall would cause a company to reconsider whether or not to obtain a hechsher at all.
Also, aside from bb”c, many are machmir not to eat milk products which rely on the heter of chalav stam, so mislabeling a product is problematic anyhow.
I’m willing to bet that anyone who is machmir WRT cholov Yisroel AND looks at the ingredients (the first thing *I* would do if I saw something such as this) would know better than eat this.
The Wolf
The chasidishe hechsheirim are machmir on many chumras.
Yeah they Slap a label on twizzlers and Charge extra for it on a “Chumra”
Parnassah for Yeedin is always a “chumra” that should be upheld. Rav Shlomo Kluger was well known te be Machmir on hand matzos to give Almanos Parnassa.
The Twizzlers with the special heimeshe hechsher comes off a special run with special supervision by the heimishe hechsher. So, yes, even that is a special chumra (contastant kashrus supervision) that many consumers insist upon and willingly pay a premium for. (They could buy the regular Twizzlers, easily, for less.) It is entirely legit and there are other similar examples.
Parnassah for Yeedin is always a “chumra” that should be upheld. Rav Shlomo Kluger was well known te be Machmir on hand matzos to give Almanos Parnassa.
if they want “Parnossa” then make your own licorace. Dont slap a worthless label on twizzlers or Mike and Ike
zahavasdad
It is clearly a different run. They are saving money by just adding a sticker instead of making a whole new package.
And no one is making you eat these twizlers. No one is making you eat any twizlers for that matter. Those who prefer the additional hashgacha are willing to pay for it. They spend money on halchichik hakpados while you spend on narishkeiten.
Vos art du? It is not your money and no one is forcing it on you.
A worthless lable maybe one tha has your name on it, because yuo do no research, thses labels are from peopl who have actually gone out and done something.
You can ask any Rov who knows about Kashruth , Go ahead and ask
What is the difference between the regular Twizzlers and the one with the Sticker
They will tell you NOTHING
Do you think Hersheys changes anything for either run…No its the same everything
Chofetz Chaim-A Lesson a Day. See today’s lesson
I don’t know whether it’s true or not. As I said, it was simply my guess. I don’t know enough about the OU’s policies and contracts or the economics behind whether or not the threat a mass recall would cause a company to reconsider whether or not to obtain a hechsher at all.
I assume that they *can* recall a product if necessary. If I assumed otherwise, I could not rely on the hechsher. They may have to consider whether the company would have otherwise not obtained a hechsher, but that doesn’t mean I have to eat it.
I’m willing to bet that anyone who is machmir WRT cholov Yisroel AND looks at the ingredients (the first thing *I* would do if I saw something such as this) would know better than eat this.
I, too would look at the ingredients of something labeled “sour cream” before assuming it was pareve. But it’s still the OU’s responsibility to label it OU D.
Actually, one of the reasons I would check the ingredients is because these kinds of mistakes happen all the time.
Wolf: Get a grip; being oiver on basar b’chalav d’rabbanan is not a little deal. And it is very likely that someone would.
Why did you include your reply to Wolf in your Facebook message to Dirty Chips?
From a halachic perspective, I just want to point out that waiting between meat and milk is not as chomur as eating them together. For example, there’s no issur of milchig/fleishig pas of a type which would not be eaten with the other min (e.g. dairy cake) although one might eat it within six hours. (That’s one p’shat, another is that bread might actually go into a hot kli rishon and cause an issur d’oraiso).
PBA: You use Facebook? But it’s 100% assur! At the asifa they never said Facebook is ok! Do you know what kind of shmutz can be found there? Don’t you know that dozens of marriages were broken up by Facebook? [/sarcasm]
pba
your choice is fine by me
what you do with your life has no bearing on the rest of us
don’t keep OU but you must agree with the internet asifa?
I just got off the phone with the OU, and I want to advise everyone of the fact that the OU is simply not a reliable organization.
How dare anyone slam the OU. We couldn’t even fathom what our life would be her in the USA without OU, so we must be grateful for the incredible service with which they are serving our community.
Zdad,
One would hope there is nothing different. With the candy. But there is definitely a different run with a mashgiach. That costs. Generally there is not a mashgiach there at all times. The extra time for the mashgiach costs and there are those who are along to pay for that.
But you haven’t answered why you are so bothered. No one is making you eat any twist let alone these. Why are you such a bitter person who thinks anything not done exactly the way you like it is terrible. It is terribly haughty of you to think that you are the be all. And if I may let you in on something, you are quite obviously wrong very often.
“But it’s still the OU’s responsibility to label it OU D.
“
No it isn’t. And popa doesn’t think so either.
being the wife of a mashgiach I must tell you there is a difference.. ou will rely on the standard ‘CIP’- which is the cleaning of machines requird by gov’t.. the chassidishe ba’alei machshir will not rely on this and kasher according to halacha, and have a mashgiach temidi as opposed to ou who show up maybe once a week..
suit yourself.
P.B.A:
1) Why didnt you mention to them the health issue for those that have allergies to milky products?
2) To say the halacha requires to wait 6 hours is a clear mistake. The halacha states a person should wait between meat and milk. period. Then came a discussion how long to wait. The minimum is 1 hour, machmirim wait into the sixth hour and those who are more stringent than that leave a gap of 6 full hours. The 6 hour wait is not halacha but minhag!
3) If the hechsher group were not aware there was milk in the product, does this not make it chashash chalav akum?
Forget about chips that actually say SOUR CREAM on the label; you would have to be from another planet not to know this is DAIRY. I am more outraged that Trader Joe’s is now making their delicious pareve, and allergy-safe (for my granddaughter, who cannot have even traces of nuts) chocolate chips, MILCHIG or produced on milchig equipment. We cannot the Jewish-owned companies’ chips in baking for her, because they are not reliable regarding the exposure to traces of nuts, and are labeled inaccurately.
“But it’s still the OU’s responsibility to label it OU D.
“
No it isn’t.
They have a policy to label all milchig products as such, and a responsibility to follow through.
If there were no such policy, and everyone was on their own, I might agree with you.
And popa doesn’t think so either.
Maybe
Popa-bar-Abba, mistakes happen. This is not so bad — who would assume that sour cream is parev?
Hi Wolf,
What kind of statement is that in that if you are not going to eat OU, you will not have a lot to eat?
That point is irrelevant, at best, to the point PBA is bringing up regarding the reliability of the hechsher.
In fact, there is a big concern in what PBA is saying and it should not be poo pooed.
I heard a speaker from the OU and they have daily issues checking on the validity of their hechsherim with such things as if Rabbis visit the food sites enough, rather than just call in to see if everything is fine.
Additonally, the OU admits to relying, to a degree, our help in notifying them of any concerns we may have about food facilities, packaging and labeling, etc.
A valid point and something to watch out for. All the efforts we put into eating correctly, l’shaim, shemayim, we do not want to ruin it, chas veshalom, by eating something anyway, as you are vaguely suggesting.
For all those who think something is not right and you call the OU…THANK YOU!
I dont know if PBA is trolling or not, but he might have a point, Kashruth is not a Joke and is a serious endevor.
People who engage in Snake oil hashgaches like the worthless label on the twizzlers are not only engaging in genevah by making people pay more, they are engaging in Genevas Daas by fooling people into thinking that there is a big difference between the regular twizzelers and the one with the sticker when almost every Kashruth Rabbi says there isnt.
If we are willing to critize the O-U for not putting OU-D on Sour Cream Chips, we must be willing to critize those who insist on putting a worthless sticker on Twizzlers.
For the record I have banned those products from my house and have asked stores that I shop in not to carry them and if they continue I will buy those products elsewhere.
Am I the only one that realizes that sour cream chips must be milchig? Isn’t it obvious to all?
What kind of statement is that in that if you are not going to eat OU, you will not have a lot to eat?
It’s a statement of practicality.
I expect that if the OP feels that the OU is unreliable, he should not only not eat OU products, but not eat anything/anywhere that relies on OU ingredients. This includes just about every restaurant and other kosher eating establishment in the US, as well as many food manufacturers whose mashgichim provide them with a list of approved products to use (most of which are probably OU certified).
If the OP truly feels this way, I expect him to do due diligence into every product before he buys it to determine if it contains any OU-supervised products. I also expect him to ensure before he goes anywhere to eat that they do not allow any OU products in their kitchens.
Good luck.
The Wolf
Yaff80, there is a machlokes how much one must wait between fleishig and milchig. The overwhelming majority follows the the 6-hours opinion.
I am more outraged that Trader Joe’s is now making their delicious pareve, and allergy-safe (for my granddaughter, who cannot have even traces of nuts) chocolate chips, MILCHIG or produced on milchig equipment.
Outraged? What did they do wrong? Disappointed, I could understand.
actually IIRQ the REMA actually says an hour
PBA-
1. Learn some middos, insulting other peoples learning abilities and an entire kashrus organization is inappropriate.
2. Even if you are correct, and the OU is questionable, going in the coffee room to vent is not the proper venue. I see you say that you called the OU, very nice, but did you speak with your own Rav before labeling the largest kashrus organization in the world treif? Have you ever met anyone affiliated with the OU? I have met several of the rabbeim and asked my questions to them directly, I didn’t hide behind a phone and talk to whoever mans the phones.
” People who wait 1 or 3 are not concerned with those rishonoim, and are merely being machmir within the opinion that you just need to bench and wash again.”
Do me a favor why don’t you go to washington heights, clap on the bima of breurs and tell them that their all over on the aveira of baser vchalov. Then while your at it, why don’t you stop by lakewood yeshiva and tell them the same thing, since Im sure you know they don’t wait a full six hours,
I am no talmid chacham, but one thing i am good at is spotting sincerity. PBA you lack it. You claim to be such a yeira shamayim but you spend your time attacking other Jews in the coffee room. Do me a favor instead of responding this and insulting me by calling me a moron or something, talk to your rabbi or open a sefer and learning something. I know ill be learning for you.
Rescue, the minhag by now is le’hachmir, and it has been so for a long time.
Learn some middos
An interesting intro to a vitriolic post.
Do me a favor why don’t you go to washington heights, clap on the bima of breurs and tell them that their all over on the aveira of baser vchalov.
He said no such thing. He simply commented that they follow certain Rishonim, not others.
Then while your at it, why don’t you stop by lakewood yeshiva and tell them the same thing, since Im sure you know they don’t wait a full six hours
That’s based on a particular interpretation of the shittah of six hours. How do you infer that PBA was disparaging that approach?
You claim to be such a yeira shamayim
I didn’t notice such a claim.
PBA: Laws about allergy information are very severe and explicit nowadays.
The Chasidishe Hashgachos rely on the OU very often. So, if you turn down the OU, everything else comes along.
This story looks to me more like an oversight. Why would you have to disparage the whole organization?
The Chasidishe Hashgachos rely on the OU very often. So, if you turn down the OU, everything else comes along.
That is not exactly accurate. The Chasidishe hashgochos do not accept the OU hechsher for all products. They don’t accept them on certain OU foods that the OU allows certain kulos for, that they don’t accept.
So sometimes one can not rely on the OU for certain food products while relying on the OU for certain other food products, due to different kashrus standards.
Outraged? What did they do wrong? Disappointed, I could understand. “
“Outraged” (kinda tongue in cheek), because the Orthodox Jewish community where I live, has reelied on TJ products and fully supports them. It’s a potch in panim to arbitrarily make such a decision.
It’s kind of how I felt when Duncan Hines went milchig for a while. I sent them e-mails and made calls to complain on the basis of the fact that I would never buy their products again if they were produced on DE, because it would be of no value to me, as I only baked with their mixes for fleishig meals, on the occasions that I needed to use a mix rather than bake totally from scratch. I further pointed out that not only would they be losing money from all the kosher-keeping Jews who felt as I do, but also from the general public, Jew and non-Jew alike, who are lactose intolerant or allergic. Money talks apparently, and DH wisely went back to OU Pareve after a short while and a loss of lots of gelt.
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