According to attorney Chaim Stinger, Coca Cola, the Chief Rabbinate and Tel Aviv Rabbinate are deceiving the public regarding the hechsher granted to Coke Zero. The letter sent on behalf of Shmuel Jubani states Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger Shlita and Tel Aviv Chief Rabbi Yisrael Meir Lau Shlita would like the public to believe all Coke products are kosher.
Being a stickler for kashrus, Jubani inspects what he brings into his home and he is a fan of Coke products. He explains that according to Israel’s kashrus laws, the Coke syrups brought into Israel must be sent to the Rabbanit for inspection and subsequent approval. Only then can a product receive the supervision of a local religious council.
According to Jubani, Coca Cola is permitted to curtail the process and it bypasses the Chief Rabbinate, yet receives the local religious council supervision even though the Chief Rabbinate does not inspect and approve its syrups. He is demanding that the Rabbinate and Coca Cola be compelled to advertise that the product receives a hechsher but does not comply with standard procedures as defined by the Chief Rabbinate.
The Marker, which reported on the legal action, reports the Chief Rabbinate reports the letter arrived on Pesach and as such, they have not had time to study the material. Coca Cola Israel is uninterested in responding.
The information available seems somewhat lacking, not explaining why the action only address Coke Zero and not other products. Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.
(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)
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8 Responses
Isn’t Coke under Rav Landau of Bnei Brak? What does he say about this??
This article unfairly casts aspersions on the kashrus of a well-known product and cries “fire” in a crowded theater, which will adversely effect its sales. Furthermore, it impugns the reputations of both the Rabbanut and Rav Landau shlit”a who both certify its kashrus, while the writer admits that he doesn’t know anything about the basis of the allegations.
Does this seem like a Torahdig thing to do?
Why do Israeli statutes figure into the discussion? If a reliable rav gives a hecksher, who cares if he is a zionist civil servant? This may be about to what extent the government can rely on non-state hecksherim, since while they are more reliable halachically, they are politically unacceptable to the zionist rulers of Eretz Yisrael.
jerusalemteacher – Are you really surprised?
There is alot of biased, opinionated and unsupported shtuss on this site. Neither facts nor derech eretz, nor inyonum of kvod seem to bother a lot of the bloggers here. Just look at it as an entertaining if irritating diversion.
Wolffman- problem is that Yechiel Spira is not just a blogger. He is a investigative kashrus reporter who many consider reliable.
Morality binds us all, but ZviHakohen’s point is exactly correct — I would expect the site itself to exercise greater responsibility than “yenem blogger”.
I remember drinking Coke as a kid in the 70s as did everyone else before it had a hechsher. Apparently Rabbonim had checked it out as far back as the 1930s and found it to be acceptable. All the cokes are now OU certified so this lawsuit would appear to be a bunch of hot air.
I.M., Coke has had a hechsher since 1930.