Comments on: Out Of The Mailbag – To YW Editor (Kashrus Koncerns)

By: theshmoozer

theshmoozer — Sun, 04 May 2008 04:18:23 +0000

re: # 47. Thats one of the dumbest things I have ever read.

re: #49. I called the OU. I asked them specifically what the OU symbol on a bottle of Shop Rite milk meant for someone who is not makpid on chalav yisroel. Their answer? NOTHING. Some companies pay to have a certification, and have it put on as many items as possible.

In short. Kashrus symbols are sometimes used as marketing symbols, cheapening the value of the kashrus symbol.

By: BAS YISROEL

BAS YISROEL — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 23:27:42 +0000

I have spoken to someone who worked for the OU for many years and is extremely knowledgeable about ingredients and processing. He told me that today milk, even if you are not makpid on cholov yisroel, must have a hechshir. Processing and preservatives have changed since Rav Moshe z’tzl gave the heter on cholov stam. So even if you’re not looking for cholov yisroel you still have to check for some kind of a reliable hechsher to make sure that the milk (or milk product) is KOSHER, i.e. the OU.

By: Proud of KAJ-WH TIDE

Proud of KAJ-WH TIDE — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 12:20:22 +0000

47 NOT true

By: avremele

avremele — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 17:06:24 +0000

To #21 etal

For someone who is makpid not to eat cholov stam, it IS cholov akum, or dare i say TREIF.

The same goes for machine matza for someone who is makpid to only use hand matza.

By: canada

canada — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 21:05:55 +0000

Wow. And to think that so many people go to Hotels for Pesach!!!!

By: Shlome

Shlome — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 16:09:24 +0000

#42 – It’s a shame that you choose to speak in a derogatory manner and choose to direct insults at me, especially since you don’t even know me. It just so happens that my concerns and suggestions that I mentioned above (in comment #30) were the result of discussions with very well respected people in Kashrus, and my comments were a summary of their concerns for our spiritual welfare, as expressed by theses respected Rabbonim. It’s not always the Rabbonim who are calling the shots, especially in the large Kashrus organizations. It is a business, and I am sure that business considerations are coming into play. If you have any concern about what you ingest, I suggest you do some objective investigating before disparaging people you don’t even know. Chulenteater – Have another piece of kugel with your chulent and don’t be concerned.

By: kiruvwife

kiruvwife — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 00:42:38 +0000

To # 39. Thank you for your explanation. I don’t feel though that I have full clarity. After reading your post and discussing this further with others more knowledgeable than myself, I have learned that cholov yisroel is clear in the shulchan aruch, not “labeled” as a chumra. From your explanation, R’ Moshe gave a heter based on government regulations…which I understand to mean…it is mutar under the current circumstances…but it is not a chumra to eat cholov yisroel. Maybe I am not clear as to the context of chumra on this topic.
Please correct me if I am misunderstanding.
I was also inquiring as to what the “hamon am” is understanding regarding cholov yisroel.

By: chulenteater

chulenteater — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 21:15:35 +0000

#30 You claim to speak logically, yet you seem to presume that all people have the same low moral standards as you. If you rely on and respect any specific Rav, then you can trust him to be morally objective and not be concerned of making the big buck.

By: theshmoozer

theshmoozer — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:46:22 +0000

Re: Number 19. So what you are saying is that at times the added hechsher adds something and at times it is simply a marketing tool. I’m not looking to pick on “heimische hechsherim”. A few years ago, I asked a national kashrus agency exactly what I should infer from the fact that their symbol appeared on a container of milk bottled under the label of a large regional grocery chain. I specifically asked as follows: I am not makpid to eat only chalav yisroel and would buy the milk without your symbol, is your symbol guaranteeing that there is only cows milk in this bottle? Is this some level up from chalav stam? Their answer was a simple “of course not, we have a contract to supervise their products and this is one of those products that they asked we put their symbol on”. In short it was a merketing tool. The milk did not NEED a hechsher (if one relies on R” Moshe and also drinks chalv stam), the symbol adds NOTHING related to the kashrus of the milk, however the chain feels that having it on the bottle will help sales in some way.

So, the next time you buy a product with 9 hechsherim, the free market principle of caceat emptor (let the buyer beware) should be applied. Ask yourself, am I paying more for this package, which merely adds a sticker with a heimishe name(s), but contains the exact same item, because of the cost incurred with affixing the sticker (the hechsher) while the hechsher adheres to no new standard of kashrus the “regular” hechsher provides, OR am I truly paying for a special run (or special ingredient) which will add another level to the kashrus (bishul yisroel, not made on shabbos any one of a thousand other things one may come up with). If the consumer doesnt ask, you cant fault those in the business who charge!! If we as consumers are dumb enough to pay for nothing, then we will be charged for it. That is the free market system.

By: halavai

halavai — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:40:40 +0000

A Rav once told the story that when he was studying for his smicha, he quickly figured out while learning the halachos of kashrus and Shabbos that when it comes to kashrus, most people are unnecessarily stringent, and when it comes to Shabbos, we would all be shocked and horrified to find that most of us have never kept it properly in our lives. The kashrus keeps getting more and more unnecessarily strict at the expense of too many others.