2018-5-28 Kashrus Alerts PDF available for download.

New CANADA DRY “GINGER ALE and LEMONADE” soda is Kosher.

TRAVERSE CITY WHISKEY CO. products are no longer certified by the Chicago Rabbinical Council as of March 26, 2018, and are not recommended even when bearing the cRc symbol. Only products purchased before March 26 are certified Kosher when bearing the cRc symbol.

TREE TOP CRANBERRY JUICE COCKTAIL will no longer be OU certified due to a formula change, and will not bear the OU symbol. Always check every label for Kashrus marking.

PURE GREEN GRAPESHOT JUICE, distributed by Pure Green in the New York area, bears an unauthorized Star-K and is being recalled. This product contains grape juice and is not Kosher.

BAGELS SOLD AT MEIJER near the in-store bakery are apparently coming from different suppliers. Some state on the plastic bag itself “OK Kosher Pareve Pas Yisroel” (and in small letters, “Mfg. by Always Bagels, Inc., Lebanon, PA”), and these are acceptable. Some bags, however, even of the same varieties, do not bear any wording, and those should not be considered Kosher.

POST ORIGINAL SHREDDED WHEAT SPOON SIZE CEREAL is no longer OU certified due to changes in production, and no longer bears the OU symbol. Old boxes still bearing an OU are certified. Post’s Big Biscuit Shredded Wheat and Wheat ‘N Bran Shredded Wheat cereals are not affected by these changes, and will continue to be OU certified when bearing the OU symbol.

KROGER GREEK YOGURTS and KROGER FROZEN YOGURTS are OU Dairy certified when bearing an OU-D. Some of the Greek yogurts (Plain and Blended Nonfat) mistakenly bear a plain OU without the D.
— Other types of Kroger yogurts are not OU certified and contain gelatin.

POPCORNERS SPICY QUESO Popped-Corn Snack contains dairy ingredients, as indicated in the ingredients and allergen statements, and is certified OU-D. Some labels mistakenly bear a plain OU without the D.

Some 220 g bags of FRITO LAY RUFFLES REGULAR POTATO CHIPS sold in Ontario, Canada were mistakenly filled with Sour Cream ‘N Onion potato chips, which are certified COR [Canada] Dairy. The incorrectly filled bags bear the expiration date JL 17 and lot code 6081 13249, and are being recalled. Other lot numbers are not affected.

CAPPIELLO FRESH MOZZARELLA CHEESE is normally OU-D certified. The certified product bears an OU-D symbol and states Schenectady, NY, Plant #36-3893 on the label. However, for about two months Cappiello will make a non-certified Fresh Mozzarella Cheese at another facility. The non-certified cheese does not bear an OU-D, and does not state Schenectady, NY, Plant #36-3893 on the label. Consumers should check each label very carefully before purchasing this product.

CARROTS from BALDOR SPECIALTY FOODS, BRONX, NY were certified until recently by OK certification. Since Baldor is now receiving carrots from Israel, the OK will not be certifying Baldor’s carrots for the foreseeable future.

KITCHENAID REFRIGERATORS SABBATH MODE ALERT: In certain models of KitchenAid refrigerators with a Star-K certified Sabbath Mode, after a power failure the refrigerator recovers, but is not in Sabbath Mode. Even if the display reads “SAB”, a light turns on when the door is opened. The models that are affected are KRFF507ESS, KRFF507EBL, KRFF507EWH, and KRFF707ESS. If you have one of these models, please email info@star-k.org (preferred) or call the Star-K (410-484-4110) with your specific model and serial number (found on a sticker on right interior wall of the refrigerator). The manufacturer is working on a solution and the Star-K will update you when a fix becomes available.

2018-4-27 Kashrus Alerts PDF available for download.

PRINGLES POTATO CRISPS: All seasoned varieties of Pringles that in the past were certified plain OU [pareve] are now changing to OU-D. Those that state milk, whey or lactose in their ingredient listing will be real dairy. If none of those ingredients are listed, the OU-D designation is due only to dairy equipment. (This is true even though the allergen statement after the ingredient listing states “Contains Milk & Wheat Ingredients”.) Older cans that still bear a plain OU are pareve. Each can should be checked carefully to determine its correct status.

When checking the ingredients, be aware that seasoned varieties now divide the ingredient listing into two paragraphs, “Ingredients” and “Contains 2% Or Less Of”. Some varieties list dairy only at the end of the second paragraph, e.g. BBQ [whey] and Honey Mustard [lactose].

The “Original” (unseasoned) varieties – regular, Lightly Salted and Reduced Fat – will remain plain OU [pareve].

ORRI MANDARINS and CLEMENTINES FROM ISRAEL in bags are being sold locally at Costco, Kroger, etc., and state on the label “Product of Israel”. The Jaffa brand at Costco currently bears an OU on the sticker label, and the OU has confirmed that this is authorized and includes the taking of Terumos and Maaseros. The Wespak brand at Costco, and the PCN brand at Kroger, do not bear certification, and require taking of Terumos and Maaseros by the consumer.

ROMAINE LETTUCE: Kosher Gardens / Pos’tiv, Bodek and Andy Boy brands have released statements that their romaine lettuce products are not from Arizona, and are therefore not involved in the E. coli outbreak that has been linked to the Yuma, Arizona region. (Andy Boy is currently the brand that is washed and checked by the COR Mashgiach for the certified containers of romaine lettuce sold at One Stop Kosher Food Market.)

NEW SLURPEE SYRUPS: The following new Slurpee FCB syrups are Kosher and pareve.

[Please note that this information is for the benefit of Kashrus Supervisors and consumers who inspect (with permission of store management) the labels on the 2.5 / 5 gal. bag-in-boxes of syrups in the back of the store, which feed the slurpee machines. The flavor cards posted on the slurpee machines in front cannot be relied upon to determine the Kosher status of the slurpee, because they often do not correspond with the brand and variety of the syrup that is actually feeding the machine.]

• FANTA SUGAR FREE LEMONADE FCB
• FAYGO GRAPE FCB – with HKA symbol
• MONSTER MUTANT RED DAWN FCB – for Slurpee use only
• SNAPPLE KIWI STRAWBERRY FCB- with OK symbol

365 brand FROZEN BERRY BLEND sold at Whole Foods bears an unauthorized OU, and has concerns of insect infestation.

NATURAL EARTH BROWN SUSHI RICE has had reports of infestation in some bags, which was caused by improper storage in some regions. In consultation with the Star-K, Natural Earth is recalling this product. Consumers should either check the rice prior to use, or they may return it.

SOUTHERN GROVE DRIED PHILIPPINE MANGO sold at Aldi no longer bears an OU.

SCHWAN’S CHOCOLATE MARSHMALLOW RIPPLE and ROCKY ROAD ICE CREAMS contain gelatin and are not OU certified. A small quantity of these products may have been sold with an unauthorized OU symbol.

BEST CHOICE REFRIED BEANS in Traditional and Jalapeno varieties bear an unauthorized OU symbol on some labels. These products contain lard and are not Kosher.

STREIT’S DARK CHOCOLATE CARAMEL PECAN CLUSTERS contains dairy ingredients, but was mistakenly labeled as Kof-K Pareve. This product is dairy, not Cholov Yisroel.

KROGER RANCH FLAVORED TUNA contains milk, as indicated in the ingredients, but some labels mistakenly bear a plain OU symbol without the D.

RIBBIS ALERT – QUICKEN LOANS / ROCKET MORTGAGE: See an important Halachic alert from Agudath Israel’s Conference of Synagogue Rabbonim at http://www.hakhel.info/archivesPublicService/RibisNoticeQuickenAlert.pdf

2018-1-18 Kashrus Alerts are available for download.

• Pita breads under the names Sophia, American Bakery Products, Perfection, Meijer and Trader Joe’s
• Lawash flatbreads from American Bakery Products
• Cookies by Design in W. Bloomfield