The following kashrus alert is from the Chicago Rabbinical Council on Jnne 1, 2008.
Ice Cream Shops: With the summer months upon us, the cRc would like to take this opportunity to reiterate its policy and opinion regarding the purchase of ice cream from shops that are not certified kosher. Unless the entire shop is under a reliable hashgacha, no open product should be purchased without the consumer personally inspecting each item. Any ice cream must first be determined to be kosher and in some cases, the scoop must be first washed clean. Any other products purchased, such as cones, toppings, milk or any other additives, must also be inspected to determine if it is kosher. Items such as cakes and novelty items may be coming in from another outside source, so special care must be taken when purchasing any of these items. Since one may not assume that there were no changes made since the last visit, this all must be done each time you go into the store to make a purchase!
Many shops may sell ice cream which is produced under the certification of the cRc or other reliable agencies, and have signs posted to indicate as such. However, unless the entire store is under certification, this letter only applies to the unopened ice cream that is listed on the letter of certification, and not necessarily the store itself. Merely asking the store attendant if an item is kosher is not sufficient, as they may not be aware of specific requirements that may affect the kosher status of an item. You must always see the actual product in its original container.
As the average person may also not always be aware of all of the kosher regulations, it is always preferable and recommended to only frequent shops under a reliable kosher supervision. Check with the cRc in the Chicago area, or your local Orthodox Vaad in other areas for the stores under kosher certification.
The following kashrus notice is from the Rabbinical Council of New England on June 1, 2009.
The following flavors of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins are not certified as kosher:
The following kashrus alert is from the CRC on February 21, 2007.
Several cities around the United States have a TCBY yogurt store, selling soft serve yogurt and other products. None of these stores were ever under the certification of the cRc, but for a period of time, the yogurt base was under the supervision of the cRc.
However, while the stores are still in operation, the manufacturer of that product is no longer in business. Some stores are using a yogurt base under various other supervisions, but none are presently certified by the cRc. It is the responsibility of the individual consumer to inspect the kosher status of this and other products before each purchase.
The following kashrus alert is from the OV dated June 6, 2006.
The OV certifies as kosher the Dippin' Dots ice cream products (Dairy-Cholov Stam) and ice products (Pareve) which are produced in Paducah, KY. Our certification is limited to these products and does not cover the kosher status of any other products served at Dippin' Dots kiosks or stores.
The following ice cream kashrus alert is from the CRC on June 29, 2006.
The cRc would like to take this opportunity to reiterate its policy and opinion regarding the purchase of ice cream from non kosher certified shops. Unless the shop is under a reliable hashgacha, no open product should be purchased without the consumer personally inspecting each item. Any ice cream must first be determined to be kosher and in some cases, the scoop must be first washed clean. Any other products purchased, such as cones, toppings, milk or any other additives, must also be inspected to determine if it is kosher. Asking the store attendant is not sufficient as they may not be aware of specific kosher regulations that may effect the kosher status of the item. As the average person may also not be aware of all of the kosher regulations, it is always preferable to only buy these products from shops under a reliable kosher supervision.
The only ice cream shops in the Chicago area that are presently under the supervision of the cRc are: Dairy Star, located at 3472 W. Devon, Lincolnwood, and Dunkin Donut – Baskin Robbins, located at 3132 W. Devon, Chicago. Regardless of kosher claims, all other shops, other than some restaurants under the cRc that may also sell ice cream, are NOT under any hashgacha of the cRc.
The following kashrus alert is from the Rabbinical Council of New England on June 5, 2005.
The following flavors of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins are not certified as kosher:
The following kashrus alert is from the Rabbinical Council of New England on May 3, 2004.
At Baskin-Robbins stores the quarts of Shrek's Swirl Sherbet marked with the KVH emblem are all Kosher. The three gallon tubs found in the display case are NOT certified Kosher. They are made in different plants.
The following kashrus advisory is from the Orthodox Union on June 19, 2003.
A posted Letter of Certification for ice cream mix should not be construed as Kashruth certification for a retail ice cream store. There is no assurance that Kosher ice cream mix, toppings, or cones are being used. Additionally, there is a concern that non-Kosher food may come into contact with equipment or utensils. Only on-site supervision (indicated by a Letter of Certification specifying the retail store) ensures the Kashruth of the ice cream.
The following Orthodox Union certified Dreyer's and Edy's SORBET contain no dairy ingredients, but are labeled OUD as they are produced on dairy equipment:
The following OU certified Haagen Dazs Sorbets contain NO dairy ingredients of any sort, but are labeled OU-D as they are processed on dairy equipment:
The following information was posted by the Chicago Rabbinical Council on June 6, 2002.
The cRc would like to inform the public that our kosher letters that are being displayed in the Freshens Yogurt Parlors only indicate that the yogurt/ice cream is kosher. The Chicago Rabbinical Council does not certify the actual store, all condiments and utensils are not supervised.
Information on Acceptable Slurpees can be found at www.kashrut.com/consumer/slurpees/
List your kosher ice cream product with a link to your website. Let people know where to find it.
Comments to webmaster@kashrut.com
© Copyright 2010 Scharf Associates
Phone: (781)784-6890
E-mail: ajms@kashrut.comURL: " http://www.kashrut.com/"
Arlene J. Mathes-Scharf
Food Scientist - Kosher Food Specialist
Scharf Associates
P.O. Box 50
Sharon, MA 02067