Passover AlertsAqua Farms
Premium Atlantic Salmon
Good Food S.A - Santiago, Chile
This product was included in the OU Passover Directory as acceptable for Passover without special certification. The salmon is acceptable for Passover. The enclosed salmon seasoning packet contains kitniyot and shouldn’t be used on Passover.
Quinoa is fine for Pesach from Ancient Harvest company. It should be checked visually for other grains before Pesach. Sugat/Osem brand is fine without checking
King Star Foods Chicken Flavor Sour from Israel bears an unauthorized OU/P sticker. It is not certified for Pesach
Due to worm infestation, the Star-K does not recommend whole sardines from Portugal, Norway, Scotland and Poland, even when bearing a reliable kosher certification. The skinless, boneless variety have not been found to have worms and are acceptable with reliable kosher certification. Whole sardines from Morocco and Philippines do not have an infestation issue.
Jaffa Gold apple nectar, Primor orange nectal were found in South Aftican stores with OU/P stickers. The OU does not certify these products for Pesach.
Smart & Final cannot be purchased from for a few weeks after Pesach because it is Jewish owned and does not sell its Chametz.
* In Eretz Yisroel, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (the leading international authority on Halacha - Jewish law) “paskined” (came to a Halachic ruling) that since the city of Eilat is Halachically considered to be outside of the boundaries of ancient Israel, anyone spending Pesach there must keep two Seder nights, just as any other Jew in Galus (exile).
Smart & Final cannot be purchased from for a few weeks after Pesach because it is Jewish owned and does not sell its Chametz.
* Be careful to check packages of Kosher for Pesach items for the Pesach certification. Some non-Pesach Kosher products have similar packaging to those products that are Kosher for Pesach and can be easily confused.
* D’vash Mafrichei Bar “pur honey” bar code 073640002116 with the label “kosher for Pesach Machzikei Hadas Belz is not certified by that kashrus agency and is not recommended for Pesach
*Wissotsky Iced Tea bears an unauthorized “Kosher for Passover” statement and is not kosher for Pesach.
* Balil Vegetables – Artichoke Bottoms, Green Fava Beans, Baby Okra are not certified by the O/U for Pesach
* Redmond RealSalt Organic Natural Onion salt, Organic Natural Garlic salt and Season salt bear an unauthorized O/Up.
* Caution should be used when purchasing a Kosher for Pesach product with only a sticker stuck onto the label rather than being printed on the label. It is usually best to check such products to verify their Pesach status.
* In the past, many felt that raw pecan nuts were always acceptable for consumption on Pesach. However, this is no longer the case and nuts must be checked annually for updated information.
* The Lactaid enzyme is a problem for Pesach.
* Caution should be used when buying Matzos to be sure that they are not in the category of “Matzah Ashira”. Some examples of this are Manischewitz White Grape Matzo, Grape Bit Crackers, Egg matzo, Egg matzo Crackers, Egg matzo Snack Bits, Chocolate Covered Egg Matzo and Tam Tam crackers. These items are only permissible for the elderly, ill, or young children who are not able to properly digest regular Matzah.
* FMV Brand Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz.) were mistakenly labeled O/Kp. They are Kosher and pareve for year-round, but NOT for Pesach use.
* Bamba Snacks from Osem in Israel is made with corn and peanuts. This product is considered Kitniyos
* The Kof K provides its Kosher certification to all products manufactured by Joyva for year-round use EXCEPT for Passover. The Kof K does not certify or supervise anything manufactured by Joyva as Kosher for Passover because of their use of cornstarch and corn syrup in their production. The Kp on the Passover run is under the certification and supervision of Rabbi Sheinkop.
* This year the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel (Rabbi Shlomo Amar) has joined the Badatz in banning commercial production and sale of Kosher for Passover cumin. This is due to the fact that cumin, which is imported to Israel from the Far East, often includes traces of wheat and oats. One should purchase cumin only with a reliable hechsher for Pesach.
* Many Kitniyos products in the market are certified as Kosher, especially from France and other European countries. These Kitniyos products are often in the form of candy. Many of these products will say “LeOchlay Kitniyos”, but not all, such as Affula Sunflower Seeds etc., which is stamped “Kosher for Pesach.” These are meant only for those Sephardim who have the Minhag to eat Kitniyos.
* Wal Mart dates from Israel bear the Hashgacha of the Chug Chasam Sofer and the O/Up and do not have any Shmitta issues.
* Listerine Mouthwash (all flavors in U.S. and Canada) do not contain a Chometz alcohol. They are strictly corn based alcohol.
* Sukar Light artificial sweetener must state Kosher for Passover on the original packaging, not on an added label.
CLARIFICATION: The difference between the two types of Ko-Sure Hot Chocolate Mixes. One - Instant Hot Cocoa Mix has the Star-Kp and is Kosher for Pesach. The other Kos-Sure Chocolate Mocha Mix (also under the Star-K) is NOT Kosher for Pesach.
March Pesach Tours
3/2 – Anshei Emes - 7pm
3/ 3 - Gelsons Sherman Oaks - 7pm
3/4 - Gelsons Century City - 7pm
3/ 7 - Lucky's Los Altos - 9:30 am
3/ 7 - Molley Stones - 1pm
3/ 8 - Ralphs Van Nuys - 7pm
3/ 9 - Ralphs La Jolla - 7 pm
3/ 11 - Gelsons Tarzana - 7 pm
3/ 16 - Ralphs S. D. Montezuma – 7 pm
3/17 – Rabbi Horowitz Encino – 7 pm
21 - Young Israel Century City – 9:30 a.m.
FROM KOSHERSTARBUCKS.COM
• Due to a new product being market tested, we no longer recommend any frappuccino beverages in the following areas.
• Dallas, TX
• Austin, TX
• Atlanta, GA
We hope to have more information soon.
FROM THE OU
• DeFranco’s Espresso Secrets
Brands: DeFranco’s
Products: Espresso Secrets
Company: Chocolate Fantasies, Inc. Oak Brook, IL
Issue: Product Bears an unauthorized OU. Consumers spotting this product are requested to contact the Orthodox Union at 212.613.8241 or via email at kashalerts@ou.org
• Bazzini Assorted Swedish Fish
Brands: Bazzini
Products: Assorted Swedish Fish
Company: A.L. Bazzini Co. - Bronx, NY
Issue: This product bears an unauthorized OU symbol and is being withdrawn from the marketplace. Consumers spotting this product are requested to contact the Orthodox Union at 212-613-8241 or via email at kashalerts@ou.org
• Brands: Various brands including: Richfood, Jewel, Shaw’s, Flavorite, Shop ‘N Save, Acme, Cub, and Albertsons
Products: Instant Oatmeal Fruit & Cream Variety Pack
Company: Supervalu- Chanhassen, MN
Issue: This Supervalu product contains dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be revised.
• Certain products from Alei Katif grown in California, have been found to be infested with a type of infestation that rinsing and washing the product will not help. Consequently, we advise the public to refrain from using the mentioned brand from California until further notice.
• Safeway stores in the U.S., including the Dominick’s Stores in the Chicago area, sell a full line of products under the “Eating Right Kids” brand, including a line of flavored vitamin enhanced waters. The shrink over-wrap of the Fruit Punch flavor mistakenly bears an OU as this particular flavor is not kosher due to the grape juice content. All other flavors of the flavored vitamin enhanced waters under the “Eating Right Kids” brand are kosher when bearing an OU on the label.
FROM THE STAR-K
• Electrolux & Frigidaire freezers with Sabbath Mode features are not certified by Star-K. We urge consumers whenever purchasing new appliances to either check our website http://www.star-k.org/cons-appl.htm or call our office at 410-484-4110.
FROM THE NEW SQUARE RABBINICAL KASHRUS COUNCIL
• BEST SQUARE is not under the supervision of our Beis Din and we take no responsibility for the Kashruth of any products being marketed under the above mentioned label.
New Square Rabbinical Kashrus Council
Rabbi Shmiel Gruber
Kashrus Supervisor
nsqkosher@thejnet.com
FROM THE RCC
• Boca Restaurant on Ventura Blvd in Van Nuys is a Meat restaurant and certified by the RCC.
• Mocha Restaurant is a dairy café and is NOT certified by the RCC
• Following bakeries are certified Yashan and Pas Yisrael for the current Chodosh season:
Classic Le Palais
Renaissance
Schwartz
Unique
• Following non-retail bakeries are Pas Yisrael:
Ara-Z Lavash
Glendale Fine Bakery – Only Barbary
International Pita
• With best wished for a year of health, peace and happiness for one and all, RCC Kashrut Department
FROM THE OK
• Please be advised that within the next four weeks Post Cereal has elected to discontinue with the Pas Yisroel status of all their cereals. All Pareve Post cereals that will be found on the shelves of stores and supermarkets for the next four weeks from the date of this notice (except Great Grains, Shredded Wheat and product of Canada, which are not Pas Yisroel) will have been produced under the Pas Yisroel program. OK KOSHER CERTIFICATION cannot accept responsibility of the Pas Yisroel status for any products purchased after this date
• Please be advised that OK does not certify any TASTI-D-LITE Stores. Only the powdered ice cream mix in closed container is kosher dairy.
• OK Kosher no longer certifies Mediterranean Pita Bread LLP, makers of Fattal's Pita Break due to violations.
TALIS ALERT:
Some time ago, the Eida Chareidis [and others] began warning the public of an influx of bogus Judaica, including items such as shofarot and tzizit. YWN recently published a similar alert from R' Moshe Flumenbaum, of HaSofer, adding the problem of gidden to the list.
In line with these warnings, one may now find a tallis for sale in Eretz Yisrael for NIS 10, significantly less than a kosher tallis can possibly sell for. One tallis manufacturer quoted by Kikar.net reports the cost of a kosher tallis well exceeds the retail price, which should be a signal to consumers as well.
It appears that "thousands of Chinese" have been taught the art of tying tzizit and they are manufacturing posul talleisim which are flooding the marketplace.
Israel Alerts
• Tnuva’s New Mehadrin: Tnuva has united most of its mehadrin hechsherim under one new symbol, bringing Tnuva rav, Rabbi Ze’ev Whitman, HaGaon HaRav Mordechai Gross, Badatz Belz-Machzikei Hadas and Badatz Chug Chatam Sofer Bnei Brak under one umbrella logo.
• Moshiko Grape Soft Drink Barcode 7290011977795, produced under the Taaman Company name, is marked “kosher under the Shomron rabbinate”. This claim is fraudulent. The product has no kashrut supervision.
• Ateret Mehadrin – New Unauthorized Hechsher A new unauthorized hechsher has entered Yerushalayim, the Badatz Ateret Mehadrin, found by a JKN reader in the Old City, in the Shwarma Bar..
• Classy Leket Vegetable Mix: Barcode 7296073108344 – According to Rav Moshe Blau, who heads the Aravah Region Religious council, the product mentioned, which is distributed exclusively by ShuferSal, is marked as “kosher under the Aravah Regional Council Rabbinate” (Heter mechira, mehadrin fresh bug-free vegetables) are actually not under the religious council
pertaining to their claim of being bug-free. In addition, no heter mechira item can be marked mehadrin.
• Aminach Mattresses: The Aminach company is advertising mattresses that are not shatnez, as per the Chief Rabbinate of Israel (http://www.aminach.co.il/html/matris_base_2.htm). The Chief Rabbinate does not supervise the operation and assumes no responsibility for the company’s claim.
• Deganim Beverage: Barcode 309805 – This natural beverage coffee substitute may be found in health stores. It is imported from Switzerland and claims to be under the supervision of Rabbi M. Levinger of the Basel Badatz Kashrut Agency as well as Chug Chatam Sofer Bnei Brak in Israel. The item was not approved by the Chief Rabbinate Import Division and therefore,
should not be used. (Item 5 in original documents, right side photo)
• Wally Hall: The catering hall located in Kfar Neter has received a permit to conduct weddings from the Chof HaSharon rabbinate. The establishment is to be added to the list of legitimate places for weddings under the auspciies of the Rabbinate.
****
• Tzufit Wedding Hall: The hall located at 10 HaSharon Street in Tel Aviv advertises itself as kosher (http://www.e-tzofit.co.il/sup_veiw.php?dealer_id=865) under the Tel Aviv Rabbinate. It does not enjoy the rabbinate’s supervision.
• Yud Shevi Distribution: This company distributes food and cleaning products to hotels and coffee shops. It is located in Rishon L’Tzion. It sells some legume-based products as kosher, under the Rishon L’Tzion Rabbinate, under a bogus claim. The company was warned about six months ago, and while it continues to sell ‘kosher’ items, it does not have kashrut supervision
from the Rabbinate.
• Boston Avraham LTD: Located in Moshav Adirim, the company has been marketing in both Israel and abroad, products marked under the OK kashrut supervision and kosher for Passover. The OK reports no such client. The Nahariya Rabbinate confirms the company enjoys regular basic kashrut certification only
• Paradise Butcher: Located in Holon, at 45 Shenker Street, this butcher shop recently lost its kashrut supervision. The decision to revoke the certification after non-identifiable meat was found on the premises, meat feared to be non-kosher. This store supplies restaurants and butcher shops in the Holon, Tel Aviv, Ashdod, Bat Yam, Rishon L’Tzion and other areas.
The public is urged to beware.
• The following are making illegal claims of being kosher or their kashrut certification was revoked.
PETACH TIKVAH Lerman Chai Bakery – 32 David Marcus Street – Segulah Industrial area – The Petach Tikvah Rabbinate revoked its kashrut supervision.
• Pergo Pizza – 9 Sibin St. in Kiryat Matlin – PT Rabbinate revoked certification.
• GEZER Ateret Bakery at 66 Meshech in Moshav Azariya – Alvarcha Dairy Factory located in Kafr Muraviya - both have lost
their kosher certification from the Rabbinate Nationwide Kashrut.
• A note: The Nationwide Kashrut Certification is used in areas where there are no active local religious councils, found mainly in Arab areas such as Nachal I’ron (Wadi Ara), which do have kosher businesses operating. Since there is no local rabbinical authority, the Chief Rabbinate’s national supervision assumes responsibility.
• JERUSALEM Shulchan Yerakot Stall in the Shuk on Eitz Chaim St (Outside), Shulchan Yerakot Farcho in N’vei Yaakov Shopping Center, Pitzuchim Mizrachi Vegetables – 160 Moshe Dayan Blvd, Pitzchei Spatz – Patt Jct. The four above-mentioned businesses do not have Jerusalem Rabbinate supervision but claim to be kosher and display unauthorized certificates.
• Achi Tov Restaurant – 48 HaNevi’im St., Kubbabar Restaurant – 68 HaNevi’im St., Mitbach Shoshana – 35 Derech Beit Lechem
The above three do not have Jerusalem Rabbinate supervision and claim to be kosher.
• TEL AVIV Kadur HaZahav Restaurant – 4 Ribal Street displays a sign stating “kosher” but has not rabbinate certification.
• Ochel Shel Pa’am Restaurant – 103 Herzl Street - displays a sign stating “kosher” but has not rabbinate certification.
• Pizza Boutique opposite 111 Allenby Street displays a sign stating “kosher” but has not rabbinate certification.
• Shauli Shwarma at 105 Dizengoff – the Tel Aviv Rabbinate revoked the certification.
• Baba John Restaurant at 17 HaYarkon Street – Advertises itself as kosher on the internet but is not certified by the Tel Aviv Religious Council.
• Uzi Pastries on Yehudit Blvd – Advertises as mehadrin and displays the unauthorized Shemen L’Mishcha certificate and does not have Tel Aviv Religious Council certification.
• Eden Pickle Products – Karen Baked Products – Pomegranate Seeds The Givat Ada – Binyamina Rabbinate announced it has revoked the kashrut from the Bayit Shel Eden pickle products. The local rabbinate also sites that baked products under the name Karen with its hechsher are fraudulent. The local rabbinate also states that Pomegranate seeds product manufactured by the Simone family is also bearing an unauthorized kosher claim. (See item 4 in original document below, right side. Report does not contain product barcodes)
• The Shnitzeliya Restaurant located in the Rosenfeld gas station in the Nazareth Industrial Park Gimmel as well as Florentine Pizza, located in Ben-Gurion Center in Nazareth are not under the Nazareth IllitRabbinate as claimed.
Rabbi Yaakov Sabag
Chief of Kashrut Division
Rabbi Rafi Yochai
Chief of National Kashrut Fraud Prevention
For questions, or comments please send an email to Jerusalemkn@gmail.com .
OU Criticism
Statement by Rabbi Yaakov Luban, in Response to Criticism of OU Kosher Standards in Israel
September 04, 2009
Recently, an investigative journalist posted an article that appeared on a number of blogs, which was critical of OU supervision of hotels and restaurants in Israel. Within a few days, the OU arranged for me to visit Israel and determine if the criticism was valid.
I spent one week in Israel and visited these OU locations multiple times, both with the OU representative responsible for oversight, and on my own, at different times of day and night. The conclusions of my investigations are as follows:
While the investigator accurately reported what he saw and heard, the report did not capture the entire picture, as there were other pieces of relevant information that the journalist did not reflect in his article, perhaps because of a lack of awareness on his part. One of the strong criticisms of the article was that the OU rubber stamps the existing rabbanut supervision at these locations with no oversight of its own. This is not the case.
The Jerusalem Plaza is supervised by Rabbi Eliezer Mendelson, who works on behalf of the OU, and has made various enhancements to the supervision in the past year. The article quoted a source who said that Rabbi Mendelson “is not really in charge of kashrut.” This is not true, as Rabbi Mendelson was appointed by the owner to be the Rav of the hotel, and in conjunction with this he serves as the OU representative.
The report notes that Rabbi Turetzky is the supervisor at Jerusalem Gate Hotel on behalf of the Jerusalem Rabbinate, but that there is no OU presence. It is true that Rabbi Turetzky is in the employment of the Jerusalem Rabbinate, but he is also an employee of the OU. As such, he is at the hotel in a dual capacity.
The report does not touch on the Ramada, which is under Rabbanut Mehadrin, as well as the OU. The OU has reviewed the hotel and has verified that the mashgichim are of excellent caliber and the kashrut system is well controlled.
During my visit, I met with Rabbi Shmuel Burnstein, who heads the division of supervision of the Rabbanut Mehadrin hotels. I reviewed the kashrut in all OU hotels and found it to be tightly controlled by a team of very competent mashgichim.
The OU supervises four dairy restaurants in Yerushalayim. In each of the restaurants only Jews cook in the kitchen, which obviates the concern of bishul akum. There is a very strong system of yotzei vinichnas (spot inspections) with a mashgiach coming regularly throughout the day and night. In each of these restaurants, the OU arranged for mashgichim and the OU insisted that all ingredients meet Mehadrin standards. In addition, Rabbi Turetzky spot-checks to ensure that everything is in order. The OU is comfortable with this situation.
The OU supervises three meat restaurants where the OU arranged for mashgichim to be present. The OU has a strong presence in these establishments and is not blindly rubber stamping the supervision.
The article reported on other irregularities as well. For example, the journalist waited in the morning for the mashgiach at Pappagio, a meat restaurant, for 40 minutes, but the mashgiach did not arrive. In the interim, the restaurant was in operation. I confirmed with the mashgiach that he was not present, but what was not reported was that the mashgiach was ill that morning and could not arrive because of a severe back problem. Though the mashgiach arrived late that particular day, this is not standard operating procedure at the restaurant. One cannot prevent such emergencies from occurring.
The question is how to respond when the mashgiach is late because of an emergency: Should the restaurant open or not? This depends on the individual facility, and the mashgiach felt that he had sufficient control and knowledge of the facility to not warrant shutting down the store until his arrival, particularly since the management anticipated his presence shortly and they did not know when he would arrive. The grill (where most of the cooking occurs) was not in operation before the mashgiach arrived, and only prep work was occurring in the kitchen. In addition, the chefs are Jewish and there was no concern of bishul akum. When the mashgiach did arrive, he was able to confirm that everything was in order.
The journalist reported that he visited Taiku three times and never saw the mashgiach. The arrangement in Taiku is that a shomer shabbos chef, who does all the cooking, is present at all times. In addition, a mashgiach is present at least eight hours a day during the busiest time of operation. It is common practice to rely on shomer shabbos employees (we refer to them as “working mashgichim”) in certified restaurants.
The report also claimed that dairy liquor was used in a meat establishment. I asked the journalist for the name of the liquor and he said it was Southern Comfort. To our knowledge, this is not dairy. It is true that in America the OU does not allow Southern Comfort because it lacks supervision, but in Israel it is commonly used. Nonetheless, the point of consistency is valid and we are reviewing this situation.
I met with the reporter in Israel and he expressed to me that there was a lack of transparency in the standards and procedures in Israel. This, in part, created some of the confusion. This is a valid point which we hope to correct in the future by publicizing the OU standards in food establishments in Israel.
The reporter also expressed frustration that he was not permitted entry into the kitchens without the presence of our supervisor. This creates the impression that we are seeking to hide information. I explained that this is not the case, and it is common practice to have a supervisor present during a review to ensure that misunderstandings do not occur. We are happy to escort people through the kitchen and explain the basis of our supervision.
I was glad that I came to Israel to review these establishments. It is always possible to improve and enhance supervision. In general, the kashrut of the OU restaurants and hotels in Israel was good, but I did find some areas where I felt improvement can be made. I hope to implement these changes in the near future.
If you would like to discuss this matter with me directly, please call me at 212-613-8214 and I will be happy to speak to you.
Rabbi Yaakov Luban
Executive Rabbinic Coordinator
Note: The difference between the two types of Ko-Sure Hot Chocolate Mixes. One - Instant Hot Cocoa Mix has the Star-Kp and is Kosher for Pesach. The other Kos-Sure Chocolate Mocha Mix (also under the Star-K) is NOT Kosher for Pesach.
Passover Advisory
Issue:
The following products were omitted from the Orthodox Union’s Guide to Passover (2008 edition). These products are acceptable for Passover use and do not require a ‘P’ designation:
1) Hena Decaffeinated Coffee distributed by Hena Coffee Brooklyn, NY
2) Ellis Decaffeinated Coffee (Unflavored) distributed by Ellis Coffee Company - Philadelphia, PA
FOR NEW UPDATES PLEASE CHECK
WWW.KOSHERQUEST.ORG
* In Eretz Yisroel, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (the leading international authority on Halacha - Jewish law) “paskined” (came to a Halachic ruling) that since the city of Eilat is Halachically considered to be outside of the boundaries of ancient Israel, anyone spending Pesach there must keep two Seder nights, just as any other Jew in Galus (exile).
* Be careful to check packages of Kosher for Pesach items for the Pesach certification. Some
non-Pesach Kosher products have similar packaging to those products that are Kosher for Pesach and can be easily
confused.
* D’vash Mafrichei Bar “pur honey” bar code 073640002116 with the label “kosher for Pesach Machzikei Hadas Belz is not certified by that kashrus agency and is not recommended for Pesach
*Wissotsky Iced Tea bears an unauthorized “Kosher for Passover” statement and is not kosher for Pesach.
* Balil Vegetables – Artichoke Bottoms, Green Fava Beans, Baby Okra are not certified by the O/U for Pesach
* Redmond RealSalt Organic Natural Onion salt, Organic Natural Garlic salt and Season salt bear an unauthorized O/Up.
* Caution should be used when purchasing a Kosher for Pesach product with only a sticker stuck onto the label rather than being printed on the label. It is usually best to check such products to verify their Pesach status.
* In the past, many felt that raw pecan nuts were always acceptable for consumption on Pesach. However, this is no longer the case and nuts must be checked annually for updated information.
* The Lactaid enzyme is a problem for Pesach.
* Caution should be used when buying Matzos to be sure that they are not in the category of “Matzah Ashira”. Some examples of this are Manischewitz White Grape Matzo, Grape Bit Crackers, Egg matzo, Egg matzo Crackers, Egg matzo Snack Bits, Chocolate Covered Egg Matzo and Tam Tam crackers. These items are only permissible for the elderly, ill, or young children who are not able to properly digest regular Matzah.
* FMV Brand Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips (12 oz.) were mistakenly labeled O/Kp. They are Kosher and pareve for
year-round, but NOT for Pesach use.
* Bamba Snacks from Osem in Israel is made with corn and peanuts. This product is considered Kitniyos and may not be used by Ashkenazim and some Sephardim.
* The Kof K provides its Kosher certification to all products manufactured by Joyva for year-round use EXCEPT for Passover. The Kof K does not certify or supervise anything manufactured by Joyva as Kosher for Passover because of their use of cornstarch and corn syrup in their production. The Kp on the Passover run is under the certification and
supervision of Rabbi Sheinkop.
* This year the Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Israel (Rabbi Shlomo Amar) has joined the Badatz in banning commercial production and sale of Kosher for Passover cumin. This is due to the fact that cumin, which is imported to Israel from the Far East, often includes traces of wheat and oats. One should purchase cumin only with a reliable hechsher for Pesach.
* David’s meat sold at Trader Joe’s is certified UMK non-Glatt.
* Many Kitniyos products in the market are certified as Kosher, especially from France and other European countries. These Kitniyos products are often in the form of candy. Many of these products will say “LeOchlay Kitniyos”, but not all, such as Affula Sunflower Seeds etc., which is stamped “Kosher for Pesach.” These are meant only for those Sephardim who have the Minhag to eat Kitniyos.
* The following Dole fruits are accepted for Pesach 2009 only when bearing the Star K: Cantaloupe Chunks, Fruit Mix, Honeydew Chunks, Watermelon Chunks, Tropical Mix, Melon Mix
* Wal Mart dates from Israel bear the Hashgacha of the Chug Chasam Sofer and the O/Up and do not have any Shmitta issues.
* Listerine Mouthwash (all flavors in U.S. and Canada) do not contain a Chometz alcohol. They are strictly corn based alcohol.
We wish to advise that COR certified Kosher for Passover products which contain kitniyos and kitniyos shanishtana bear a distinctive blue label indicating "Kosher for Passover for Sephardim only".
Please note that Saporito Vegetable Oil (2L) and Diet Coke, which bear this label, contain kitniyos.
Even though these items are located in the regular Kosher for Passover supermarket aisles, their use during Passover is intended for Sephardim only.
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