Kosher Blog

Ooh, I can’t wait to have some of that Cabot cheddar!

on the interview post about cabot cheddar, the poster linked to a post by kosherbachelor about the difference btwn the OU kosher supervision and the tablet-K supervision…however that link is dead and i searched cabot on kosher bachelor and nothing came up, does anyone have any clue how i can find details on this and reasons why i should trust OU more than tablet-k?

thnx
r

In response to R’s question above, the difference between the OU’s supervision and Tablet K’s is that for cheese, the OU requires a mashgiach to supervise the entire cheesemaking process whereas the Tablet K does not have a mashgiach watching the cheesemaking process. Nearly all of today’s poskim (that I’m aware of) require cheese to follow a halacha known as Gevinas Yisroel, which means that the entire cheesemaking process is watched by a Torah observant Jew, regardless of the kosher status of the ingredients or equipment.

But other than the mashgiach watching the OU batches of Cabot, I don’t think there are any other differences between the OU and Tablet K runs.

Cabot openly stated that the only difference is the participation of an OU representative in the cheesemaking process. Think of this as a branding exercise.

It’s more than a branding exercise, Harlan — it’s halacha, and I’ll ask you once again to keep inconsiderate comments about those who take gevinat yisrael seriously off the Kosher Blog. I’ll reiterate a refrain from an older thread:

Some folks won’t eat my cheese because it’s not cholov yisroel — I don’t mind, that’s their choice. I won’t eat cheese that isn’t inculcated with rennet by an observant Jew — I hope that my friends in the Conservative movement can understand and respect that choice.

So, enough with the pot shots. I exhort anyone who’s unsure (or just curious) about which cheeses are permissable to begin a dialog with his or her rabbi on the matter.

See, http://www.koltorah.org/ravj/13-10%20Gevinat%20Akum%20-%20Part%20I.htm for a discussion of cheese making. The unanswered question however: if “soft cheese” which has a nominal amount of rennet incorporated is permissible without a mashgiach tamid, then why does this not apply where the rennet used is non-animal derived?

In terms of Harlan’s latest question of “The unanswered question however: if “soft cheese” which has a nominal amount of rennet incorporated is permissible without a mashgiach tamid, then why does this not apply where the rennet used is non-animal derived”, my answer to that is:

I know of several rabbis and poskim (for instance, Rabbi Genack of the OU, Rabbi Yitzchak Abadi, and the rav hamachshirim for several widely accepted hashagachos) who hold that the issue of gevinas yisroel (cheese being made by observant Jews or at the very least an observant Jew supervising the cheesemaking process) does not apply to soft cheeses such as cream cheese and cottage cheese. This is because those poskim in question don’t consider acid-set soft cheeses to be “real cheese”. But of the CURRENT poskim that are alive today, all of them that I’m aware of require an observant Jew to supervise the cheesemaking process for hard cheeses regardless of where the rennet came from.

I find it amazing that I’m able to find all sorts of cream cheeses with universally acceptable hashgachos in just about every regular grocery store and supermarket (even in really small Jewish communities). But I generally am not able to find universally kosher hard cheeses in the regular supermarkets here in Des Moines. About the only universally kosher hard cheese I can find at a regular grocery store here is the Capiellos braided cheese products. I need to go to the grocery fridge sections at either Maccabee’s Deli (the kosher meat deli restaurant here) or Kosher Express (a brand new dairy/pareve restaurant in town) to find hard cheeses with a universally acceptable hechsher.

I also find it interesting that there are plenty of cream cheese/cottage cheese companies with a universally accepted hechsher that are owned by non-Jews; but nearly all of the hard cheeses with universally accepted hechsherim are owned by observant Jews.

I don’t know about everyone else, but I’m thrilled at the prospect of a K-for-P cheddar that’s edible. This could make a big difference in the quality of my chol ha-moed meals.

I think consumer choice is great, and if enough people are willing to purchase the Cabot OU cheese at the increased price, then Cabot will have a good business incentive to produce more.

People of course have to follow their hearts and minds on the issue of Gevinat Yisrael; I don’t mock anyone for their position - but don’t try to tell me that my keeping the lenient position means I eat treif cheese. If so, I do so in the good company of many of the Tosafoth, and I can live with that reputation. I’m reminded of a terrible argument I once had with a good friend that is a Chabad rabbi: he stated that he couldn’t drink milk at my house even if I purchased him some CY (New Square), because to him my glasses weren’t kosher. My glasses (yes, made of real glass) weren’t kosher because I drink OU-D milk from them? That’s losing sight of the halacha for the forest of chumroth, and that I won’t accept, even from a friend.

Only Chabad follows the silly notion that non-CY kosher utensils are mamash treif.

Hey Anon -

Are we long lost brothers?

When did KRAFT chedder come under the OU ?

The new Cheese Flavored Triscuits have a proud display how they are using Kraft chedder and the package also has an OU on it.

One of the kraft shredded cheddar cheeses is kosher, iirc.

If Kraft cheese is made with microbial rennet, or some other rennet which is kosher by from the producer, it would seem to be simple to do what Cabot does which is run a limited production of OU certified product which could then be used for the rest of the year. It would seem the Shapes of the Cape cheese flavored product using Cabot chedder with OU oversight is the same.

It’s OU-P, but when will it be cholov yisroael?

I know of a Kosher cheese plant, built in 2003, that might be for sale (it is shut down right now) to someone who wants to move to picturesque Iowa and make cheese. It could source Old Order Amish can milk (free range cows, all HAND-MILKED) to make about 10,000 pounds of cheese per week. Plant currently meets all USDA and Kosher standards. It has produced prize-winning bleu cheese, and could make other types. But shut down due to internal management difficulties. Needs someone who can access big city cheese marketing channels. Relocate your family - if you would like a unique Jewish community, Postville Iowa is nearby. Serious calls to Mark 515-388-4171.

I see this is still available at
http://www.koshergourmetmart.com

Is it still Kosher for Pesach?
More importantly,
is it still recommended taste wise?