K A S H R U T . C O M_©

A reader reported to me that "Three separate Brooklyn consumers have purchased repackaged sunflower seeds infested with visible insects. They are clearly seen ( totally 'neire lieyien') with careful inspection. These sunflower seeds were purchased at Moishe's Supermarket in Flatbush. At this point in time there no information as to where the infestation occured. Consumers should check the product before consuming.

From the OU: Kirkland's chocolate chips, are labeled OUD, but in fact, its true status, at the present time, is DE (Dairy Equipment)
A DE product is Parve products made with heat on dairy equipment. This product may be eaten after meat, but not with meat.
Some kashrus agencies use a DE symbol, but the OU has chosen not to use a DE designation because it is felt it may be confusing to the kosher consumer. Also, to be a true DE product, the equipment must be properly cleaned of residue after dairy production, and that level of cleanliness is sometimes difficult to maintain and guarantee.
Please note that it is possible that the manufacturer will reformulate this product and add a true dairy ingredient.
The DE Status of a product should be verified every 3 months.

The OU response as to how to cook or bake with a DE product:
One can bake/cook with it in a fleishig dish, so long as there is no meat cooking with it.
It just can’t be cooked or eaten together with meat.
If one cooks with it in parve utensils, it stays pareve, but usually it is not done, because it can be confusing.

Additional response from the OU regarding DE:
One is not permitted to cook DE with actual meat.
A meat pan that is not cleaned very well should be considered like cooking with actual meat.
A meat pan that is perfectly cleaned, would technically be permitted, provided it perfectly cleaned afterwards before using for meat.
Therefore this is not recommended, and usually not done.
One is permitted to cook DE in pareve equipment, but most people will just cook DE in Dairy pots so that they remember that the food is not pareve. But if they need to cook in pareve pot, it is permitted.

From the OK: Trader Joe's Chocolate Chips are Pareve Chocolate Chips that are packed in a packing machine that also does dairy. Dairy chips go through the packing machine and some chips can remain in the machinery when the pareve chips are being packed afterwards. Even if one dairy chip falls into the package it is not considered botul beshishim. The company does not want supervision of the packing and therefore the OK certifies the Chocolate Chips as dairy.

Yupik Store, 385Rue de Louvain O, Montréal, QC H4N 1G6, Canada: Non-kosher Products have been inadvertently labelled with the COR712 symbol. Anything purchased from this store is not kosher certified even when bearing the COR 712 symbol, until further notice. Corrective measures are being implemented.

Sunkist Breakfast Espresso Trail Mix and Sunkist Mango Dark Chocolate Trail Mix sold at Walmart stores distributed by Snack It Forward (Los Angeles, CA) have been mislabeled with a plain OK kosher symbol instead of the OK-D (Dairy) designation.
Please note that all other products bearing the OK kosher symbol are now certified.

The following kashrus alert is from the OK Kosher Certification on October 30, 2015.

Please be advised that SNACK IT FORWARD 60080 Center Drive Los Angeles, CA is using UNAUTHORIZED OK KOSHER SYMBOL. Snack It Forward is distributing Sunkist Trail Mix and Sunkist Fruit Chips bearing an unauthorized OK Kosher symbol on the packaging. Corrective action is being taken.