Reply To: Kids Birthday Party Kosher Lunch Ideas

@Gedol Hador

I was told (by a family member not a rabbi) that the issue was if you buy say a prepared fruit and veggie platter at a non-kosher grocery store you don’t know what else the knife they used to cut up the fruit was used for.

Apparently this topic had it’s own discussion thread back in 2011!

Are you allowed to buy cut up fruits in a non jewish store?

From CRC website:
“Q. Can I buy cut up fruit from a supermarket without a hechsher?
A. Yes, assuming it is pure fruit, and the fruits are the types that do not require special checking or washing to remove insects.”

From OU website:
“I am preparing a picnic. Can I buy sliced watermelon from the supermarket?
The Shach (YD 96:3) cites a concern that a knife often contains a fatty residue even after it has been washed or wiped with a rag. Therefore, if a non-kosher knife was used to cut kosher food, some of the residue on the knife would transfer to the food. Rama (96:1, 4) writes that with regards to fruit, we can assume that the manufacturer or processor has dedicated utensils. Even if the knife is not dedicated to cutting fruit, however, if large quantities of fruit are being cut or sliced, we can assume that whatever non-kosher residue was on the knife was removed when cutting the first few fruit, which are batel (nullified) in the majority of other fruit.
One may, therefore, purchase cut watermelon in a supermarket or in a fruit store. The market would likely have dedicated utensils and in any event it is preparing large quantities of fruit. In a non-kosher restaurant or catered event, however, the fruit would not be permitted because the knives very likely are not dedicated and food preparation switches from one product to the next.”

I’m curious if anyone has heard a LOR or koshrut authority say it’s not okay since most formal opinions point to it being okay, but there seems to be a lot of skepticism as to trusting the ruling.