K A S H R U T . C O M_©

Alert concerning Kosher Cook knives sold at Jewel

March 26, 2018, - From Vaad Hoeir of St. Louis:

Since many St. Louisans shop at Jewel in Chicago, the Rabbanim Achrayim of the Vaad Hoeir asked that the following cRc alert be posted:
Please be aware that Jewel was selling knives and peelers from the Kosher Cook company that printed (in Hebrew) "naaseh b'baalus yehudi - ein tzarich tevillah”. This statement would be true if these items would not have left Jewish ownership at any time. However, once a non-Jew (or even a partnership of a Jew and non-Jew - such as with Jewel) takes possession of the knife, if a Jew purchased it afterwards he will be required to toivel the knife. Please note that once alerted to the issues, Jewel pulled these items from the shelves, but for all those that have already purchased them it is important to toivel them before further use.

Israel: Tnuva Pesach Labeling

March 23, 2018, - From the Jerusalem Kosher News:

"Tnuva Pesach Labeling of Products

1. Tnuva dairy products that say כשר לפסח have no kitnios, including regular non-mehadrin products.
   A product only contains kitniot if it says כשר לפסח-קיטניות.
2. Vaad Mehadrin products that are Kosher for Pesach do not say כשר לפסח מהדרין. Both Eida Chareidis and Vaad Mehadrin products are certified for Pesach by each organization respectively when the appropriate kosher symbols of each organization are there and the words “כשר לפסח ערב פסח“ appear.

“כשר לפסח ערב פסח” is the wording for Pesach Mehadrin.

All Mehadrin Production Halts Before Pesach
This is because there is absolutely no mehadrin production on Pesach. All mehadrin production halts before the time chametz is prohibited on erev Pesach. This is another step towards maintaining a mehadrin line – permitting any grain of chametz that may have passed the array of filtration systems to become batul before yomtov. Since chametz is prohibited in any amount on Pesach, this step is a major one for anything that existed before the chag has become batul, and there is no production on the chag itself. "Filtration is performed shortly following milking to avoid a situation in which a grain of chametz may have remained in a container of milk for 24 hours, leading some to become concerned with 'kavush'."

Non Chametz Feed for the Herd
"Beginning a week before Pesach, the stables are cleaned and the feed given to the herd is changed. The Pesach diet does not contain anything chametz, a step taken to satisfy the most stringent opinions. This entails cleaning, preparing and inspecting hundreds of dairy facilities under Tnuva’s supervision. Mashgichim are present to supervise harvesting tens of thousands of dunams of wheat fields towards preparing the special Pesach diet for the Tnuva herd."

March 22, 2018: From the Beth Din of Johannesburg:

We have assessed McCain’s frozen veggies and can inform you that products bearing our regular Beth Din Kosher Hechsher, and that do not contain vegetables that are Kitniyot, may be used for Pesach and all year round. We are working with the manufacturers to ensure that – going forward – the packaging will include a new Hechsher for Pesach and all year round. Please note that this does not include the oven chips and wedges.

March 21, 2018: From the "OU Twitter feed:

The OU Guide to Passover's print version contains the following error on Page 5: The candle lighting times for the 1st and 7th nights of Pesach were interchanged. The correct times can be accessed online at: https://oukosher.org/content/uploads/sites/2/2018/03/halachic-times18b.pdf.

March 19 2018 from the Kof-K:

Streit's Dark Chocolate Caramel Pecan Clusters contain milk and butter and was mistakenly labeled as Kof-K pareve. This product is certified Kof-K Dairy for Passover. Corrective action has been taken.