Thursday, July 28, 2011

Not only organic produce is infested

All organic produce and fruit is to be considered infested.

Blueberries Organic or from small farms are infested
Corn on the cob & strawberries are all infested.
Corn OnThe Cob, all kernels must be removed & rinsed.
 Strawberries must be peeled completly or washed well & pureed to a liquid.
Cabbage is muchzuk in insects.
Red cabbage has less but it does have.
Iceberg Lettuce is muchzuk.

Corn on the COB is infested

Corn on the COB is infested. Why are the Lakewood kosher stores selling it without notifying the customers that you must remove & rinse the kernels from the cob? Profit!


Strawberries must be peeled as they can't be cleaned from the insects. Why are the Lakewood kosher stores selling it without notifying the customers that you must peel the entire berry prior to eating.

Frozen ones with hashgocha, must be pureed prior to using.

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

UPDATE: PORK spare ribs?

After Moshiach the Chazir that will become "muttar", will it become a "maaleh-gairah" or todays chazir will become muttar?
It will become a "maaleh-gairah" as todays' chazir [we don't need moshiach to be mattir it] too many rabonim did it already.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

Don't use any Frozen spinach, Hefsid merubah "Heter" is not acceptable!

Kashrus alert:
Re: Frozen Spinach & infestation. The only time spinach is at a low level of infestation is when the weather is cool & dry. That is usually in late March (in NJ). After that, it's just too late in the season. This year the NJ Spinach was picked the for the kosher market in May/June.
The question is just how badly infested was the product.


The infested water is recirculated onto the product.
From a practical point of view, it's not a clean product that one should consider using it, regardless of the name on the package.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Hydroponic Greenhouse "Is it insect free?" NO!

Hydroponic Greenhouse Supplies NYC Grocers "Is it insect free?" NO!

NEW YORK  Gotham Greens, which operates a hydroponic greenhouse facility on the rooftop of an industrial building in Brooklyn, announced that it has started harvesting and delivering pesticide-free vegetables and herbs to New York food retailers, including Whole Foods Market, FreshDirect and D'Agostino's.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Making a Simcha (wedding, etc) in Lakewood?

If you are making a Simcha (wedding, etc) in Lakewood, by some of the caterers you may need your own  mashgiach by all of the cooking etc. You must instruct the mashgiach what his job is, that he is working for you the Baal simcha.

Some have freezer stock, especially for the shmorg which you'll never know what it is.

You must make sure it's in the contract you sign with the caterer, that you will a mashgiach of your own choice & that everthing will be prepared fresh under the direction of the mashgiach.

Deadly puffer fish sold as salmon kills 15

The redish color fish is not an indicator of its kosher status.
The Puffer fish is dyed to look like salmon.
Rock salmon (Shark family) is dyed to look like salmon.

Associated Press , THE JERUSALEM POST Aug. 23, 2007

Unscrupulous vendors in Thailand have been selling meat of the deadly puffer fish disguised as salmon, causing the deaths of more than 15 people over the past three years, a doctor said Thursday.

Although banned since 2002, puffer fish continues to be sold in large quantities at local markets and restaurants, said Narin Hiransuthikul of Bangkok's Chulalonkorn University Hospital.

"Some sellers dye the meat of puffer fish and make it look like salmon which is very dangerous," Narin said.

The ovaries, liver and intestines of the puffer fish contain tetrodotoxin, a poison so potent that the US Food and Drug Administration says it can "produce rapid and violent death."

The fish is called fugu in Japan, where it is consumed by thrill-seeking Japanese gourmets for whom the risk of poisoning adds piquancy.

Jaffa Oranges at Shop Rite

Jaffa Oranges at Shop Rite? yes. Many times someone removes the stickers "Jaffa", therefore don't buy any unstickered oranges.

Does your beef shechita comply with the Shulchan Oruch?

Update: We spoke to Skver Hashgocha re: Solomon/Fishels, they are trying to get a waiver from the USDA.
Re: Alle, We wrote to the Rav Hamachshir 3 times & did not receive ANY response.

We may not leave the animal or it's lungs by the Goy prior to it being inspected by the Bodik chutz. Even "bi'dieved it's not permitted, if that is the normal standard way it's considered a "mai'zid".
שולחן ערוך יורה דעה סימן ל"ט סעיף י"ז, ש"ך מ"ג-

Genearlly in the slaughter houses the USDA inspects the lung before the bodek chutz, which is "ossur". Check with your Rav Hamachshir to ascertain what is the heter? and yet more why aren't the kosher consumers made aware of this fact.

We think Rinse N Chill may have to be instuted in a more controlled method.

Friday, July 15, 2011

מכשול כשרות חמור* מצווה לפרסם

*מכשול כשרות חמור* מצווה לפרסם

הערב השתתפתי בסעודת ש"ב לחבר, שאורגן ע"י חברים מהישיבה. החברים דאגו להכל בעצמם ובין השאר קנו לחמניות וסלטים.

הסלטים כולם של חברת שטראוס -אחלה- בין הסלטים היה סלט חדש של אחלה סלט "צזיקי"! סלט מוכר מבחינה ביתית אולם חדש מבחינה תעשייתית. לא נמכר עד היום. הסלט היה ממש מוצלח יותר מהמקור "בבית".


באמצע הסעודה הגביה אחד המשתתפים את אריזת המוצר "בסלטי אחלה, גם המרכיבים גם ההכשר הכל על מדבקה מלמטה"


הבן אדם קורא מה כתוב ומזדעזע. (זעזוע בעולם החרדי) הסלט שמוכר שמורכב ממיונז, מתגלה שהוא טעים מהמקור משום שהוא מורכב מגבינות יוגורט (חלב ושמנת). הוא פשוט חלבי!!!. ונמכר בין שאר סלטי החברה בין שאר סלטי כל החברות.


מייד בדקנו האם מופיע על האריזה מקדימה המילה חלבי. ואכן מופיע אולם כלל לא בולט. וכלל לא כפי הנהוג אצלינו סימונים בולטים כשמדובר במוצר חלבי. צרכן רגיל לא חולם לראות במקררי הסלטים בצרכניות ובסופרים בין החומוס והטחינה החצילים למינהם ושאר הסלטים, סלט שהוא חלבי? אולי הוא אמור להימכר כעוד סוג של גבינה על מדפי מקררי הגבינות ולא בסלטים הפרווה.

במקרה שלנו מנה הראשונה היתה על טהרת הפרווה. אולם ישנם אירועים שמנה ראשונה בשרית, ואפילו דגים (חמירא סכנתא)

שלא לדבר על סעודות שבת בבית שבן אדם עלול לטבול חתיכת חלה לאחר מנה בשרית במטבל המדובר....

לדעתי על גוף הכשרות לשנות דרסטי את האריזות. כמו כן מצווה גדולה לפרסם. ובעיקר מי שיכול להכניס ל"יתד נאמן"



Monday, July 11, 2011

Rav Eliyashev, Shlita says that in todays' society a מומר לתאבון is a "mumahr li'hachis"


מומר לתאבון  is to be considered a מומר להכעיס. See Rav Eliyashev's teshuvah in

חלק ג' סימן ק"ט.Therefore a מחלל שבת is to be considered a מומר להכעיס.

Posek Hador-Final "PSAK" Re: Fish anisakis

Rav Eliyashev recently told Reb Yudel Shain "one may not rely on  that certain American Rav's  HETEIRIM including the heter of the operated cows that they aren't a treifah". Rav Eliyashev said further the cows are to be considered a treifah & anyone farm that doesn't remove them from the herd, you may not use the milk as it's "cholov Treifah". Rav Eliyashev would like to tell this personally to the "OU" and their Poiskim.Rav Eliyashev said the reason he addresses it as "heteirim' not a psak is because that Rav's Heteirim are based on flawed facts & flawed Halacha.

Friday, July 08, 2011

surveillance cameras on Shabbos?

Surveillance cameras on Shabbos?
When the cameras were installed by the Weinstein shul, they were in touch with Rav Eliyashev, shlita & the psak was very straight forward "all of the different types are OSSUR, even if the recording is off".

Other shuls & Yeshivas in Lakewood keep theirs on during shabbos. Others may want to daven & learn in other places.

Note: Some claim that all of their cameras are off, when actually only a few are off. while most of the other ones are on.

A great help in learning the Sugyahs in Chulin

Thursday, July 07, 2011

Humor in Kashrus

Subject: New Hashgochos -Humor rime!

Robitussin and Triaminic syrups: to be supervised by the Cough-K.
(On a serious note: robitussin is not Kosher & has an ingredient that's dangerous and can cause G-d Forbid a stroke).

Shtaros for Heter Iska:  supervised by the O.U.

Corrals for cattle: supervised by the O.K.
Safrus and Divrei Sta"m: to be supervised by the Torah-K

Architectural designs: supervised by the Badatz of Square and the Triangle-K
European Cars: to be supervised by the Volovo Rav

Raw Eggs in the shell: to be supervised by the Yoka Rav
Super-Glue: to be supervised by the Hisachdus

Alarm Systems: to be supervised by the Bais Din of Belz
Cardiac Hospitals: to be supervised by the Heart-K

Jewish Celebrities: to be supervised by the Star-K
Medications: to be supervised by the Tablet-K

Precious gems: to be supervised by the Diamond-K

Monday, July 04, 2011

Palm oil labeling

Asia Pacific-Industry slams Australian palm oil bill-By Ankush Chibber, 01-Jul-2011

An Australian bill requiring palm oil to be explicitly labelled has come in for harsh criticism from food industry representatives, after it was passed by the Senate last week.