K A S H R U T . C O M_©

Could changes at the FDA call the kosher status of milk into question? Many are asking.

April 24, 2025 from JTA:

"As soon as news broke this week that the Food and Drug Administration was suspending federal testing of commercially produced milk, the Orthodox Union’s hotline lit up.

"The flood of inquiries was “off the hook … crazy: emails, calls, WhatsApp, everything,” said Rabbi Avrohom Gordimer, chair of the dairy committee at O.U. Kosher, the most recognizable kosher certifier in the United States.

"The callers were all anxious about the potential implications of the policy change on the kosher status of milk. Since 1954, most kosher-keeping American Jews have relied on an influential rabbi’s determination that government oversight of milk production is sufficient to render commercially produced milk kosher.

"The rabbi, Moshe Feinstein, was dealing with an age-old problem of Jewish law when he made his ruling.

"According to halacha, or traditional Jewish law, milk is only kosher if it comes from a kosher animal. One way to ensure that is the case is to consume only milk produced in a facility where Jews oversee every step of the process — relatively easy to accomplish in the pre-modern world, but less practical in the contemporary United States.

"Feinstein — considered one of the most important Jewish legal authorities of the 20th century — addressed the challenge by ruling that government regulations could effectively take the place of some aspects of Jewish supervision. Because the U.S. government both requires that only cow’s milk be called milk, and because inspectors are regularly dispatched to milk production facilities to ensure that all legal requirements are upheld, Jews could assume that commercial milk does not contain milk from non-kosher animals, Feinstein concluded.

"His opinion was so decisive and pivotal that the Orthodox Union cites it on its landing page for queries about milk. But what happens if the federal government overhauls or abandons its oversight of milk?

"Nothing, at least for now. That’s what Gordimer and his team have concluded after seeking to understand just what has changed at the FDA.

"This development has no impact whatsoever on the kosher status of ‘chalav stam’ (regular commercial milk) that Rabbi Feinstein permitted in the US, as the primary oversight of farms and dairy factories is performed by state governments; the FDA is a mere secondary body for this purpose,” he said by email.

"What’s more, Gordimer said, the testing that Kennedy suspended is meant only to detect certain contaminants and prohibited additives. Physical inspections, which he said are continuing uninterrupted, are different, and key to Feinstein’s ruling.

"'There has been no change in inspections, which are ongoing,' Gordimer said.

"Plus, the law prohibiting anything other than cow’s milk being sold as “milk” remains on the books."

Leading Non-Kosher Restaurants Convert To Kosher As Chefs Identify New Culinary Trends

April 23, 2025 from Vinnews:

"The Israeli economic newspaper Calcalist recently published an in-depth article on the growing trend of non-kosher restaurants converting to kosher—a shift that, until just a few years ago, was considered unthinkable in Tel Aviv, a city long associated with secular, free-spirited, and innovative cuisine.

"The story begins with the opening of “Rova Aleph”, a kosher restaurant led by chef Evyatar Malka, launched at the location previously occupied by “L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon”, a branch of the famed non-kosher French chef’s chain. The new restaurant now operates under an official kashrut certification from the Israeli Rabbinate.

"But this isn’t an isolated case. Celebrity chef Haim Cohen, known for his unapologetically authentic Israeli cuisine, recently opened a kosher restaurant in Bnei Brak. The MachaneYehuda Group, headed by Assaf Granit, a Michelin star winning Israeli chef, opened two kosher establishments, and Yuval Ben Neriah—another Tel Aviv culinary icon—also made the shift last summer.

"Yossi Ettinger, co-founder of the “DatiLicious” community with over 200,000 followers, says this change stems from genuine demand: 'Chefs who never considered this audience before are now realizing it’s a serious consumer force.'

"'The charedi middle class has grown. Many are in high-tech, and since they don’t go to the movies or theater, dining out has become their main form of entertainment—even in upscale restaurants. You see couples spending 1,500 shekels($400) on a meal, and they keep kosher.'

"Even Itzik HaGadol, one of Israel’s oldest meat restaurant institutions, recently opted for kosher certification. Owner Ben Assouline explains that the war and a personal spiritual awakening led to the decision: 'If I didn’t have a kosher certificate, I couldn’t serve 70% of our clientele. I’m a political person, and I don’t want to be closed off to only one group.'

"The open question remains—is this just a passing trend, or a permanent transformation that will reshape the boundaries between religion and secularism, tradition and culinary creativity? One thing is certain: the success of these kosher chefs is leaving no one indifferent."

FDA asks food industry to phase out artificial dyes

April 22, 2025 from Food Dive:

• "The FDA on Tuesday requested the food industry to phase out petroleum-based artificial dyes used in everything from sports drinks and yogurt to candy and fruit snacks.
• "The agency, alongside the Department of Health and Human Services, said food companies should voluntarily remove six synthetic dyes by the end of next year. These include Green No. 3, Red No. 40, Yellow No. 5, Yellow No. 6, Blue No. 1 and Blue No. 2. The FDA is also requesting food companies remove Red. No. 3 sooner than the 2027 requirement.
• "The FDA said it will revoke authorization for synthetic food colorings Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B “within the coming months,” according to an announcement. The agency intends to encourage the use of natural alternatives among food companies and is accelerating approval of at least four natural color additives during the next few weeks.

  "The FDA’s announcement stops short of a full ban, sparking disappointment among some food and health watchdogs who had hoped for more decisive action. Dr. Peter G. Lurie, president of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, noted the FDA is only banning 'two rarely used dyes” while largely relying on voluntary commitments from an “unspecified fraction' of the industry

  "The announcement to phase out petroleum-based dyes comes as policies to eliminate artificial colors gain momentum on the state level. Last month, West Virginia signed into law a bill restricting seven artificial dyes from food products sold in the state. Several other states have introduced bills aimed at food additives, including artificial colors, according to the Environmental Working Group

  "Switching away from artificial colors isn’t easy or cheap, however. The International Association of Color Manufacturers, which represents manufacturers of natural and synthetic dyes, said bans will create new hurdles for food manufacturers as replacing dyes with natural alternatives 'is not a simple swap.'

  "Sean McBride, founder of DSM Strategic Communications, said the policy upends years of science-based decisionmaking and will raise costs for the food industry without improving health outcomes."

Kashrut in the IDF: Higher Standards, Zero Compromises

April 3, 2025: from the Jewish Link:

"A few months ago, signs were plastered across haredi neighborhoods in Jerusalem—including one directly in front of my apartment building—declaring that “Anyone who enlists (in the IDF), will eat treif.” Whether these billboards are intended to be literal or hyperbolic, at a minimum, they reflect an assumption that kashrut in the army is significantly substandard. In reality, the kashrut standards maintained in the army are often higher than those of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and, in fact, often rival those of the mehadrin kashrut agencies, something which the mehadrin kashrut agencies attest to themselves.

"The IDF has always provided kosher food to its soldiers, but the past decade has seen the IDF undergo a quiet revolution in this area. Under the leadership of IDF Chief Rabbi Eyal Krim and former IDF Rabbinate head of kashrut Rabbi Chaim Weissberg, kashrut standards have seen unprecedented advancement. To learn more, I sat with the most recent head of the IDF Rabbinate’s kashrut division, Rabbi Neria Rosenthal, who served in the position throughout the war until his retirement this January. In fact, some of what is written here is being published for the first time.

"For starters, as more religious people draft to the army, the IDF Rabbinate receives greater resources to enhance the kashrut standards of military food provisions. Back in 2019, it expanded its kashrut workforce, deploying additional supervisors to military facilities and food contractors. The IDF Rabbinate recruited rabbis with specialized training to oversee specific kashrut domains including imported products, green vegetables, and ritual slaughter. The military completed this transition in 2022, implementing a policy ensuring all meat served throughout the entire military meet glatt kosher requirements (chalak). On army bases with haredi units, all meat is glatt kosher l’mehadrin, supervised by higher-level kosher certification agencies. Even on those bases, for soldiers who request the highest civilian kashrut standard, Badatz Eidah Haredit, that is provided as well.

"After years of investing in strengthening the relationships between the IDF Rabbinate and other army branches, the army’s logistics division eventually consented to having the IDF Rabbinate approve all food items—from oil to meat to spices. Every food shipment entering an IDF base undergoes meticulous inspections, one of which is a kashrut inspection. IDF rabbis personally verify kashrut certifications and conduct thorough examinations of incoming supplies. This vigilance has proven effective. “Just weeks ago,” Rabbi Rosenthal said, “an entire truckload of pasta was rejected after inspectors discovered bug infestations during their routine checks. And the inspection does not stop there—all foods considered to be at risk for bug infestation are inspected thoroughly in the kitchen.”

"What’s more, if this were to reoccur multiple times, the supplier knows their entire contract is at risk. Why? This gets to the underlying factor behind much of the higher standards: the leveraging of economic influence. Since the war began, the IDF has been the largest food consumer in Israel, feeding nearly 500,000 people per day! Even in peacetime, the IDF is one of the country’s largest food consumers. As such, when choosing its culinary contractors, the IDF Rabbinate requires high standards, yet faces no resistance. After all, any company wants to land this mega contract.

On the other side of the coin, even after a contract is signed, if a company starts cutting corners or is found to be remiss in one of its kashrut requirements, the IDF Rabbinate can cut the contract immediately, knowing that other wholesalers will be more than happy to fill the gap. In fact, this represents a significant benefit over civilian kashrut, even high-level kashrut, because when a civilian kashrut agency suspects negligence, it is liable to tolerate the issue longer than it should since the kashrut agency itself has an interest in not losing business. Rabbi Rosenthal relates that this phenomenon has actually raised kashrut standards across Israel, as many of the IDF’s suppliers also supply civilian customers, and due to the IDF Rabbinate’s insistence on various standards, those civilian customers benefit from the higher standards as well.

"Importantly, it isn’t just the IDF Rabbinate saying its own food meets a high kosher standard. Many of the most-respected kashrut agencies in Israel, widely recognized as reliable certification, even according to haredi standards, have issued their stamp of approval. This includes the Orthodox Union (OU), Rav Yosef Efrati, Rav Machpud, and Chasam Sofer-Petah Tikvah. My neighbor—a haredi fellow who enlisted in November 2023 and has since served 300-plus days of reserve duty—has arranged meetings between leading haredi rabbis who, after being presented with the IDF Rabbinate’s standards, offered their stamp of approval as well. This includes Rav Yosef Chevroni (dean of Chevron yeshiva), Rav Yitzchak Ezrachi (dean of Mir Yeshiva), Rav Yitzchak Zilberstein and Rav Berel Povarsky (both serve on the Moetzes Gedolei Torah), Rav Yitzchak Grossman, and Rav Asher Weiss."

"After extensive efforts, Rabbi Rosenthal reports, that policy was finally changed so that the kashrut supervisor reports to a senior commander on the base. As well, a kashrut supervisor who sees intentional disregard of the IDF’s kashrut standards can report it to Rabbi Rosenthal, who can then cut that kitchen commander’s purchasing power until corrective action is taken. This establishes mirtat, a concept in Jewish law which recognizes external deterrents as a basis for trust in adherence to established guidelines.

"Here, too, the IDF’s system is now advantageous in relation to civilian kashrut in Israel, where, surprisingly enough, kashrut supervisors are employed by the restaurant or hotel that they supervise. Imagine the scene in a hotel kitchen: The kashrut supervisor sounds the alarm regarding a kashrut issue, only to be informed politely that if he’s not quiet, he’ll be out of a job. Certainly, one hopes the kashrut supervisor will act with integrity, but the financial pressures are not conducive to it.

"For the IDF, adherence to high kashrut standards enables everyone to eat together in the mess hall and, thus, is a fulfillment of its foundational value of reut, roughly translated as a deep sense of camaraderie."

Manischewitz Wine Caught in Tariffs Dispute as Canadian Jews Prepare for Passover

April 2, 2025: from the Algemeiner:

"For Jews in Canada, much like their US counterparts, Manischewitz kosher wine has become a staple of Passover and other religious celebrations.

"But now many are struggling to find the New York state-made drink for the wine-heavy spring holiday as Canadian government retailers and wholesale monopolies pull US-made products from shelves in protest of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and annexation threats.

"The missing wine illustrates how Trump’s tariff actions and his talk of annexation are causing pain for Canadian consumers and US beverage companies like Manischewitz owner E & J Gallo Winery, as well as potential opportunities for Canadian competitors.

"Canada’s provincial governments control liquor sales and wholesaling, and since early March have all banned US alcohol imports as well as most distribution and sales, including Manischewitz wine and Jack Daniel’s bourbon whiskey.

"Existing stocks have been taken off shelves across the country. Private stores, allowed to sell existing supplies, told Reuters their Manischewitz bottles were snapped up by shoppers soon after the provincial governments’ bans were announced.

"Aaron Bernstein of family-owned Bernstein’s Delicatessen, a Jewish food store and restaurant in Winnipeg in Western Canada, said he has had to tell patriotic Canadian shoppers that there are not domestically made versions of some kosher products.

"Canadian Jews seeking kosher wine to fulfill the ceremonial obligation might still find some Israeli wine in some government-operated liquor stores. Manitoba Liquor Marts offer three kosher wines, such as both red and white from the Galil Mountain Winery, a spokesperson said.

"To replace some US products, Bernstein said his deli has been ordering more products from Israel, but imports take longer to arrive because of the extended supply chain.

"For some Canadian Jews who keep kosher, the concern goes beyond missing holiday foods and extends to the risk of tariffs and higher prices on other staple products making groceries unaffordable."