Kosher Blog

Silk Soy Creamer

I first learned about soy creamer from a blog called A Vegan Ice Cream Paradise. My local supermarkets don’t carry it, but I recently stopped by a store in a different neighborhood and found that it carries Silk brand creamer, which is marked “100% vegan.” Alas, it is also marked OU-D. Those who follow such matters know that the OU http://outest.org/index.php/faqs/no longer uses the “DE” (dairy equipment) designation, instead marking all dairy equipment products “D,” and this was clearly one such case. Normally, when I encounter an OU-D on a product that I suspect isn’t actually dairy, I just grumble and go on my way, but this time I was so sure that the creamer was really parve that I bought it anyway. When I got home, I went to the Silk Website and found the following in the FAQ:

Are Silk products dairy-free?
All Silk products including Silk Creamer and Silk Live!™ Soy Yogurt are completely dairy-free and safe for people with dairy allergies. None of our ingredients are made from animal products, by-products or derivatives. Our natural flavors do not contain any dairy or other animal products.

And then there was this:

Are Silk products kosher?
All Silk brand products in all flavors are certified Kosher OU-D. Kosher OU-D certifies that a dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy, and designates that dairy-free products heated on equipment also used for dairy may not be eaten together with a meat product. It may be eaten immediately after a meat product, but not together [my emphasis].

Finally:

Since Silk products are dairy-free, why is the Kosher certification OU-D?
All Silk products including Silk Creamer and Silk Live!™ Soy Yogurt are completely dairy-free and safe for people with dairy allergies. While Silk soy products do not contain dairy ingredients, they may be produced on equipment that also produces dairy products. Silk follows strict allergen cleanup procedures to ensure products made on shared equipment are dairy-free.

Silk is certified Kosher OU-D, meaning they are dairy-free products made on dairy equipment.

In case you didn’t get it:

The D designates that the dairy-free product was heated on equipment also used for dairy and may not be eaten together with a meat product. It may be eaten immediately after a meat product, but not together [emphasis mine].

So there you have it. You can eat it immediately after a meat product, but not together.

I e-mailed the OU just to be 200% sure, and they confirmed that all Silk products are parve but made on dairy equipment. The e-mailer added the following:

You will not find the DE designation on a product certified by the OU. The OU designates dairy-free products made on dairy equipment with the ‘OU-D’ symbol and not ‘DE’ (Dairy Equipment). This due to the fact that the OU has seen that in industrial applications, very rarely is a proper cleanup performed after a dairy run before the Pareve run. As a result there is a problem of dairy residue entering the so-called Pareve product.

This seems reasonable to me, but I would not worry about it in the case of Silk products, since the company is adamant about its products being safe for those with dairy allergies, which requires an extremely high level of cleanliness. And of course, the OU says that you can have them after meat. So you can have them after meat.

According to R. Eidlitz, D.E. products are considered nat bar nat, so hot creamer should not come into contact with meat equipment. Therefore, you should not pour silk creamer into steaming hot coffee in a meat cup, but you can pour it into steaming hot coffee in a dairy cup and drink it after a meat meal (but not together). You can also make this ice cream* and eat it after a meat meal. Just be sure to do the cooking in a dairy saucepan and let the mixture cool before pouring it into your ice cream maker (which the manufacturers recommend, anyway).**

*I’m sure that some people find the very idea of vegan cheesecake ice cream disgusting, and I have to admit that it’s not for everyone, but I think it’s delicious. I’m excited to try more recipes from the site.
**I suspect that there are varying opinions on this subject, so consult a trusted halakhic advisor if you are inclined to investigate it further. There may also be a difference between Sephardi and Ashkenazi practice. (I am no expert on this subject. This is just guesswork based on what I’ve read. Ask someone who knows.)

Summer 2008 Kosher Slurpee List

The Summer 2008 Kosher Slurpee list from the Star-K is out. Even available as a handy PDF. Just promise me you’ll read this blog post (from The Jew and the Carrot) first. Mmmmm, slurpees.

Life imitates art?

Around this time last year, we “reported” on a peculiar new symbol from the OU, and we’ve just come upon something equally as strange:

The new Barilla product labeling seems to bear an “OU Sauce” heksher! Some new chumra we’re not familiar with?

The Kashrut of Whisky

Alan Lazerow offers two great articles on the kashrut issues of whisky. The first, a two-parter, explains whisky production and implications for kashrut in great detail — geared toward those light on whisky knowledge but comfortable with halachic terms. The second is a reformulation for the Scotch Blog, which leaves out the whisky background and uses more accessible Jewish terminology.

• Kosher Whisky, Part I (Production)
• Kosher Whisky, Part II (Aging & Maturation)
• Whisky and Orthodox Jews

UPDATE: Alan also makes the Kosher Blog’s day with his report on Bailey’s Irish Cream:

I, of course, cannot speak for your local rabbinic authority. All I can do is report that the product sold in the UK, which is 100% kosher, is the same product, from the same machinery, as the contents of a bottle that you can find in your local liquor store here in America. Cheers!

Kosher Kahlua returns (When it rains, it pours…)

On the coattails of news that Starbucks coffee liqueur would receive OU certification, Kosher Today reports that Kahlua Licor de Cafe will once again be certified kosher:

Kahlua liqueur will once again be available as kosher when bearing the OU on the label. This OU certification is at the moment only for Kahlua – Licor De Café with the Spanish label/produced in Mexico. This product with the OU will be available in several weeks in Mexico, at Duty Free shops around the world and possibly at other specialized locations. Many kosher consumers complained bitterly when Kahlua removed the OU several years ago.

The product is listed in the OU’s “Newly Certified” section. Too bad you can’t carry liquids onto planes these days.

(Thanks, Paul!)

FAQ: Starbucks

Every so often, someone asks about what’s okay to drink at Starbucks cafes. Though the information is readily available elsewhere on the Internet, I am reposting here what the Star-K recommends:

Kosher Protocol at Coffee Shops
Due to the flood of consumer inquiries regarding what may and may not be purchased at local coffee shops such as Starbucks, we have compiled the following guidelines:

• All unflavored, roasted coffees (both regular and decaf), may be purchased in a disposable cup. Sugar may be added. Milk (not creamer) may be added, and is cholov stam.
• Creamers and flavors may be added separately after the consumer verifies that the label of the original container of these items bear reliable certification.
• Only packaged food items bearing reliable certification may be purchased.
• At Starbucks, bottled beverages bearing a KD are certified kosher, dairy, cholov stam, by R’ Zevulun Charlop.
• Frapuccino, whipped toppings, and other beverages prepared in coffee shops are not recommended since they are made in carafes/pump pots that are not exclusively used for kosher beverages.

R’ Eliezer Eidletz of KosherQuest.org recommends the following:

Coffee Shops often seem to be growing at a faster rate than the general population. When there is kosher certification on a whole coffee shop it is very easy for the kosher consumer to peruse their menu and order whatever they choose. However, many of the popular coffee shops today (such as Starbucks) sell some kosher coffee, but also carry many non-kosher items, flavorings and drinks. As a general rule, plain unflavored coffee (regular or decaf), in many types of roasts (such as French Roast etc.) does not present a kashrus problem. The main concern in such drinks would be that they be served in a disposable cup and stirred with a disposable utensil.

Patrons may even add milk if they are not particular about cholov yisroel. The small cream containers often display the kosher certification (such as O/U) and one has only to check the container for the reliable hashgacha. As a pareve alternative, many coffee shops also carry pareve soy milk, which too must be checked to ascertain that it is, in fact, under proper kosher supervision. Unless the sugar used is flavored, that too does not pose a kashrus challenge. However, a real problem in non-certified coffee shops are flavored coffees. Flavoring is often derived from non-kosher sources and therefore must bear a reliable certification. Some of these non-certified coffee shops actually use coffee flavorings bearing OK, OK-Dairy, or OU symbols, while others use flavorings with no kosher certification at all. In order to determine this, one must ask to examine the bottle of flavoring used in the flavored coffee to check for the presence of the hashgacha. In an unsupervised shop, this must be a ritual that is repeated each time one orders a cup of flavored coffee as the store can change the source of their flavoring at any given time. Therefore, if a coffee shop is not under reliable kosher supervision, the kosher consumer may purchase any unflavored plain coffee, or ask (each time) to see the bottle(s) of flavoring or topping used in a drink to look for a reliable hashgacha.

As with everything, ask your rabbi. Since coffee shop trends vary from region to region, you may be surprised to learn what is or isn’t permissible in your neighborhood.

Should poison bear a heksher?

Apologies for my absence these last several weeks. I’ve been working long hours and also trying to eat in a healthier, less indulgent manner so, regrettably, my usual hobbies of cooking, eating, and blogging have fallen by the wayside.

Some time ago, I noticed in my medicine cabinet a bottle of rubbing alcohol with a Kof-K heksher. It seemed only slightly peculiar, so it fell to the recesses of my mind. A question sent to the blog about an OU-certified Shoprite variety restirred my curiosity: does rubbing alcohol present any particular kashrut concerns that would require it to fall under religious supervision?

The answer to that question, I learned, is a firm “no,” but the Orthodox Union’s response left me unsettled, as most of their measured, political responses do.

We certify many products that don’t necessarily require a certification, Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol being one of them. The company may choose to certify a non-edible product as kosher as a sure sign of cleanliness. We do, however, make certain, once we are already certifying the product, that there are no animal derivatives or the like in the alcohol.

My discomfort manifests in three regards, listed by increasing severity.

Distortion of Kashrut Certification. I’ve often seen in kosher-related marketing materials that every-day consumers, Jewish or not, see kosher certification as a sign of “cleanliness” akin to the Good Houskeeping seal of approval. While it makes for quaint chatter, kosher certification is nothing of the sort. Kosher-certified means, plainly, “assured to be prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws.” Our non-Jewish lactose-intolerant friends, for example, should be encouraged to use the “pareve” distinction to assure absence of dairy ingredients, but we must resist representing “kosher” beyond its true essence.

Irrelevant Use of Kashrut Certification. If Jewish dietary law does not impact a product’s fitness for use, no form of kosher certification should be made available. We’ve witnessed this on the blog before, regarding chicken eggs; additionally, there is a specific group of foods which absolutely does not require supervision (known as “Category One” items), and yet many can be found with hekshers.

Disregard for Life-Threatening Danger. Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol is poisonous, affecting both the central nervous system (headache, dizziness, confusion) and gastrointestinal system (abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, gastritis), with the potential to cause blindness, coma, or death. There are three classes of people who are inclined to consume isopropyl alcohol: alcoholics, children, and those who attempt suicide. Imagine, heaven forbid, a Jewish child or a Jewish alcoholic who is unfamiliar with the aforementioned risks but notices that this bottle of “alcohol” has an OU or Kof-K heksher — it’s “kosher,” so it must be safe to drink, right? All of a sudden, a pseudo-righteous desire to assure “no animal derivatives or the like in the alcohol” has become lethal.

Like me, you may be quick to blame these certifiers for stepping beyond the bounds of kashrut supervision, but the blame is not entirely theirs. I had the great pleasure to speak at length to a rabbinic representative from the Kof-K regarding the matter, and he described the complexities of his work. It often starts with a well-meaning, but uneducated consumer. Mr. Cohen, while visiting his local supermarket, asks a clerk if the store carries kosher-certified peppercorns (a product which you and I know does not need certification). The well-meaning clerk, who hasn’t a clue, informs his supervisor that a customer wanted kosher-certified peppercorns but couldn’t find it. The well-meaning supervisor passes the information to the store’s regional purchasing director, and the well-meaning director, eager to bring better products into his stores, asks his spice supplier if they carry kosher-certified peppercorns. The well-meaning supplier, aware that future business with the supermarket chain could be riding on this request, assures the purchasing director that he can deliver — “my garlic powder has certification, why not get it for peppercorns, too?” So, the supplier calls up his friendly rabbinic supervisor and says he needs his peppercorns certified. “They don’t need certification, they’re kosher as is,” insists the rabbi. “Well, my buyer wants them certified,” replies the supplier. The rabbi reiterates, “They’re naturally kosher, I’d be ripping you off to certify them.” “Okay, so let me put your symbol on it for free,” suggests the supplier, but the rabbi can’t allow that either — a heksher is a valuable trademark. So, at the end of our well-meaning road to irrelevant certification, the rabbi, committed to serving (and retaining) his clients, levies a nominal surcharge so his heksher can appear on the supplier’s peppercorns, and everyone — the rabbi, the supplier, the director, the supervisor, the clerk, the customer — is happy with the newly-certified product. The price hasn’t changed, and the symbol probably attracts a few other enthusiastic (and ignorant) customers — but kashrut at its essence suffers as a result.

So, step one: become a better-educated consumer! Know what products are kosher without supervision (I’m in the process of compiling some of that information, stay tuned). Keep your rabbi on speed-dial if you have a question while in the supermarket.

Step two: become a more active consumer! If you find a product with a clearly irrelevant heksher, contact the producer and let them know they don’t need the symbol to get your business, and tell them why. While you’re at it, carbon-copy the kashrut agency or write them a separate message questioning their decision to certify.

Step three: pressure the kashrut industry! In addition the per-product agitation, push the industry as a whole (i.e. the Association of Kashrus Organizations) to adopt and publicize uniform standards on what they will or won’t certify. If there’s no chance Agency B will certify peppercorns, then Agency A needn’t worry that his client will jump ship over the matter. As for non-edible items with kashrut or kashrut-esque concerns, like dish detergent or pet food, perhaps certifiers should adopt alternative symbols that indicate some conformance with Jewish law but do not suggest any fitness for consumption.

It would be a real tragedy if serious harm had to befall a Jewish child or alcoholic before such policies change.

Aren’t we already eating buffalo over here?

While we’ve all be munching on buffalo for some time now here in the States, occasional contributor Danny reports that Israel’s chief Sephardi rabbi has declared kosher the consumption of buffalo.

Why the separate consideration? As far as I understand, in these parts, we enjoy furry American Buffalo, of the genus Bison, whereas Israel has access to Water Buffalo, of the genus Bubalus.

Good news for Israel’s buffalo industry and Italian Jewish community which, according to Arutz Sheva, uses them to this day for their milk and meat.

Also mentioned in the article: Yak is next! Mmm, yak!

Get Your Quinoa Now!

It’s headed for the ever-expanding kitniyot list. Discussions here, here, and here.

“Kosher” Dunkin Donuts stores serving pork get outed

While the controversy over Ner Tamid’s certification of Dunkin Donuts locations is well known to the kosher community, it seems to have finally spilled over into the secular press. New York Magazine reports:

When is a restaurant that serves bacon considered kosher? To most Orthodox rabbis, the answer is easy: never. But Staten Island rabbi Dov Hazdan has been granting his own kosher certification to city Dunkin’ Donuts franchises that have served bacon, ham, and sausage, the trayf trifecta. “The meats all come prepackaged,” says Hazdan. “The employees have to wear gloves. I do not condone mixing kosher with nonkosher.” In Manhattan, Hazdan has also given his ner tamid K stamp to Pongal Vegetarian, an Indian restaurant that operates during the Jewish Sabbath, another no-no among the pork police. Hazdan was recently fired as the kosher supervisor at a Dunkin’ franchise on 34th Street after it received complaints from the Yeshiva University community about the rabbi and the pork. Spokesmen for the four top kosher-certifying agencies said they would never approve a restaurant that served nonkosher meats or operated on the Sabbath. “Who knows what goes on behind the counter?” says one Staten Island rabbi of Hazdan-approved shops. Hazdan insists his methods are 100 percent kosher. “I know a lot of people with beards who go into my stores,” he says.