Educated Consumers II

MEHADRIN … CHASSIDISHE HASHGACHA … COMMUNITY HASHGACHA … NATIONAL AGENCY … CRCLIST, KOSHERQUEST LIST … EEK (EVERYONE EATS IT KOSHER) … DON’T EVEN DRINK HIS WATER! … CHASSIDISHE SHECHITA … PAS YISRAEL … YOSHON … MASHGIACH TEMIDI … YOTZAI V’NICHNAS …

These common terms are often heard in discussions about Kashrus. What do they actually mean?¹

BREAKING IT DOWN

There are over 1400 certifying rabbis and agencies worldwide, from very small community agencies to mega-conglomerates certifying manufacturing facilities on every continent.

Just as one wouldn’t buy a car, house, or even a computer without minimal research, the same should apply to the food we consume.

For many centuries, food production was (relatively) simple and local. Individuals grew their own produce, milked their cows daily, and baked their own bread. For those that didn’t, purchasing these items was usually a local affair from someone with whom you were familiar. Production of said items was fairly straightforward. Bread didn’t contain 15 ingredients, half of which you can’t pronounce; milk was milk without added vitamins, whose source is unknown to the end user. Juice was squeezed fresh and not pasteurized and bottled on equipment shared with other beverages of dubious origin.

For items that did require supervision, certification was granted by the local Rav, with whom everyone was familiar (See KVH article “The Origins of Kashrus Certification.”)

Today, Kashrus is so much more complex. Ingredient panels do not list the multitudinous sub-ingredients of modern food production. Food manufacturers produce non-Kosher items on the same lines as seemingly unproblematic items. Kashrus professionals today become expert in food chemistry and technology, data collection and sharing, business and communications, etc. The good news for the consumer is that just as one does not need a degree in engineering or computer science to purchase a laptop, but can simply explore consumer websites, and/or narrow down their specs to a short list, the same can be done for purchasing Kosher food in determining if it is supervised and certified by a reliable hashgacha.

HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN “EDUCATED CONSUMER”?

In recent years many lists have been published, such as Acceptable Kashrus Agencies (cRc)² and Navigating Hashgachos in Israel. However, not all lists are created equal.

There are some lists that attempt to rank Hashgachos in order of quality. One list actually has 7 levels – Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fairly Good, Mediocre, Sub-par, and Not Acceptable!

Such ratings are problematic for several reasons:

The differences between Hashgachos are too nuanced to be put on a scale. Every hashgacha has pluses and minuses. There are fields in which they excel and areas where they fall short. Some are common failings and some are unique to a specific organization, region, or product. Even in areas where one agency excels, there are often anomalies.

An agency’s rating likely based on very subjective information. Much of the information is likely anecdotal. For every horror story one hears about a specific agency or Rabbi, someone else has similar claims about a different agency that was ranked even higher.

What is one to do with that information? Even if all the information is objective, what is a consumer to do with the information that reads like a high school report card? In what instances can one consume “Good”, “Fairly Good” or even “Mediocre” or “Sub Par” products?

BASELINE STANDARDS

How, then, does one know which agencies to rely upon?

Due to the nature of industrial manufacturing and globalization, it is virtually impossible for the consumer to research individual products and factories to determine what is compatible with their personal standards.

Kashrus agencies and organizations should have clearly documented SOP’s (Standard Operating Procedures). Organizations such as AKO (Association of Kashrus Organizations)³ were founded to create a baseline for organizations themselves.

The cRc List is an example of a list with a fairly basic baseline. There is a specific set of criteria including, but not limited to, accepted halachic practice, rabbinical oversight, field personnel, and written policies and guides. An agency’s being listed simply means that it meets the criteria. If an agency is not on the list, this could be because they have not yet been audited, or because they have failed to meet the criteria for approbation.)

However…

That doesn’t mean all locations, products, and organizations are equal. Some challenging Kashrus issues don’t have a halakhic consensus. For example:

• Is Pas Yisroel required? For what product and what time of year? How is Pas Yisroel achieved?
• Is Yoshon a fundamental requirement, a stringency, or not necessary at all?
• What about Chalav Yisroel? How about DE (Dairy Equipment) designations?

These sample questions are only the beginning. There are differing opinions regarding enzyme sourcing, culture growth, and so much more.

If one is concerned with these issues, the key is to educate oneself and ask accordingly. For example, do you believe that there is a difference between a pilot light vs a heating element in creating Pas Yisroel? Arm yourself with that knowledge ahead of time from sources you trust. When you know what to ask, you are far more likely to be satisfied with the answer.

BASIC QUESTIONS TO ASK

As a general rule, KVH does not not comment about the general acceptability of other agencies, unless we have determined that a specific agency is deliberately acting in a way that is detrimental to accepted public standards or blatantly disregarding accepted halacha – such as certifying gevinas akum or gelatin sourced from non kosher animals – and/or misleading the public.

However, if one calls a certifying agency to inquire about a specific policy, such as Bedikas Tolaim, Bishul Yisroel or Hashgacha Temidis, and they respond only with a general answer that everything is at the highest standards, they are either negligently ignorant, being dishonest, or likely a combination of the two.

Here are some beginning questions to ask when inquiring about a Kashrus agency’s standards:

1. Who is their Rav haMachshir?
2. Who is their posek when questions arise?
3. Do they know and keep track of who is responsible for Kashrus at every location the agency certifies at any given moment?
4. Do they provide mandatory annual mashgiach training for all food service personnel?
5. Do they have a system of rigorous oversight over our mashgichim and not leave them to their own judgment.
6. Do route supervisors or rabbinic coordinators check in on food service locations at least once a week – many at least twice weekly and some daily – to watch mashgichim and ensure protocols are being followed?
7. Do they have a digital reporting system for every shift a mashgiach works so that data can be imputed, tracked, and reports can be generated?

At the KVH, we can answer in the affirmative to all these questions, and catch mistakes if and when they happen

This is not to say that a hashgacha not conforming to this list is not acceptable. However, this list is an example of a baseline from which to investigate certification practices and assess an agency, organization, or individual rav hamachshir’s reliability.

PERSONAL STANDARDS

When someone inquires about the acceptability of KVH’s Kashrus, I’ll often ask them what their personal standards are at home. If they rely on their local Vaad and eat at restaurants with any national hashgacha, they can rely on our certification carte blanche. We work hard to make sure that we meet, if not exceed, the baseline requirements of the AKO, cRc, and others who create “reliability lists,” based on transparency, corroborating research, and audits.

If someone asks a specific question, whether it be regarding Pas Yisroel and Bishul Yisroel standards, Yoshon, insect checking etc… we respond accordingly.

If someone asks about other agencies, we recommend the following….

• If you have specific customs, educate yourself in how to ask questions related to those customs.
• If you’re part of a specific community, whether chassidish, yeshivish, Lubavitch, centrist, or Modern Orthodox, reach out to your Rebbe, rabbi, local Chabad Shluchim, or the regional rabbinical leadership of your community.
• If you’re a Kollel yungerman, a call to the local Rosh Kollel is probably a good first step.

Don’t rely on hearsay – even if the source is a good friend of yours in your affiliated community. Their personal hanhaga may not reflect the reality of what you should be doing.

Remember, the only bad question is one that wasn’t asked!

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