(Click on image to view lab results) Last year, Chanukah lighting took a dangerous turn with reports of pre-measured, ready to use lights posing a fire hazard. The plastic, self-contained oil holders were highly flammable and several consumers described all 44 ready to use lights flaring like a torch.
This year, in the weeks before Chanukah, Assemblyman Dov Hikind followed up by purchasing oil products and sending them to New York State’s Department of Agriculture and Markets, Division of Kosher Law Enforcement for testing. “The product I purchased last year, was marketed as 100% olive oil, but it wouldn’t burn. I lit the menorah, came back and it couldn’t sustain the flame,” said Hikind. “It seemed clear that the product was not pure olive oil but was adulterated. Consumers who pay for pure olive oil because they want to do the hiddur mitzvah should not be misled.”
Luzer Weiss, Director of the Division of Kosher Law Enforcement at NYS Ag & Markets, explained the results: “One of the products, consists of individual ‘lights’ which are a jelled, pre-measured substance. It came back from the lab, indicating that it is 18% wax.”
Hikind said, “People need to know that they are not getting what they paid for. Manufacturers should know that we intend to do this on a yearly basis to protect the consumer.”
Yeshivaworld spoke with NY State Kosher Law Director, Rabbi Luzer Weiss, who has informed us that the company which is not 100% pure olive oil – is a company called “Kankanim”. Although it clearly says “Kosher L’mehadrin” on the package, there is no Hechsher on it whatsoever.
Those who are seeking to be Mikayem the Mitzvah with 100% pure olive oil, should not use “Kankanim”.
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30 Responses
Just buy reglar olive oil in the oil section of your supermarket,with hechscher,so you can also use it for salads and cooking.Get virgin olive oil for the best results and not the diluted with other ouls type. If it has an “OU” it is 100% kosher,sometimes better than the so-called ‘chareidi’ hechsherim. All they do is repack the large bottles into small ones and dilute with vegetable or poorer quality olive oil. Cheap candles are wax mixed with water,including shabbos candles.
from a blog:
Sunday, December 02, 2007
CHANUKAH-FRAUD-BEWARE
WE DECIDED TO USE THE “EZ-LITES” WITH THE “AIDA” HASHGOCHA “100% OLIVE OIL.
There were OTHER pre-filled chanukah oil cups that were done in China without a reliable Hashgocha.
The Chinese Company filled it with 10% olive oil and the rest was regular oil. The USA distributor that placed the order was aware of it, as he got a very cheap price.
Cold pressed extra virgin olive oil with an O-U, is kosher, 100% olive oil. It is the first pressing of the olive, and is done without heating them.
That’s the definition of mehadrin. You can buy such oil at your local supermarket.
KAJ GUY – good idea – I do the same.
HOWEVER, if I am not mistaken, it is proper to make a t’nai when purchasing that you are not buying it exclusively for the mitzvah. Otherwise there may be an issue of “huktzah limitzvasah”. Please consult with your Rav, as I am most surely not one!
who says you need “kosher” oil for lighting. I believe that you even use non kosher oil for the mitzvah with absolutly no problem (just dont use it in food)
Yes I had a fire from ready to use lights in plastic holders. The menorah caught fire & I was lucky to walk in. But to be 100% thruthfull I have to mention that in order to “improve” the burnig, which was SWACH, I removed the circle piece that holds the wick in the center. No more plasick holders for me.
The OU assumes that extra virgin olive oil is always kosher. Although this is based on their research, I cannot imagine that you are not better off with one supervised by someone who doesn’t rely on that. Especially since there has recently been found to be extensive fraud in this area. Just Google olive oil fraud. This is besides the motzi shem ra in your post that is not torah or derech eretz. I am saddened that the editor allowed it.
Just purchase ANY brand of EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil from your local supermarket since the kashrus industry says that ONLY extra virgin does not even need a hechsher to begin with. Save yourselves valuable money and give the extra monies to a good tzedoka.
Kol Hakovod to YWN for making us all aware of the story from the start so that those who “had him n’zin” 3 times a day can today feel this simcha b’shlaimus and as their own!
See Aruch Hashulchon YD 114:17-18.
Also
“one of our universally respected Poskim and Roshei Yeshiva holds, lehalacha and lema’aseh, that no hechsher is necessary for olive oil”
It would be more helpful if the results of these test were available a week before Chanuka so that people wouldn’t buy them and then find they got stuck.
Aside from the issue of poorly designed plastic cups, a good idea – for any type of Chanukah candles/oil – is to have a fire extinguisher on hand.
An ounce of prevention, is worth a pound of cure.
A Fraylichin Chanukah.
Chag Urim Samaech.
According to the Havolim blog, fraud is common in the olive oil industry, and unless the machshirim are super dilligent, you really can’t know whether it’s olive or soybean, sunflower, or whatever oil, despite what it says on the label. Furthermore, and despite that, apparently you don’t need a hechsher for olive oil, at least not for eating it.
I second nochamol’s complaint, having purchased a set of kankanim just yesterday.
What is 100% Olive Oil??
If it says 100% Pure Olive Oil why would it not be 100%? I thought when it comes to Olive Oil they cannot mix any other oils with it, unless they state what the other oils are.?
Kosher oil is NOT needed for hadloko.However,one might by mistake use the same oil for cooking.Olive oil,especially extra virgin does not need a hechsher lechatchilla,but is preferable just in case a kashrus problem of illegal mixing happens with non-kosher other oil.Also,refer to last week’s Hamodiah article about this topic.
Olive oil is hiddur mitzvah.
Look In “shevet Halevi” siman kuf mem gimel, where he clearly states that there is no problem using gelled oil even lemehadrin [even though it is necessary to mix in other substances to make it gelled] if you want to see a copy of the tshuvah please email me “[email protected]” and mention in the subject that you want to see a copy of the tshuvah
dear “torahis1”
you are sadly mistaken. a “heimische hechsher” applies stricter standards in kashruth than the large national hashgochos, who are mainly concerned with providing kosher products to as many Jews as possible. the national hashgochos will, therefore, accept many leniencies in order to make this food available. the “heimische hashgocho” who serves a much smaller group, applies a stricter standard (note: he may consult with o-u and others to get the facts).
I was thinking about buying this brand in the past, saw that it was a plastic cup, and passed. I mean, who lights fire in direct proximity with plastic which, generally speaking, is highly flammable.
Kashrus aside, it’s irresponsible, not to mention weird, to package it like that.
I have heard personally from the OU that you should never assume that extra virgin olive oil is not adulterated! Buy only with a reliable hechsher!
After speaking to various people in the kosher industry, it is clear that (especially for oils) the “heimishe” hashgochos almost always are reliant on the OU, OK, etc. Don’t think that because the hashgocho has hebrew letters that it is reliable. Some of the heimishe may have higher standards, but they rely on the OU, Ok etc. do determine what is actually happening at the factory level.
As someone involved in OU Kosher (although I don’t work for them) I can tell you that torahis1 is clueless. It is very rare for the OU to have a full time mashgiach at a factory. Many hiemish almost always do. They will often bring someone with know how with them when doing a factory. Sometimes this will be an OU employee. Someone who blindly eats from any supervision has eaten issur according to everyone. If you mix something that the OU is lenient on with something the Star K is lenient on it is non kosher according to everyone.
I think that rabbi weiss should be more carefull before he is motzi shem ra. the Blue box Kankanim that was sold this year in stores has a hechsher from Beis din of manchester ,
Think Straight wrote:
HOWEVER, if I am not mistaken, it is proper to make a t’nai when purchasing that you are not buying it exclusively for the mitzvah. Otherwise there may be an issue of “huktzah limitzvasah”.
That is only a baya for the remaining oil *in the lamp itself* that was poured for lighting – perhaps for even longer than the zman mitzvah. However the oil that is in the bottle needs no t’nai whatsoever.
A Freilicihn Chanukah!
“I think that rabbi weiss should be more carefull before he is motzi shem ra. the Blue box Kankanim that was sold this year in stores has a hechsher from Beis din of manchester”
Are you joking?
Hechsher?
There is no hechser on it whatsoever.
NY State is a bit smarter than you are. They do research before making a move like this.
AND – if what you say is correct (which it’s NOT) – then you just said Motzei Shem Ra on the Bias Din of Manchester – since they are LYING by saying that it is pure olive oil.
I think YW should let everyone know what a scam the manchester Bais Din was just a part of.
Is that what you are saying?
Please.
Please think – before typing utter stupidities here – and do us all a favor.
yes
I also purchased a set of Kankanim today, and there is a hechsher from the Manchester Bais Din on the top of the box. Does the product’s newfound halachic approbation reflect a change in its composition?
>“The product I purchased last year, was marketed as 100% olive oil, but it wouldn’t burn.
Whats the chiddush? Mi she’omer lchometz shelo yadlik, yomer l’shemen shelo yadlik. 🙂
BTW the pumice olive oil from what I have determined means mixed with vegatable oil BIG TIME!
For the sake of those who prefer to lash out at anything they perceive as being yeshivish than to think about what someone means, I will clarify something I’ve said here many times. If you have a product that requires bishul yisroel (if I wouldn’t write that you would jump on me that maybe the product doesn’t need it) and it is certified by the Star K relying on their policy that a light bulb in the oven is enough, and mix it with a similar OU product that is relying on their policy that turning on the oven via touch-tone phone is enough, both will agree that it is assur since each does not feel that the others leniency is valid. This is not in any way motzi shem ra and neither is doing anything wrong as they each have a right to follow their psak. In this case they are not contradictory leniencies and some may allow you to rely on both, but there are other more complex situations where the leniencies contradict each other. Even in this case, should one really always go with everyones leniencies and ignore all stringencies?
buying the oil doesnt necessarily make it “huktzek l’mitzvah.” only what is left over in the glass that was burning as a lecht falls into the geder.as your local rav anyway. unless you using the ones sold as food (ie the virgin oils sold in the big supermarket) odds are you dont want to use anyway. the taste is lousy by comparison. how do i know? i tried it , thats how. a gantz yur chanuka has a new “flavor ” to it now!!!
I am not sure why Dov Hikind’s actions don’t constitute Malshinus. Going to the Kashrus authorities is one thing. Going to government officials is quite another. Is not foing the mitzvah L’mihadrin really more important than Malshinus? Help me understand what I am missing here.