K A S H R U T . C O M_©

One-third of spices sold in Canada spiked with fillers, says federal agency

April 8, 2018 from the Radio Canada International:

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) conducted 925 tests on 304 samples of sipeces in the 2016-17 fiscal year, compared to only 16 tests on four samples in the 2013-14 fiscal year.
"he tests show that nearly one third of spices sold in the country do not conform to the list of ingredients posted on product labels. Maple syrup and honey on the other hand get almost perfect scores – 99 per cent and 89 per cent compliance respectively."
"Food commodities and ingredients that are expensive and are part of complex supply chains are particularly vulnerable."
"An assessment of 54 suspected adulterated oregano samples revealed that almost 90 per cent of them contained at least one bulking agent, with a median level of adulteration of 50 per cent."
"Several experts say the best way to reduce the risk of buying spiked ground spices (and get much better flavour) is to buy the spices in their whole form and then grind them at home."

Storeowner Forgets to Sell Chometz, Has to Burn 30,000 Shekels Worth of Products

April 8, 2018 from the Matzav.com:

"A supermarket owner in the Ramat Shlomo neighborhood of Yerushalayim forgot to sell the chometz in his store, so, in the middle of Pesach, a local rov appeared in the store and ordered the chometz to be burned."
"Last year, the store’s mechiras chometz was taken care of by the owner’s brother."Last year, the brother "stopped working in the store, and the responsibility that lay on his shoulders fell to me, but I forgot to sell the chometz"
"On Thursday, the seventh day of Pesach, the rov of the neighborhood, Rav Matisyahu Deutsch, learned that the chometz was not sold. He entered the store at about noon and told the owner that all the chometz, worth tens of thousands of shekels, must be removed. Thus, in the midst of the chag, the entire stock of chometz was burned." "The inventory he burnt was worth about NIS 30,000."

Nothing Kosher About a Cloned Pig

March 26, 2018 from the TheJewishVoice:

The kosher status of cultured meat products generates lots of speculation as demostrated by the article below from Newsweek.
TheJewishVoice interviewed "Rabbi Menachem Genack, the head of the Orthodox Union’s division of kosher products told the NYP that a cloned pig is no more kosher than a traditional pig which has split hooves but does not chew its cud which renders it absolutely not kosher. 'That which derives from something that is not kosher is not kosher,'.

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Israeli Rabbi Says Eating Cloned Pork is Kosher, Genetic Engineering Would Prevent Animal Suffering

March 21, 2018 from the Newsweek and JTA:

"Prominent Israeli Rabbi Yuval Cherlow says meat from a cloned pig would be considered kosher under Jewish dietary laws. Cherlow, who is a leading scholar on modern interpretations of Kashrut, is advocating for rabbinic approval of cloned meats in order to reduce animal suffering, decrease meat industry pollution and stamp out starvation."
"Cherlow says that because meat grown from cells in a lab would have lost its "identity," observant Jews would also be able to eat it alongside dairy products."
"Cherlow compares the rabbinic decision to allow for genetically engineered meat to the caveat decision allowing for consumption of gelatin mixed with the bones of 'forbidden' or 'unclean' animals." "'The leading halakhic authorities permitted eating gelatin from animal origin, claiming that in the process of production it loses its flavor, is not edible, and therefore is no longer considered edible, and there is no halachic prohibition against eating it.'"

Threat to kosher slaughter in Canada averted: CIJA

March 15, 2018 from the CJN: :

"A possible threat to the production of kosher meat in Canada has been averted, according to the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs (CIJA), which intervened with federal authorities to rectify a situation it described as 'urgent.'"
"The problem arose following changes to the “interpretation” of Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) regulations concerning the prevention of animal suffering, which, according to CIJA, could have ended shechitah (Jewish ritual slaughter)."
"The veal production practices of three abattoirs in Ontario and Quebec were brought into question by the CFIA. They collectively supply all of Canada’s kosher veal market and 85 per cent of the U.S. market, said CIJA CEO Shimon Koffler Fogel."
"Moreover, he said that it 'became clear the ruling would quickly be applied to all abattoirs, threatening the entire range of kosher beef, calf and lamb products.'"
"The changes came about, at least in part, as a result of the free trade agreement reached between Canada and the European Union last year."
"CIJA appealed to Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay, to prevent the federal government from imposing regulations that would make shechitah illegal. A series of meetings and inspections culminated in a site evaluation by senior CFIA officials, CIJA and rabbinical representatives on March 7."
"Fogel said that, “A clear consensus was reached that confirms shechitah as a humane and approved method of animal slaughter.”
"He emphasized that, 'CFIA officials were deeply respectful and saw the continued supply of kosher meat as an important part of their own mandate.'"
"Fogel said that the section on animal welfare in the CFIA manual was at the centre of the matter." “In particular, the discussion revolved around the criteria used to determine ‘sensibility,’ or more precisely, ‘insensibility’ – that is, at what point does the animal become insensible to pain or stimulus?” he explained.
"The basic measurements include such signs as eye movement, tongue control, sounds made, ability to stay upright and breathing rhythm."
"In 2014, the CFIA updated its manual and since then, its regulations have become more in line with international standards, notably those outlined in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, the free trade agreement between Canada and the EU, which came into force in September." "In the matter at hand, the criterion of “rhythmic breathing was confused with agonal breathing and triggered some concerns on the part of CFIA officials that animals were being hoisted before the onset of insensibility,” he said.|
"Veal production was singled out because of anatomical differences between calves and full-grown cattle, Fogel added. 'The criteria are less precise in calves, who have not fully developed the musculature of a mature animal. So anomalies in breathing patterns, for example, (may be) present in calves, but not once the animal reaches maturity.'"

"Fogel said that CFIA regulations will be rewritten “to reflect the consensus understanding achieved over the last couple of weeks,” which he is confident will prevent future disruptions at kosher slaughter facilities."

Poll: Should non-stun slaughter be banned in the UK?

March 7, 2018

You can participate in a poll ast whether religious slaughter should be banned in the UK at www.fwi.co.uk/livestock/poll-should-non-stun-slaughter-be-banned-in-the-uk.htm