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Please keep this thread strictly for Kashrus questions and discussions, please see the links below for the appropriate threads on related topics:

All discussions related to TEVILAS KEILIM
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=139258

All discussions related to HALACHA AND TREIFOS
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=11285

All discussions related to INFESTATION, BEDIKAS TOLAIM ETC.
https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=133640

Links to kosher symbol lists. Each list is obviously only as reliable as its source


cRc: http://www.crcweb.org/agency_list.php

KosherQuest: https://kosherquest.org/kosher-symbols/

Approved alcoholic drinks from the Rabbanut.  http://www.jerusalemkoshernews.com/wp-content/uploads/%D7%9E%D7%A9%D7%A7%D7%90%D7%95%D7%AA-%D7%97%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%9D-%D7%9E%D7%90%D7%95%D7%A9%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D.pdf

These are NOT Orthodox: https://sites.google.com/site/nonorthodoxkosher/home (even though some may look legit)


Informative post regarding Kashrus Agencies
Every hashgacha has +&-.


You can also submit any kashrus questions at
https://www.askcrc.org/ask
https://oukosher.org/ask-kosher-question/
https://www.star-k.org/ask-rabbi choose General Consumer Kashrus Questions in the Subject/Topic Dropdown list
https://www.ok.org/contact/ choose Kosher in the Attention Dropdown list


« Last edited by Alexsei on February 10, 2025, 01:09:33 PM »

Author Topic: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread  (Read 1365168 times)

Offline EliJelly

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7280 on: January 14, 2025, 09:14:51 PM »
Are you going to be 5-7x for bakol BY maple syrup?

That's what I currently have at home. If you pasken it's worth trashing it I'll do so no questions asked. I'm not using it very often anyway so probably no need for Bakol.

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7281 on: January 14, 2025, 09:18:26 PM »
That's what I currently have at home. If you pasken it's worth trashing it I'll do so no questions asked. I'm not using it very often anyway so probably no need for Bakol.
I corrected my post, it's more like 2-3x in NY (here the difference is a lot bigger)

But I'm no posek or expert, ask your LOR
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7282 on: January 14, 2025, 09:42:10 PM »
Maple in syrup form is always cooked
May be similar to milk which is pasteurized. It’s perfectly edible raw. It does seem to get much better when cooked so that may make it worse.

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7283 on: January 15, 2025, 05:08:16 AM »
Are you ready to pay 2-3x for BY?
I once asked Rabbi Kuber about GF pasta. The brands with hechsherim I eat were all at least 20 shekel a bag, but there was a whole collection of 8-10 shekel bags with hecsherim I was not accustomed to relying on. I was wondering what the issue was - these are exceedingly simple products made with 100% brown rice. Rabbi Berkovits had said he wasn't sure what the difference was - maybe bugs? - and had sent me to Rabbi Kuber. Rabbi Kuber responded that the lesser hechsherim were meikil on bishul akum, saying it wasn't oleh al shulchan melachim. He said he doesn't understand this at all. So what about the other hechsherim, I asked, they do bishul Yisrael? He says, no, those are raw...
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Echo chambers are boring and don't contribute much to deeper thinking and understanding!

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7284 on: January 15, 2025, 08:12:58 AM »
I once asked Rabbi Kuber about GF pasta. The brands with hechsherim I eat were all at least 20 shekel a bag, but there was a whole collection of 8-10 shekel bags with hecsherim I was not accustomed to relying on. I was wondering what the issue was - these are exceedingly simple products made with 100% brown rice. Rabbi Berkovits had said he wasn't sure what the difference was - maybe bugs? - and had sent me to Rabbi Kuber. Rabbi Kuber responded that the lesser hechsherim were meikil on bishul akum, saying it wasn't oleh al shulchan melachim. He said he doesn't understand this at all. So what about the other hechsherim, I asked, they do bishul Yisrael? He says, no, those are raw...
But maple Syrup isn't raw, I'm trying to find out if any of the heimishe hechsherim are makpid on BY for maple syrup, IIRC bakol's label said BY (which still doesn't mean it's required).

In the old days sardines were never BY, and was consumed by the greatest Tzadikim, but nowadays all heimishe companies say BY on the box

On another note, here chemas yisroel is 3-4x the price of chemas akum, which is very different than CY because it's an halachic exception, however I don't have the power to change the "minhag"
« Last Edit: January 15, 2025, 08:46:11 AM by Alexsei »
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7285 on: January 15, 2025, 08:34:49 AM »
But maple Syrup isn't raw, I'm trying to find out if any of the heimishe hechsherim are makpid on BY for maple syrup, IIRC bakol's label said BY (which still doesn't mean it's required).

In the old days sardines were never BY, and was consumed by the greatest Tzadikim, but nowadays all heimishe companies say BY on the box

On another note, here gevinas yisroel is 3-4x the price of gevinas akum, which is very different than CY because it's an halachic exception, however I don't have the power to change the "minhag"
Wait till you see the price difference between Shechitas Yisrael!

(Jk. But I do wonder why the OU or another reliable org doesn't bring back nonglatt.meat for the Ashkenazim).
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7286 on: January 15, 2025, 08:45:40 AM »
Wait till you see the price difference between Shechitas Yisrael!

(Jk. But I do wonder why the OU or another reliable org doesn't bring back nonglatt.meat for the Ashkenazim).
(My mistake I was referring חמאת עכו"ם / ישראל, gevina is even worse than milk, vs butter is better)
There's a difference between chemas akum and shechitas akum, because with butter they're basically the same product with no special process, must of them have a hechsher as well.

I wonder why the OU doesn't bring back CY ...
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7287 on: January 15, 2025, 08:52:36 AM »
Feelings don't care about your facts

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7288 on: January 15, 2025, 08:58:36 AM »
You need a foaming agent in maple syrup, which is why most agencies say it requires a hechsher. The Scroll K does not.
AFAIK, the chance of a nonkosher foaming agent is pretty low, though it may be chalav stam.

The traditional method of making maple syrup was to hang a chunk of pork fat above the vat. Whenever it begins to foam it hits the fat and goes down while also allowing droplets to fall in. There are producers who use this rational method still today.
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7289 on: January 15, 2025, 09:01:07 AM »
Source?
@moko thank you very informative.

Where is the RSZA that you mentioned @55:38 that עירוי מע"ג האש is the same as אבן מלובן?

(shoutout to dansdeals noted at 56:50)

I don’t get the whole to to about maple syrup. As Rabbi Auerbach noted anything treif is certainly batul.

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7290 on: January 15, 2025, 09:12:36 AM »
(My mistake I was referring חמאת עכו"ם / ישראל, gevina is even worse than milk, vs butter is better)
There's a difference between chemas akum and shechitas akum, because with butter they're basically the same product with no special process, must of them have a hechsher as well.

I wonder why the OU doesn't bring back CY ...

The OU could make every factory in the USA Chalav Yisrael to Israeli standards if they would just add video cameras. But they won't .
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7291 on: January 15, 2025, 09:14:35 AM »
The OU could make every factory in the USA Chalav Yisrael to Israeli standards if they would just add video cameras. But they won't .
Are you referring to Israeli Rabbanut standards?
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7292 on: January 15, 2025, 09:18:19 AM »
May be similar to milk which is pasteurized. It’s perfectly edible raw. It does seem to get much better when cooked so that may make it worse.
https://www.star-k.org/prev_questions#:~:text=Is%20there%20a%20prohibition%20of%20bishul%20akum,it%20is%20not%20normally%20eaten%20raw%20without



 I am thinking of taking my kids to a "maple sugaring" event. One of the things offered is tasting the maple syrup when done. Is there a prohibition of bishul akum on maple syrup? Although it is edible when it comes out of the tree, it is normally cooked in order to concentrate it, and it is not normally eaten raw without this cooking. If there is no bishul akum, are there any other kashrus issues involved?
: The prohibition of bishul akum does not apply to foods which are sometimes eaten raw. I am not sure to what extent maple syrup is eaten raw. However, there is another reason why bishul akum does not apply here. Maple syrup is not eaten by itself but is just used to give taste to a dish, and is therefore not called ‘oleh al shulchan malochim’ (it is not served by itself at a prestigious meal). Pouring maple syrup over food is no different than sprinkling sugar, and there is no bishul akum by sugar. For this reason, there is no problem of bishul akum with maple syrup. Having said that, there may well be other kashrus concerns with the equipment that they are using to cook the maple syrup. עי' בספר חלקת בנימין סי' קיג ציון סא שהביא סברא זו משו"ת טוב טעם ודעת מהדורא תנינא סי' רכ"ה ושו"ת שואל ומשיב מהדורא ג' סי' ר"ל ושו"ת בית שלמה סי' קע"ח


https://vermontmaple.org/how-maple-syrup-is-made

Raw maple sap is edible but is not a product typically eaten in that form and not very tasty or sweet. Sugar content is about 2% so it is above shishim but not a strong taste at all. It is made into syrup by distilling out the water.
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7293 on: January 15, 2025, 09:45:25 AM »
The traditional method of making maple syrup was to hang a chunk of pork fat above the vat. Whenever it begins to foam it hits the fat and goes down while also allowing droplets to fall in. There are producers who use this rational method still today.
As far as I know there are no mainstream producers that do this anymore. If there are I can't imagine it's a halachic miut.
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7294 on: January 15, 2025, 09:49:28 AM »
As far as I know there are no mainstream producers that do this anymore. If there are I can't imagine it's a halachic miut.

There are some boutique/gourmet/organic ones that do. I got some in a holiday gift from a non Jewish company that boasted about it
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7295 on: January 15, 2025, 10:39:24 AM »
Sugar content is about 2% so it is above shishim
What difference does that make?
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7296 on: January 15, 2025, 11:17:45 AM »
The OU could make every factory in the USA Chalav Yisrael to Israeli standards if they would just add video cameras. But they won't .
I disappear for a few hours and can't catch up....
On this comment specifically,  I disagree simply based on how dairies operate. They're collecting milk from dozens, if not hundreds of farmers , most of whom the hashgacha has absolutely no relationship with.
Re: all the Bishul akum discussion, I'll post  marry memos shortly.
Re: the maple syrup, I've down some pretty extensive research and visited over almost 2 dozen sugar houses (mostly in VT, NY and MA). The defoamer is always batul. It's not essential to the actual product but rather to prevent an enormous mess and make production impossible therefore it would be hard to argue that it's maamid. Regarding BY for maple syrup, the raw sap is fully edible but doesn't taste nearly as good. The cooking process is simply removing water to condense.yhe sugar. Not saying that's a reason to say it's nechal chai but possibly a sevara.
Although I haven't seen this issue, friends have told me that the bottling is a bigger issue
 The season is only a few weeks (above freezing days and below freezing nights- although there are some new process to increase production without those constraints) therefore a smaller maple bottler (most sugar houses contract out for bottling or simply sell their sugar to large conglomerates) will be looking to utilize his hot bottling equipment for other projects during the off season.

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7297 on: January 15, 2025, 11:53:31 AM »
What difference does that make?

That it possibly gives taste as opposed to being entirely tasteless goo more practical than halachic.
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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7298 on: January 15, 2025, 11:55:51 AM »
https://www.star-k.org/prev_questions#:~:text=Is%20there%20a%20prohibition%20of%20bishul%20akum,it%20is%20not%20normally%20eaten%20raw%20without



 I am thinking of taking my kids to a "maple sugaring" event. One of the things offered is tasting the maple syrup when done. Is there a prohibition of bishul akum on maple syrup? Although it is edible when it comes out of the tree, it is normally cooked in order to concentrate it, and it is not normally eaten raw without this cooking. If there is no bishul akum, are there any other kashrus issues involved?
: The prohibition of bishul akum does not apply to foods which are sometimes eaten raw. I am not sure to what extent maple syrup is eaten raw. However, there is another reason why bishul akum does not apply here. Maple syrup is not eaten by itself but is just used to give taste to a dish, and is therefore not called ‘oleh al shulchan malochim’ (it is not served by itself at a prestigious meal). Pouring maple syrup over food is no different than sprinkling sugar, and there is no bishul akum by sugar. For this reason, there is no problem of bishul akum with maple syrup. Having said that, there may well be other kashrus concerns with the equipment that they are using to cook the maple syrup. עי' בספר חלקת בנימין סי' קיג ציון סא שהביא סברא זו משו"ת טוב טעם ודעת מהדורא תנינא סי' רכ"ה ושו"ת שואל ומשיב מהדורא ג' סי' ר"ל ושו"ת בית שלמה סי' קע"ח

I don’t have a חלקת בנימין in front of me but it looks like he suggests that the שואל ומשיב is of the opinion that a תבלין doesn’t require BY R’ Falk in his tshuva quotes that exact שואל ומשיב as one of the poskim that are of the opinion that the issue does apply

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Re: Kosher, Kashrus and Hechsherim Master thread
« Reply #7299 on: January 15, 2025, 02:33:41 PM »
FDA officially bans Red No. 3
https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/15/health/red-dye-no-3-ban-fda-wellness/index.html

What impact will this have on Kashrus?