About a month after Gavaad Bnei Brak HaGaon HaRav Moshe Yehuda Leib Landau Shlita delivered his address regarding the kashrus organization, HaGaon HaRav Avraham Rubin Shlita held a kinus in Kibbutz Chafetz Chaim, gathering hundreds of member of his kashrus agency, explaining kashrus realities under Badatz R’ Rubin, which by the way has replaced R’ Landau regarding the Strauss Dairy mehadrin line of products.

Among the hundreds present for the annual kenos were rabbonim from all over Eretz Yisrael and from out of Israel as well.

HaGaon HaRav Nosson Weinberg read letters of bracha from a number of gedolei hador shlita, including Maran HaGaon HaRav Aaron Leib Shteinman Shlita, Maran HaGaon HaRav Michal Lefkowitz Shlita, the Seret-Vishnitz Rebbe Shlita, HaGaon HaRav David Yosef Shlita and a number of others. He also stated that the popular Milky pudding and many other items usually mehadrin during the year will not be included in the Pesach lineup, since there are problems regarding chametz and stabilizers used, adding while some mehadrin agencies permit their use, R’ Rubin does not.

In a related matter, a two-page notification appears in a number of chareidi publications this week regarding the “mehadrin-min-hamehadrin” certification of R’ Rubin Shlita and the Strauss mehadrin line.

The notice assures consumers that standards remain uncompromising, and this Pesach for example, there is no Strauss cottage cheese and a number of other products, even though some hechsherim do permit their use as ‘mehadrin’ on Pesach, Rabbi Rubin remains uncompromising.

The herd is fed non-chametz food for some time ahead of Pesach, and all areas playing a role in the production of dairy are cleansed of chametz way ahead of the yomtov.

The notification also addresses chalav yisrael, explaining the measures taken by R’ Rubin to ensure all stages of the milking and production are observed, with his team implementing stringencies that far exceed halachic demands. His team adheres to the ruling of Maran R’ Elyashiv Shlita and Maran R’ Wosner Shlita, that mashgichim visit every farm at least once weekly at an unexpected time.

“To dispel any fear caused by those who cast dispersions on the mashgichim”, real-time cameras provide a view of all that take place in the milking areas, as well as recording everything taking place. Rabbi Yitzchak Weinberg explains that mashgichim are indeed present but the use of technology provides additional assurance that there is no compromise, once again, the steps above and beyond to guarantee the highest standards of kosher possible.

“Not just on erev Pesach, but year round, Strauss’ motto is ‘uncompromising kashrus’”.

The cottage and “Ski” cheeses are always mehadrin, “assuring chareidim around the country can find dairy products that suit their stringent kashrus standard”. In addition, Strauss explains that the many many Jews buying the products are uninterested in the mehadrin kashrus benefit as well.

All mehadrin products are manufactured in a separate facility, one that is among the most advanced in the world. “This is not just a separate line, but a totally separate entity – totally set aside from the regular product line. This includes the every stage of production.

(Yechiel Spira – Jerusalem Kosher News)