OK Kashrus Administrator is Special Guest on Zev Brenner Show

On Monday evening, March 26, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, CEO and Kashrus Administrator of OK Kosher Certification, along with OK Rabbinic Coordinator, Rabbi Yitzchak Hanoka, appeared as special guests on the Zev Brenner show.

Brenner spoke with Rabbi Levy and Rabbi Hanoka about various kashrus concerns and current events in the kashrus world. One of the main kashrus issues covered by Rabbi Levy is the use of “Kosher Books” for Passover. These “Kosher Books” list household products and food products that do not have a Passover designation on the label, but are permissible for Passover. The “Kosher Books” also discuss cosmetics and medications that are, or are not, acceptable for use during Passover. Rabbi Levy explained the OK’s position on “Kosher Books,” saying he is not in favor of their use. He spoke about his father, Rabbi Berel Levy (ob”m), who was the first Kashrus Administrator to visit factories in the Far East, because he insisted on personally checking out every detail of the facility’s operations, including double-checking all of their ingredients.

The authors of the “Kosher Books” often sit behind a desk, writing letters to companies asking about the ingredients in each of the products they produce. Without visiting the plant, it is impossible to know exactly what goes in to every product. Once, a Chocolate company in Germany left off a non-kosher ingredient from the ingredient list they submitted to the OK, but the formula for that chocolate had the non-kosher ingredient listed in the recipe. That’s how we were able to catch the problem. Also, most people who work in the companies do not know exactly what the products/ingredients they use are made from. Is the starch made from wheat, corn, or potato? They don’t know. They know what you can do with the product/ingredient, but they don’t necessarily know how it was made.

Companies with many ingredients (pharmaceuticals, flavors, etc.) have to be constantly checked. Even if the person writing the “Kosher Book” did get correct information from the companies, the book comes out a month before Pesach. Publishing the “Kosher Book” requires layout, graphics, printing, and mailing. That takes time. He started compiling the book many months before Pesach. What if things changed in the factory after his research and before Pesach?

Another problem with the “Kosher Book” is that it often lists critical, life-saving medications as containing chometz. For example, a person who works for the OK in Belgium was at a Rabbinic Conference and someone there wanted to discuss kosher medicines. A leading Sephardic Rabbi told a story: “There was a boy (a yeshiva bochur) who was taking life-saving medications prescribed by doctor. The boy saw in a “Kosher Book” that his medication was ch’shash chometz (possibly chometz). I am coming from his levaya right now. I don’t want to discuss kosher medicines.” The booklets include medicines that are for life-threatening conditions and then a person decides to stop taking his life-saving medicine. If the list is only for paper, washcloths, toilet paper, cups, etc. Fine. But to put in medicines that are life-saving medicines (psychological medicines, heart medicines, diabetes medicines) is irresponsible. People decide, on their own, to be machmir and then hurt themselves or die as a result. This is a very big sakana. Any medicine that is life-saving a Rav will permit on Pesach.

Rabbi Levy also discussed the need for Ashkenazic Jews to be careful about Kosher for Pesach products that are certified by Sephardic Rabbis. He once got a call from person involved in kashrus in Canada. The Rabbi asked about a European hechsher, and Rabbi Levy told him it is a Sephardic organization. Then Rabbi Levy related a story, “In Eretz Yisrel last year, I picked up a cake, and noticed that the third ingredient was flour. The cake was Kosher L’Pesach cake and it had flour. The cake was also made with fruit juices. According to Beis Yosef (Sephardic), this is permissible. So the hechsher was acceptable for Sephardic Jews. But, Ashkenazim might not realize that and eat this product, which is not acceptable for Pesach for Ashkenazim.

Brenner and Rabbi Levy also spoke about current kashrus issue regarding coatings on fruits and vegetables. Rabbi Levy explained that we have on our staff a full-time chemist, Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish, who has done a lot of research on this subject. He found that the coatings pose possible kashrus and Pesach problems. There were three problematic ingredients found. Coatings with Morpholine Oleate, made from Oleic Acid, can be made from animal or vegetable derivatives. This coating is used on apples, lemons, oranges, peaches, nectarines, plums, cantaloupes and pears. The company we researched claimed they use only vegetable based Oleic Acid. We do not want to take responsibility – just because the company told us it is vegetable based does not mean that it is always going to be vegetable based.

Coatings with Sorbitan Monostearate, made from Sorbitol and Stearic Acid, can also be problematic. Stearic Acid can be animal or vegetable based and Sorbitol can be chometz based. This coating is used on pineapple, peaches, nectarines and plums. Many people feel that it is more machmir not to buy ready-made orange juice for Pesach, but make their own on Pesach. If chometz falls in to the juice while you are making orange juice on Pesach, that chometz is not botul.

In addition, citrus fruits can also be coated with coating that contains casein, which is dairy based (a problem for those who keep Cholov Yisroel, or when the citrus fruit is used for a pareve or meat meal). Companies making orange juice do not have oranges coated with a coating that contains casein, but oranges sold in store may be coated with this coating. Also, if lemon, lime or orange slices are used in beverages, the coating must be washed off. Finally, if you use freshly grated citrus rind in your baked goods, be sure to remove the coating. All of these coatings can be removed when the fruits and vegetables are washed with soap and water. (Veggie Wash is kitniyos, so you should not use it during Passover.)

For more information on kashrus and OK certified products or to download your free Vegetable Checking Guide, please visit the OK website: http://www.ok.org, or email info@ok.org. The OK wishes you all a Kosher and Joyous Passover holiday.