News and Alerts from Various Agencies

From the Atlanta Kashruth Commission: Broadway Cafe is now at its expanded new location (the old Pizza Palace) 2157 Briarcliff Road. 404-329-0888. It is open after Shabbos until midnight. Sundays -Thursdays from 11 am - 9 pm, Fridays 11 am - 3 pm. The AKC does not recommend the KORC certification. Lettuce products with this certification have been found to have have insects and require additional washing and checking. There are some websites listing kosher products from Starbucks. The AKC does not recommend any site that does not quote a reliable halachic authority. From Kosher Miami: Kikar Tel Aviv located at 5001 Collins Avenue in Miami Beach is no longer certified by Kosher Miami. "Yotvata" has recently been added to the list of establishments certified by Kosher Miami, The Vaad HaKashrus of Miami-Dade. Yotvata is a Cholov Yisroel dairy restaurant located at 18450 West Dixie Highway in North Miami Beach. Phone (305) 682-7879. For a complete list of certified establishments, please visit our web site at koshermiami.org From the Kof-K Michelle Baking, Franklin Park, IL is no longer to be considered pas yisroel as per the Kof-K. Due to a change in operations effective immediately The Baker Brand breads and rolls are no longer to be considered PAS YISROEL. They are still certified Kof-K pareve pas palter. The dairy designation was inadvertently omitted from Rapunzel Brand Chocolate Chips. The product is Kof-K Dairy. Corrective measures are being taken. From the Queens Vaad: Haim's international Health Foods, loacted at 141-04 77th Rd., Flushing, NY, is no longer under the supervision of the Vaad Harabonim of Queens. VHQ Welcomes Grill Xpress, 72-28 Main Street Flushing, NY 11367. VHQ Welcomes Piyaz Glatt Kosher Restaurant,189-23 Union Turnpike Flushing, NY 11366. All varieties and sizes of Kedem Grape Juice may be considered Mevushal according to Rav Moshe Feinstein z"l except for the 1.5 liter glass bottles which are not Mevushal. From the Scroll-K The National Bacon Salt produced by J&D Bacon Salt of Seattle, Washington is certified Scroll-K dairy; however, the dairy designation was inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be corrected and will bear the Scroll-K-D designation Some varieties of Hammond's Candies that are certified as Scroll-K DE do not bear the DE designation. There are no Hammond's Candies that are certified as Scroll-K Pareve. Any Hammond's Candies product that bears a Scroll-K Pareve symbol, should be considered Scroll-K DE. From OK Kosher Certification: Gilgal Merlot Wine, imported from Romania, bears an unauthorized OK symbol on the label. OK Kosher Certification does not certify this product or company. If any consumer sees a bottle with the unauthorized OK symbol, please call the OK Kosher office (718-756-7500). Air Stream Foods in Oceanside, NY, producers of packaged fruits and vegetables, is not certified by the OK Kosher Certification. Lightlife Foods produces both kosher-certified and non-kosher products. Only products bearing the OK symbol on the label are certified kosher by OK Kosher Certification. Please check labels carefully before purchasing. Pomona's Universal Pectin was mistakenly labeled with the OK Kosher symbol. The product is not certified by OK Kosher Certification. Packaging is being corrected. Monsieur Papa Mango Nectar, product of Egypt, distributed by Haribo Foods, Miami, FL is being sold with an unauthorized OK symbol. This product is NOT certified by the OK Kosher Certification.

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Recall: Nestle Nesquik Strawberry Powder

Nestlé USA Voluntarily Recalling Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder in U.S. and Puerto Rico Nestlé USA is voluntarily recalling two (2) production codes of Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder 21.8 ounce that may contain small fragments of aluminum. The recall only includes two (2) production codes of 21.8-ounce containers of Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder. Printed on the bottom of each plastic container is a production code of “82255880” or “82265880” with a best by date of “August 2010.” No other Nestlé Nesquik products or production codes of Nestlé Nesquik Strawberry Powder are affected by this recall. The products were produced on August 12 and 13 and were distributed in the U.S. and in Puerto Rico. This product is certified OU-D. Consumers who have this product at home can return it to the store where it was purchased for a refund. Consumers with questions about the recall should call Nestlé Consumer Services Center at 888-637-4345. Nestlé apologizes for any inconvenience experienced by our valued consumers and retail customers.

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cRc alerts: Flavor Shakes & Anheuser-Busch Beer Products

From the Chicago Rabbinical Council We would like to welcome a new restaurant to the cRc family: Taami Restaurant, 2931 West Touhy, Chicago, Illinois 60645. Effective immediately, all products manufactured by Flavor Shakes, Inc, are no longer under the certification of the cRc, even when bearing the cRc on the label. This includes products under the “7 in 1 Cookie Kit” label and “Chef Select” Bread Dipping Sauce. Anheuser-Busch Beer Products Mott’s, a division of Dr Pepper/Snapple Group, sells a beverage called Clamato which contains clam powder, and Anheuser-Busch recently introduced a beverage called Chelada which is a mixture of Budweiser beer and Clamato. In recent months, Kashrus Magazine wrote that since Chelada is tunnel pasteurized on the same equipment as other beer products, the public should avoid all Budweiser products until the process is “inspected by a competent kashrus expert”. [While investigating the issue of Chelada, we also became aware of a related issue stemming from another Anheuser-Busch product called “Bud Light Lime”]. The cRc, which certifies many items produced in the same plant as the Clamato, investigated this concern via visiting the plants where Clamato and Chelada are produced, reviewing formulas, extensive discussions with the companies, and independent research. The following are our conclusions: § Anheuser-Busch beers sold in bottles are free and clear of any concerns. § Dr Pepper has already made changes to the production of the Clamato used in Chelada, without changing its basic recipe, so that Anheuser-Busch beers sold in cans will also be acceptable. § The kosher status of Anheuser-Busch beers are not affected by the Bud Light Lime beverage bottled on shared equipment. All flavored beers require a reliable hashgacha. At the present time, both the Lime and the Chelada beers are not certified kosher. Please note that the status of beer packed in kegs and sold “on tap” has the same status as beer sold in bottles. The rationale for these conclusions are beyond the scope of this statement, and will be presented to kashrus professionals at their AKO Conference to be held on November 13, 2008. For a more detailed report, please visit our website at http://www.crcweb.org (PDF)

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Beth Din of Johannesburg Alerts

From the Beth Din of Johannesburg: Some boxes of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies have been labeled as milchik, in error. The product remains Parev. Kellogg’s have apologised for the error and will correct it in their next print run. The following I&J Catch of the Day products are all kosher and parev without the BD logo on the packaging. · Catch of the Day: Cape Salmon (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day: Chilean Salmon or Alaskan Salmon (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day: Cob (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day: Hake (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day : Oak Smoked Sliced Skinless Norwegian Salmon (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day : Smoked Angelfish (not mehadrin) · Catch of the Day : Smoked Kippers (not mehadrin) · Catch of the Day : Smoked Peppered Mackerel (not mehadrin) · Catch of the Day : Smoked Salmon Bites - Peppercorn & Dill (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day : Smoked Salmon Bites - Rich Golden Syrup (mehadrin) · Catch of the Day: Yellow Tail (mehadrin)

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COR Alerts and Yoshon Update

From the Kashruth Council of Canada: Italian Home Bakery Cheese Topped Buns are no longer under COR supervision. This product should not be used even when bearing a COR symbol. The following products were inadvertently labelled with a COR 595. These products are not kosher certified: Quaker Bite Size Crispy Minis BBQ Flavour Pack Size: 120g (6x20g packs) UPC: 0 55577 10931 1 Quaker Bite Size Crispy Minis Cheddar Flavour Pack Size: 120g (6x20g packs) UPC: 0 55577 10930 4 Steps have been taken by the company to remove the kosher designation. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has informed us that they are satisfied with the sanitization of the cheese production facililities which may have been contaminated with Listeria. The cheeses that were affected and are now cleared for consumption by the CFIA are: Ivanhoe and Great Canadian - Cheddar, Marble, Asiago, Gouda, Swiss, Parmesan, Mozzarella, Colby, Brick, Feta. Presidents Choice Grape Juice .89 litre carton with date code 09JA03 bears an unauthorized COR 624. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT KOSHER.All other date codes are acceptable. UNICO MIXED PICKLED VEGETABLES was labeled with an unauthorized COR. Action has been taken to correct future labeling. McCall's Bakers Warehouse 507 Rainbow Chips have been inadvertently labeled without a "dairy" designation. This product contains whey and is dairy. Action has been taken to correct future packaging. DAVID'S HANDMADE ASSORTED TRUFFLES in 60 and 120 gram boxes should not be used even when bearing a COR symbol. These boxes may contain non-kosher product. Click here for Yoshon Update #1, dated October 10, 2008. The Kosher CORner Newsletter - October 2008 - the latest on industry developments, kashrus information, and articles of interest to consumers.

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OU New Programs & New Kosher Alerts

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND: OU KOSHER TO PRESENT WEBCAST, 'KOSHER HOME, SWEET HOME, PART II' NOVEMBER 25 ON OU RADIO “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” was former President Harry S. Truman’s slogan. “If all your questions weren’t answered, get back in the kitchen,” may be the motto of OU Kosher’s upcoming webcast “Kosher Home, Sweet Home, Part II,” to take place Tuesday, November 25 at 2:00 p.m. EST on ouradio.org. Once again, OU Kosher’s halachic poskim, Rabbi Yisroel Belsky and Rabbi Hershel Schachter, will respond to questions about the intricacies of maintaining a kosher kitchen. The first “Kosher Home, Sweet Home,” was webcast on May 29 and drew an audience in the thousands, as the poskim responded to questions submitted prior to the program. But time did not permit many of the submitted questions to be answered, bringing on requests for a second webcast. The November 25 session is the response. It may be accessed at http://www.ou.org/ouradio/webcast. Questions in May included those pertaining to ovens, the microwave, use of non-Jewish help in kitchen, kosherization of various materials, kosher travel, using the same oven for dairy and pareve, and use of warming drawers on the Sabbath. The responses, intricate yet explained in a manner easily understood by the audience, may be found on the archived webcast on www.ouradio.org. “In response to the overwhelming participation and feedback to last spring’s ‘Kosher Home, Sweet Home,’ the OU Kosher webcast when hundreds of questions were received and thousands of listeners tuned in worldwide, and considering the countless requests to allow for more kitchen-related questions to be asked,” we have scheduled Part II, declared Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher Senior Rabbinic Coordinator and Vice President of Communications and Marketing. The webcast is part of OU Kosher’s continuing and ever-growing educational outreach to the community, which includes the “OU Kosher Coming to Schools and Communities” program, and the highly informative and entertaining Kosher Tidbits postings, now numbering 125 on OU Radio. The most recent video Tidbit is on kosher wine certification, featuring Rabbi Nachum Rabinowitz. As with the May webcast, the audience is invited to submit questions. Prior to the webcast they may be sent to Rabbi Safran at safrane@ou.org, fax 212-613-0775; during the webcast they may be sent to Rabbi Eliyahu W. Ferrell at ferrelle@ou.org, fax 212-613-0701. OU KOSHER TO PRESENT PROGRAM ON MESORAH OF BIRDS AT YESHIVA UNIVERSITY, THANKSGIVING DAY More than 50 exotic birds, including pygmy pouters, frizzles, Rhode Island reds, runts, silkies, the ring neck dove, the red jungle fowl, and everyone’s favorite, the melanistic mutant pheasant, will be on display Thanksgiving Day when the Orthodox Union’s “OU Kosher Coming” program, together with Yeshiva University’s Kollel Yom Rishon will present; “Encountering the Living Mesorah: Kosher Birds and their Mutations,” at Yeshiva University, Thursday, November 27 from 9:45 a.m.-12:00 noon in Furst Hall, Room 501, 500 West 185th Street. The program is open to the public, not just the Yeshiva University community, and is the latest in a series in which OU Kosher rabbinic experts visit schools, synagogues or institutions, or play host to them at OU headquarters. Just last week, a YU class, the “Science of Chemistry: World of Torah” for non-science majors visited the Orthodox Union for a series of rabbinic presentations on the interaction of chemistry and kosher law. Now, “OU Kosher Coming” visits the YU campus, in a further strengthening of the ties between the University and OU Kosher. In addition to the above-mentioned rare birds, more well-known varieties of the species will also spread their wings, including ducks, turkey, doves, quail, pheasant, pigeon, Cornish hen, and that Biblical favorite, quail. According to Rabbi Dr. Eliyahu Safran, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator and Vice President of Communications and Marketing of OU Kosher, “We are pleased to bring OU Kosher’s rabbinic experts to Yeshiva University’s highly acclaimed Kollel Yom Rishon program.” The program will feature Rabbi Chaim Loike, the presenter in OU Kosher’s well received bird video, “Kosher Birds, Who Are They?” His session will be The Duck, the Turkey and Other New World Birds. Besides being a Rabbinic Coordinator at OU Kosher with a specialty in birds, Rabbi Loike is an instructor in practical shechitah at YU. Other presentations will include two of the Orthodox Union’s renowned meat experts: · The Definition of a Kosher Chicken, with Rabbi Nosson Goldberg, OU Kosher Rabbinic Coordinator and former OU Rav Hamachshir at Falls Poultry; · Work Groups and Hands-On Explanations of the Species Discussed; and · The Controversy Surrounding the Pheasant, with Rabbi Seth Mandel, OU Kosher Rabbinic Coordinator for Meat Facilities. A question and answer session will follow. For further information on bringing OU Kosher to your school or community, contact Rabbi Safran at safrane@ou.org, 212-613-8115. The DVD on birds with Rabbi Loike as well as other OU Kosher educational DVDs may be obtained from Rabbi Safran at safrane@ou.org. Kosher Alerts Jelly Belly Swedish Fish candy Brands: Jelly Belly Products: Swedish Fish candy Company: The Jelly Belly Candy Company- Fairfield, CA Issue: The Jelly Belly Candy Company has incorrectly represented the above product (sold in bulk bins) as being OU certified. Corrective action has been taken. Please note that Cinnamon Imperial candy and Lemon Drops candy, which were the subject of an earlier Kashruth Alert, are in fact OU certified. Jelly Belly Classic Candies Brands: Jelly Belly Products:“Classic Candies” assortment (15.1 oz) UPC #071567984782 Company: Jelly Belly Candy Company-Fairfield, CA Issue: This product contains dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging is being revised. Whole Bakers Gluten Free Cookies Brands: Whole Bakers Products: Gluten Free Cookies - All Varieties Company: PacMoore Products, Inc.- Hammond, IN Issue: These products contain dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be revised. White Rose Canned Chopped Spinach Brands: White Rose Products: Canned Chopped Spinach UPC# 074807448181 Company: White Rose Food- Carteret, NJ Issue: This product bears an unauthorized OU symbol and is not certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. Corrective action is being taken. Consumers spotting this product are requested to contact the Orthodox Union at 212-613-8241 or via email at kashalerts@ou.org. Breads From Anna Bread Mix Brands: Breads From Anna Products: Bread Mix Company: Breads From Anna/Gluten Evolution Issue: This product contains dairy ingredients as listed on the ingredient panel but the dairy designation has been inadvertently omitted. Future packaging will be revised.

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Recall: Hershey, Oh Henry and Reese Products Canada

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Hershey Canada are advising the public that certain Hershey chocolate products previously recalled on November 12, 2006, have been found for sale in a small number of independent retail outlets in the Etobicoke and North York areas of Toronto, Ontario. This advisory does not involve any products in Halloween packaging. The CFIA believes that some Hershey products recalled in 2006 re-entered the marketplace through improper channels and reached a number of local, independent distributors, who are supplying small variety stores in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Consumers in the GTA are advised to check the codes on all Hershey products in their possession and before purchasing to ensure they do not bear codes that begin with numbers ranging from 6417 to 6455 inclusively. No other product is affected. The CFIA advises all retailers and wholesalers to check their Hershey chocolate products and remove any product with affected codes from distribution immediately. Various Hershey chocolate products manufactured by Hershey Canada Inc. bearing codes beginning with numbers ranging from 6417 to 6455 inclusively were recalled for possible Salmonella contamination. For a complete list of recalled products from November 2006 visit the CFIA web site at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp. There have been no confirmed illnesses associated with the consumption of these products. Food contaminated with Salmonella may not look or smell spoiled. Consumption of food contaminated with this bacteria may cause salmonellosis, a foodborne illness. In young children, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems, salmonellosis may cause serious and sometimes deadly infections. In otherwise healthy people, salmonellosis may cause short-term symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Long-term complications may include severe arthritis. For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers: Hershey Canada, Inc. 1-800-468-1714 CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

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