2025-8-13 KosherGram PDF
THE CHODOSH SEASON is starting. Those who want to purchase Yoshon items to store over the Chodosh season should do so now. Please note that all grain and flour products that will be stored should be refrigerated to avoid insect infestation.
According to the Kashrus Agencies, pasta products and durum / semolina flours are the first Chodosh products this season and will be in stores soon; stock up now. Updates are available at yoshon.com, and Email alerts can be requested at info@yoshonnetwork.org .
THE FOLLOWING NEW SODAS are Kosher-pareve (no symbol required):
- VERNORS BOSTON COOLER Limited Edition
- MOUNTAIN DEW INFINITE SWIRL
THE FOLLOWING NEW SLURPEE SYRUPS are Kosher and pareve (no symbol required). The label on the syrup box in the back of the 7-Eleven store must be checked to verify the brand and flavor, unless that particular store has store level Kashrus certification of its Slurpee machine(s):
- MOUNTAIN DEW INFINITE SWIRL FCB Limited Edition
- FANTA ZERO SUGAR DELICIOUS HIBISCUS & BERRY FCB
7-ELEVEN SLURPEES at 13 Mile & Greenfield are no longer certified by the K-COR/Vaad Harabbonim. 7-Eleven Slurpees at Lincoln & Greenfield [all three machines] and 11 Mile & Coolidge [only the left machine] remain certified. ICED COFFEES at Lincoln & Greenfield [Mocha Latte and French Vanilla Latte] are certified Dairy, not Cholov Yisroel.
DAVE’S SWEET TOOTH TOFFEE is no longer certified by the Council of Orthodox Rabbis / Vaad Harabbonim and is not acceptable, even when bearing the Council’s K-COR symbol, due to Kashrus violations. Corrective action is being implemented.
BIGGBY COFFEE in Lathrup Village is a non-Kosher establishment, as all Biggby locations. No products or equipment can be considered Kosher unless they are in their original sealed packaging bearing a reliable certification.
IDAHOAN “ORIGINAL MASHED POTATOES” does not bear an OU symbol on new boxes due to a printing error, but is still certified OU Pareve.
CREPINI EGG WRAPS: Due to operational changes, new production of Crepini Egg Wraps is no longer Kof-K certified and will not bear the Kof-K symbol. Product currently in stores with the Kof-K symbol was produced before this change and is certified, and will bear a Lot Code of 300630 or lower.
BEECH-NUT BABY FOODS are no longer OU certified, and do not bear the OU symbol. Older jars still bearing the OU are certified.
BASE CULTURE BREADS are no longer certified Kosher. Images on some websites (Amazon, Whole Foods) mistakenly still show the OU symbol.
MANISCHEWITZ CHOLOV YISROEL PRODUCTS: Many Manischewitz chocolate and cheese products are mistakenly listed on a website as Cholov Yisroel. Only Milk Chocolate Coated Matzo and regular Milk Chocolate Coins [not Crypto Gelt Coins] are Cholov Yisroel, when stated so on the label.
TRADER JOE’S ORGANIC FRENCH ROLLS and TRADER JOE’S ORGANIC FRENCH BAGUETTE that bear the MK symbol [Montreal] are both still Pas Yisroel. There has been no change.
KRONOS PITA with lot codes 5160 and 5167 are not Pas Yisroel despite the cRc / Pas Yisroel labeling on the packaging, due to an oven maintenance issue.
TUMS ANTACID PRODUCTS:
- Only those Tums products that bear an OU or Diamond K symbol are acceptable. Some varieties are not certified and do not bear any symbol. In addition, some products are produced in both certified and non-certified plants, so that the same variety may bear a symbol on some containers and not on others. This can be found even in the same store. Carefully check each container.
- Most of the certified products are pareve as stated on the label. However, Tums Chewy Delights contains milk and bears a Diamond-K-D Dairy symbol. [Not to be confused with Tums Chewy Bites, which is not certified.]
WISH-BONE DRESSINGS: Only those that bear the OU symbol are Kosher. Some varieties come in several versions, of which some are Kosher and some are not. Check each bottle carefully. Some current examples:
- THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING – Only the “No Sugar Added” version is OU certified. Regular and Light versions are not.
- ITALIAN DRESSINGS – several versions are Kosher, and several are not.
SWEET BABY RAY’S SAUCES:
- Many varieties, but not all, are Kosher. Check each for the OU or OU-D symbol.
- SWEET BABY RAY’S BUFFALO BARBECUE SAUCE [“Buff-a-Cue”] currently contains milk, as listed in the ingredients, and bears an OU-D. This may change in the future to a pareve formula, and it will then bear a plain OU. A Kosher website mistakenly lists this presently as pareve, and some shopping sites mistakenly picture this with a plain OU.
- SWEET BABY RAY’S BUFFALO WING SAUCE in retail size bottles is pareve and bears a plain OU. In the 1.5 oz., 2 oz. and gallon Foodservice sizes it is dairy and bears OU-D.
MrBEAST FEASTIBLES CHOCOLATES recently received OU Dairy certification, and are Kosher only when bearing the OU-D symbol on the packaging. Stores now have a mixture of product with the OU-D and product without. Check each package.
“THE ONLY BEAN” CRUNCHY ROASTED EDAMAME BEANS SNACKS have OU certification for several varieties. The Wasabi Soy Sauce variety, however, is not OU certified and does not bear an OU, but it is included in a Variety Pack that bears an OU on the outer box. The OU symbol on the box refers only to the certified varieties that bear the OU on their individual packages. [Note that some websites, e.g. Amazon and Meijer, incorrectly picture the Wasabi variety with an OU.]
THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS CONTAIN DAIRY INGREDIENTS AND ARE CERTIFIED KOSHER DAIRY. Some labels mistakenly do not bear the D designation:
- ARIZONA WHIPPED PINEAPPLE ORANGE FRUIT JUICE COCKTAIL [OU-D]
- TOO GOOD GOURMET / GHIRARDELLI COOKIES – Chocolate Chip, Double Chocolate, Confetti [OU-D; missing D on front label]. (Sold locally at T. J. Maxx)
THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS BEAR UNAUTHORIZED KASHRUS MARKING on some labels or images:
- MCCORMICK TARTAR SAUCE – unauthorized cRc symbol on images at online stores, e.g. Amazon and Walmart.
- RING POP GUMMY RINGS – unauthorized OU symbol. [Other Ring Pop items bearing the OU are authorized.]
- NUTSTOP brand LICORICE ALLSORTS – unauthorized cRc symbol. This product is not Kosher.
- HYSON PUFF PASTRY DOUGH SHEETS – unauthorized OU symbol.
PRODUCT RECALLS
SYSCO CLASSIC CHOCOLATE PUDDING and BAY VALLEY FOODS THANK YOU CHOCOLATE PUDDING in 7 lb. (#10) cans have been recalled due to post-processing container damage that may lead to microbial growth. Details are available at https://source86.com/treehouse-foods-recalls-chocolate-pudding-microbial-risk/ or 800-596-2903.
MEMBER’S MARK [Sam’s Club] FREEZE DRIED FRUIT VARIETY PACK 15 count boxes have been recalled due to contamination with Listeria monocytogenes. Details are available at https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/doehler-dry-ingredient-solutions-llc-recalls-members-mark-freeze-dried-fruit-variety-pack-listeria?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery or 770-387-0451.