Kashrus Administrator of the Chicago Rabbinical Council

June 17, 2010

In May 2010 AKO released an alert about Jewish owned American whisky companies. Please click HERE for that alert which now includes updated information on the popular Pappy Van Winkle line of products.

Please note that the cRc no longer certifies Newman Trucking and Trans Tech Logistics.

The cRc is proud to welcome Chicago TailGators – a new kosher caterer in the Chicago area, 3411 W. Dempster 847-343-9170 http://www.chicagotailgators.com      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Please be aware that the RCBC has no association with Prime Caterers who claim to have merged with Blue Ribbon Caterers located on 1363 Inwood Terrace Fort Lee NJ. Blue Ribbon of Fort Lee NJ has been closed and out of business since after Pesach of this year.

The following alert was released today by Rabbi Moshe Vaei Shlita regarding tolyim in tomatoes and fruits. The presence of the tomato worm is primarily of concern in large tomatoes grown in open fields as opposed to those in hothouses and controlled conditions. One should visually inspect the outside of the tomato for signs of a small perforation or pinhole, with special attention to the stem area. At times, they will carve a tunnel [clear in color] under the outer skin. The same creature may be found in potatoes and eggplant as well. Cherry tomatoes should be visually inspected, especially in the area of the stem, and any suspicion should be followed by cutting open the tomato for a visual inspection.

Fruits including nectarines, peaches and apricots should be checked well prior to eating as per “Bedikat HaMazon K’Hallacha (Rav Vaei’s seforim, set of 3), Volume 2 or alternatively in the abridged version as well.To view the rabbi’s original text in Hebrew, follow the link to http://tinyurl.com/245jwrb

Pinati Meat Restaurant – Malcha Mall: Jerusalem, Badatz Beit Yosef reports the Pinati meat restaurant in the food court of the Malcha Mall in Jerusalem is no longer under its supervision.

Winn-Dixie Candy Corn mistakenly bears an unauthorized OU symbol and is not kosher. The product is being withdrawn from the marketplace.

The following Floyds products erroneously bear a Johannesburg Beth Din Hechsher, and are not kosher certified: Floyds Soup Supreme – Cream of Chicken, Floyds Pasta Sauce – Cheese & Macon, Floyds Pasta Sauce – Smoked Chicken & Mushroom, Floyds Sauce – Savoury Chicken, Floyds Sauce – Savoury Meat, Floyds Gravy Supreme – Roast Meat and Floyds Gravy Supreme – Roast Chicken

The Beth Din of Johannesburg would also like to inform the kosher consumer GO-GO-BAR Crispy Wafer in Creamy Milk Chocolate bears an unauthorized Beth Din Hechsher and is not kosher certified.

Pronutro Strawberry and Pronutro Chocolate are incorrectly labeled as pareve under the Johannesburg Beth Din. These two products are Dairy. Bokomo apologizes for the error and corrective measures have been taken.

Recent batches of Dorset Cereals Berries & Cherries Bars and Fruits, Nuts & Seeds Bars, have been mis-labelled ‘KLBD’ (London Beis Din) instead of ‘KLBD D’. They are still Dairy and include ‘unsalted butter’ in the ingredient declaration.

Woeber’s Mayo Gourmet Roasted Chipotle Mayonnaise, contains dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the OU D designation has been inadvertently omitted. Packaging has been revised. The dairy content is insignificant, and therefore is botul (nullified).

According to noted authority on alcoholic beverages Rabbi Shmuel Semelman, who is affiliated with the Jerusalem Religious Council Kashrut Division, there are three categories of Southern Comfort.

• Produced in Ireland, with a hechsher from Badatz Basel and Badatz Beit Yosef. This is ONLY the case if the kashrut symbols are visible on the bottles, which are parve. A special run has been imported with approval via the Jerusalem Rabbinate due to the efforts of Rabbi Semelman, BUT ONLY those exhibiting the hechsherim listed above and they too are parve.
• There is another produced in Ireland, which is “authorized” by the London Beit Din, but it is NOT under the organization’s supervision. This is categorized as dairy chalav akum. (Produced in the USA and bottled in Ireland. This is sold in Israel and in duty free. The alcohol is distilled from whey – DAIRY)
• The third is manufactured in the United States, and it is not authorized, and it may contain non permitted wine. (Produced and bottled in the USA)

Imah Restaurant at 445 Cedar Lane, Teaneck, NJ is no longer under the supervision of the RCBC (Rabbinical Council of Bergen County).  

SHATNEZ ALERTS;

1)  Shatnez was discovered in a “Baby A” children’s vest currently sold in Jewish stores. The content label lists: Main Body: 100% Cotton Trimmings: 51% Linen 45% Cotton 4% Polyester. A wool yarn was used in the shoulder seam.

2) A men’s John Varvatos U.S.A (Mexico) jacket has a 100% linen tag sewn to its lining. There is a Hart Schaffner Marx (U.S.A.) men’s suit whose external fabric is entirely wool and linen with no content label affixed to this suit.

3) The brand name Khari Marcs: Contents Label: 68% Linen, 32% Nylon produced by a Monsey Heimishe company without shatnez, had shatnez added at the last minute by the Chinese company without Heimishe company’s knowledge.

4) We have become aware of another unauthorized non-shatnez label bearing the words All textile materials found NON- SHATNEZ 718-696-7203 International Association of Professional Shatnez Laboratories

This label is absolutely unauthorized. The International Association of Professional Shatnez Laboratories located in Lakewood, New Jersey and its network of shatnez testers takes no responsibility for the non-shatnez status of any garments bearing the above label. The shatnez tester affixing the above label has been servicing the following men’s suit stores in Manhatten, New York: *Bergdoff Goodman * Ermenegildo Zegna * Barneys New York * Brioni *

5) All 100% linen and linen-blend sweaters must be tested! The Elie Tahari linen-blend sweater had shatnez. A wool-blend yarn was discovered in all of its seams.

Shatnez was also recently discovered in these brands of Chinese Linen-blend sweaters: 1] BCBG MAXAZRIA (80% Linen, 20% Cotton), 2] J. Crew (55% Silk 45% Linen), 3] Jones New York Collection (52% Linen, 48% Viscose), 4] Jones New York Collection (53% Linen, 45% Viscose, 2% O.F.), 5] Juicy Couture (70% Cotton, 30% Linen), 6] Khari Marcs (68% Linen 32% Nylon), 7] Lafayette 148 New York (100% Linen)

To receive email kashrus alerts, send your name and email address to: [email protected]

Alerts are compiled from kashrus agencies’ websites; Kashrut.com; Kashrus magazine; Kosher Information Bureau; Jerusalem Kosher News, Shatnez Laboratory; and from the Guide to Chodosh (Rabbi Yoseph Herman).

(YWN Desk – NYC)