By Rabbi Sholem Fishbane
Kashrus Administrator of the Chicago Rabbinical Council
When shopping at stores not under complete kosher certification (including the grocery sections), consumers must be very careful that the foods they purchase are certified kosher by a reliable agency or rabbi. Just being found in the “kosher aisle” or on a “kosher display” do not necessarily guarantee that the foods are indeed bear reliable kosher certification. Since most “Kosher” supermarkets employ a staff of Mashgichim, we encourage consulting them when unsure of a product’s Kashrus status.
The cRc would like to inform the kosher consumer of the opening of Chalavi at 2931 W. Touhy in Chicago. All items are Cholov Yisroel (Please ask the Mashgiach in duty what items are Yoshon).
The following Dairy Dips products bear “COR 408 Dairy” symbols where the word “Dairy” is not easily discernible: Baba Ghanouj, Grilled Artichoke Dip, Roasted Butternut Squash Dip, Roasted Red Pepper Dip, Tzatziki. These product labels are being changed to more clearly identify the “COR Dairy” designation.
Whole Fruit Fruit Bars – Coconut Flavor manufactured by J & J Snack Foods, Pennsauken, NJ were mislabeled Kof-K PARVE. The Products Are Kof-K DAIRY.
Brother Kane’s Cracked Pepper w/Salt; and Hot Sauce Potato Chips are OU dairy but the “D” was mistakenly omitted.
Vitner’s Triple Cheese; Hot Wings and Blue Cheese; and Crunchy Curls y Limon Potato Chips bear an unauthorized OU symbol and are not kosher. The products are being withdrawn from the marketplace.
Vitner’s Sour Cream and Onion; Sweet and Tangy BBQ; Salt ‘n Sour; and Louisiana Hot Sauce Potato Chips contain dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the OU dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Packaging is being revised.
Fresh & Easy Rocky Road Ice Cream mistakenly bears an unauthorized OU symbol and is not kosher. The product is being withdrawn from the marketplace
Please be advised that Unico Manicotti and Unico Jumbo Shells made in Italy bear an unauthorized MK (Montreal Kosher) and should not be used.
Please note that Genesis Super Spar has been sold and therefore with immediate effect the kosher sections are no longer under the supervision of the Johannesburg Beth Din
The Vaad of Queens has received inquiries in connection to a Hashgacha in Queens by the name of Kehillah Kashrut of Queens. Please be advised that the Vaad Harabonim of Queens has no connection to KKQ.
Sweetwater Spice Company has several products that bear an unauthorized cRc. None of their products are certified by the cRc. Please contact the cRc at [email protected] if you have seen any of their products in your area bearing the cRc on the label.
Please be advised that Pita Pit bread (in Pomona CA) is no longer supervised by the RCC (Rabbinical Council of California) even when bearing the RCC logo.
Please be aware that Northern Catch Salmon Fillets in Cajun Spice Sauce, Salmon Fillets in Lemon Sauce, Salmon Fillets in Dill Sauce and any other variety, Aldi Inc., Batavia IL: These products mistakenly bear an unauthorized symbol and are not kosher. They are being withdrawn from the marketplace. Consumers spotting these products are requested to contact the Orthodox Union
Rabbi Yoseph Herman reports that the harvest of spring wheat and oats of the Chodosh harvest has begun at of Sunday Aug 1, 2010. There was still no reported harvest of barley. My semifinal estimates for Chodosh starting dates are as follows: Oats-Packing date=Jul 26, purchase date=Aug 9, Wheat (not pasta) Packing date=Aug 9, purchase date=Aug 24, Noodles and Pasta packing date=Aug 16, purchase date=Sept 1, Barley (not malt) packing date=Aug 16, purchase date=Sept 1, Barley malt packing date=Dec 15, Freshly-baked bakery products- Aug 9 in the Midwest, Aug 16 elsewhere. Note that the purchase date refers to the last recommended date for buying packaged foods without the need for checking for a hechsher (where applicable) or without looking at dating codes. Sample Chodosh codes for some oats products: Cheerios and Nature Valley Granola bars: Aug 2 2011, Quaker Oats (hot cereal that you cook, instant or others that you cook): Jan 17 2012
Kashrus Updates from Israel:
Please be careful when purchasing Meshech Cohen Mann Greens to verify the Hechsher as not all bags currently have Rabbi Moshe Vaye’s Hechsher.
The Badatz Eida Chareidis is once again certifying the Angel’s Bakery Branch in Ramat Beit Shemesh, located in the Rama Center. The hechsher covers the entire store, including items made on premises. Please note that the other Angel’s in Beit Shemesh, in the Migdal HaMayim area, is not under the supervision of the Eida Chareidis as many mistakenly believe.(That means, any items purchased that are not in sealed labeled boxes are not under the supervision of the Eida Chareidis).
SHATNEZ ALERTS;
Please be aware that Banana Republic Coats made in China were tested by non-certified shatnez testers and later found to contain shatnez.
Shatnez has also been found in lady’s wool Cinzia Rocca Coats.
Please note that inside the shoulder pads of Sarar Men’s suits from Turkey there are threads running one way that contain a high percentage of linen.
To receive email kashrus alerts, send your name and email address to: [email protected]
Alerts are compiled from Kashrut.com http://www.kashrut.com/Alerts/ , kashrus agencies’ websites; Kashrus magazine; Kosher Information Bureau; Jerusalem Kosher News www.jerusalemkoshernews.com – [email protected], Shatnez Laboratory; and from the Guide to Chodosh (Rabbi Yoseph Herman).
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