Spotted: Star-K on Whole Foods Cheddar
KBlog reader Emily sent in this shot – will have to check if Boston-area WFMs have this kosher item.
Update: Found the Star-K’s letter of certification.
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KBlog reader Emily sent in this shot – will have to check if Boston-area WFMs have this kosher item.
Update: Found the Star-K’s letter of certification.
That’s not the Star-K. It’s a different hechsher.
Oops, I commented prematurely! According to this list,
http://www.kashrut.com/agencies/
It’s the symbol for NCYI’s hechsher, which is administered by the Star-K.
Nevermind
Has anyone checked with the Star-D that this is in fact a valid symbol on this product?
I haven’t seen it in Boston but I’ve seen this cheese in the south including at Whole Foods flagship store in Austin. Theoretically exciting but actually not that good. There are much better kosher cheddars these days.
No, Carolyn, you were right the first time. The Star-D is a different hechsher from the Star-K. It’s run by them on behalf of Young Israel, but it’s not their own hechsher, because it doesn’t meet their standards. Any product with a Star-D could not get a Star-K. (Generally the standard it fails is that of chalav yisrael.)
Star D is run by Star K and i am sure the folk from Baltimore make sure they recoup every dollar. I am sure the cheddar does not meet any standard of note. As far as the Star K standards go, they seem to achieve a mehudar standard when commenting about other agencies. I have asked them a number of questions and they have not even bothered responding.
It’s pretty lame stuff- no flavor to speak of, very neutral. My wife bought a pack for my birthday, and shouldn’t have bothered.
This product has been around for some time. I agree that it isn’t anything special. Mild cheddar is the only kosher cheddar we can get out there; but most of us buy the Tillamook kosher rather than this product.
Whole Foods has had some other cheeses with this hechser; and there is at least one other brand of cheddar with this hechsher that we’ve seen.
The Star-D hechsher has been around for some time, too. The only difference is that it allows the use of chalav stam instead of chalav yisrael. Star-K’s own website says, “The Star-D is a kashrus symbol of the National Council of Young Israel (NCYI). The Star-K, in its relationship with the NCYI, administers the kashrus of the Star-D. All Star-D products are dairy – cholov stam (non-cholov Yisroel).”