Champagne is the name of a region in France which is famous for its wine products. The earth in that area – as in other areas of France – has a higher than usual concentration of chalk, limestone and clay than other parts of the world, and there are those who theorize that that is with why the grapes that grow in that region have a unique taste. Some companies believe that filtering their water with limestone from that area of France improves the flavor of the finished product.

While we have no opinion as to whether that claim is justified, we can confirm that that type of filtering does not pose any kashrus concern.

Classically, isinglass – a product made from the swim bladder of non-kosher sturgeon fish – was used to filter the protein particles out of beer. The particles are attracted to the isinglass, and then collectively fall to the bottom of the beer where they can be filtered out leaving the beer without any cloudiness. Nodah B’yedhudah YD 1:26 rules that this does not pose a kashrus concern, and one of his reasons is that such a miniscule amount of isinglass remains in the beer that it is batel (nullified). [In this case there is no concern of bitul issur l’chatchilah – intentionally diluting non-kosher into kosher – because the isinglass is put in with the specific intention of removing it.] Some hashgachos rely on this line of reasoning and others hold that items which are certified as kosher should meet a higher standard and not contain any non-kosher components.

Nowadays, most beer companies do not use isinglass and instead use other methods to filter the beer.

Pernod Pastis is a flavored liqueur and we cannot recommend it without certification.

Freekeh refers to an ancient method of preparing unripe grains for eating, and may be related to the food called karmel in Vayikra 23:14.  In recent years, companies have begun mass-producing a wheat-freekeh which they have been selling in the USA and other countries where it was previously unknown.

If the freekeh is pure without any flavors or sensitive additives, then it may be purchased and consumed even if it is not certified as kosher.  If the freekeh is ground into flour (and then used in cooking), cooked as broken-pieces, or cooked to the point that the pieces break or stick together, the bracha rishonah is mezonos.  If, however, it is cooked and served as whole-kernels, the proper bracha is ha’adamah. 

If the grape juice is pure (without water or other ingredients added by the manufacturer), then as long as there is at least 1 part grape juice for (just under) every 6 parts of water (about 14%) the bracha is hagafen.  If there was more water than that, then the bracha is shehakol.

The considerable discussion in the Poskim regarding the bracha on hydroponically grown produce is beyond the scope of this column, but here are some highlights: 

Some (Chayei Adam 51:17 & Nishmas Adam 152:1, Yechaveh Da’as 6:12, and Machzeh Eliyahu 25-29) hold that the bracha is shehakol because the wording of the bracha “Boruch…who creates the fruit of the earth” (borei pri ha’adamah) is inappropriate for items that grow unattached to the firmament or that grow in a non-earthlike media (e.g. water, coconut coir).  Rav Schwartz ruled that one should follow this opinion.

Others argue that the bracha of borei pri ha’adamah was instituted for all vegetables regardless of exactly how they grew.  This is the opinion of Chazon Ish, Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Vezos HaBracha, Birur Halacha #24), Shevet HaLevi (1:205), Teshuvos V’Hanhagos 2:149, and Rav Shmuel Kaminetzky (Kovetz Halachos, Pesach 24:6).

The use of hydroponically-grown Romaine lettuce at the Seder is much more straightforward, as Chazon Ish (Kilayim 13:16) conclusively proves from Gemara, Pesachim 35b that wheat that grew unattached to the ground (e.g. in a flowerpot) may be used for matzah at the Seder.  Since many of the requirements for marror, including that it must be produce of the “land”, are derived from the halachos of matzah (see Gemara, Pesachim 39a) it follows that hydroponically-grown marror may surely be used at the Seder.

Even those who hold that the bracha is mezonos agree that hamotzi should be recited if one eats sufficient quantities of Melba toast and/or uses them for a meal. The term “pas” as relates to pas Yisroel (and many other halachos) includes items upon which one sometimes or always recites hamotzi, and therefore Melba toast qualifies as pas according to both of the aforementioned opinions. Accordingly, one who is particular to only eat pas Yisroel (year-round or during Aseres yimei teshuvah), should not eat pas paltar Melba toast.

The only exception would be if there is no comparable pas Yisroel Melba toast available, for in that case even those who do not eat pas paltar are permitted to do so (see Shulchan Aruch YD 112:5). [This is a general rule regarding pas paltar and is not specific to Melba toast.]

Firstly, one must be sure the fish is, in fact, a kosher species. As a rule one may not rely on the name of the fish to make that determination as (a) in some cases multiple fish are referred to by the same name and (b) there is considerable fraud in the fish industry with one fish being passed off as another. Therefore, the only reliable method of determining that a fish is from a kosher species is by inspecting its scales to be sure that they are the type that can be removed from the fish without ripping any flesh. If the fish has no scales or you are unsure how to determine if the scales are “kosher”, there is no way to know that the fish is from a kosher species. One notable exception is salmon, where the flesh-color is unique and is considered a clear identifying mark of the kosher, salmon fish.

Secondly, the knives used to scale, eviscerate, fillet and/or cut the fish may have been previously used for non-kosher fish. If that were true, it is possible that some residue of the non-kosher fish is still on the knife and will transfer to the kosher fish. To avoid this issue it would be best to purchase cut fish from a kosher fish store, or at least to ask the store employees to clean the knife and work on a clean piece of butcher-paper. If neither of those are possible, there is basis to permit the purchase of packaged, pre-cut fish with the assumption that the store employees used the knife to cut many slices from the same kosher fish, and the non-kosher residue is likely not on the piece you chose. The worst-case scenario would be if the store would use a dirty knife to cut just one piece of kosher fish for you; in that case, you would have to scrub clean any surfaces that had been cut.

Of course, the above only applies to raw fish; fish which is cooked, smoked or otherwise processed requires proper kosher certification.

From a kashrus perspective this does not pose a concern.

Salmon are (relatively) unique in that they store certain carotenoids in their flesh which is what provides that flesh with its distinct pinkish color.  Wild salmon ingest these carotenoids as part of their regular diet, but farmed salmon which grow in a controlled environment where those carotenoids are not naturally available must have astaxanthin or canthaxanthin added to their feed so that they will develop the proper color.  Although these items are added to the feed and not to the fish’s flesh, the American law requires that salmon fed these items be labeled as having “color added”.   Such feed does not pose a kashrus issue because the materials are inherently kosher and because they are digested by the fish.

It is true that one may not eat meat and fish together (Shulchan Aruch YD 116:2) but in this case it is permitted because the hashgachah is vouching for the fact that there is so little fish in the sauce that it is halachically insignificant (batel b’shishim).  [Pischei Teshuvah 115:3 and Darchei Teshuvah 115:16 & 21 cite Poskim who discuss the propriety of l’chatchilah relying on bitul b’shishim as relates to this specific halacha, and in addition some consider Magen Avraham 173:1 as a contributing factor.]

You should however be aware that some Worcestershire sauces contain a more significant amount of anchovies.  In those cases, the hashgachah will insist that the sauces be labeled with the word “fish” alongside their logo so that kosher consumers will know to not use the sauce together with meat.

We would not recommend it.

After the baby food is put into the jar, the entire jar is put into a machine called a “retort” where the jar is cooked at high temperatures so as to prevent the food from spoiling. Those same retorts are usually also used to cook non-kosher varieties of baby food such as those with beef or chicken. The hashgachah on the label assures you that the specific jar was produced on kosher machinery – either because the company has special machines for kosher or because they kasher the retort before they produce that variety of baby food – but if there is no hechsher then the jar may have been cooked when the machinery was non-kosher. Accordingly, we recommend that you should only purchase jars of baby food that have hashgachah, even if the ingredients seem innocuous.

Although the bulgur wheat sold in stores appears to be (cracked) raw wheat kernels, in fact, the kernels are usually fully cooked in the factory and are perfectly edible if one soaks them in warm water to rehydrate them. Accordingly, bulgur wheat requires kosher certification to guarantee that the requirements for bishul Yisroel were fulfilled. [Bishul Yisroel is a Rabbinic Law which requires that a Jew participate in the cooking of certain foods.]

To answer this question we’ll have to first understand some details of how canned food is processed.

In order to assure that canned food is safe to eat, the can is heated in a “retort” with the food inside the can so that any dangerous microorganisms or “toxins” are destroyed. An even more intense level of heating is required to deal with the more significant danger of “spores” which are dormant microorganisms that are encased in a special shell. The spores per se do not pose a danger, but they must be destroyed so that they do not begin to grow (and produce toxins) when conditions become more favorable. Spores will not grow in foods which are highly acidic (called “high-acid” and defined as being a pH of 4.6 or lower) and therefore the spores in those foods do not have to be destroyed. Accordingly, they can be processed with a lower level of heating than is required for low-acid foods.

Meat, cheese, pasta and most vegetables (including corn, peas, carrot, beans, and tomatoes) are low-acid foods which require the more sophisticated retorts, and a company that has gone through the expense of purchasing that retort and the effort of having it licensed by the FDA, is likely to use it for a wide assortment of products. That is to say that even if the company’s primary business is to process simple vegetables, they might rent out the equipment for the processing of tomato sauce or pasta and beef during times that they don’t need the retorts. As a result, canned vegetables require a hashgachah to assure that the equipment is kashered before kosher is produced.

On the other hand, most fruits (including pineapple) are high-acid foods which can be processed on a simpler retort and it is common that fruit companies will have their own retort which is dedicated to that one product. Not only is the retort typically dedicated for that product but, in truth, it usually not even suited for the higher-temperature processing required of most non-kosher items (e.g. meat, cheese). [The high-acid retort might be used for foods that contain non-kosher grape juice, colors, or flavors, but that use would not render the equipment non-kosher; the reason for that is beyond the scope of this article.]

Firstly, as you note, the ingredients must all be kosher. It is possible that if we reviewed the ingredient list with you we would find that, in fact, all of the ingredients are inherently kosher, but the chances are that there would be at least a few that we would not be able to approve without knowing more details from the manufacturer.

Even if all of the ingredients are kosher there are certain (cooked) foods which are only kosher if a Jew participated in cooking the food. The details of that set of laws, known as bishul Yisroel, are somewhat involved, and it is not always possible to determine whether a given product requires bishul Yisroel unless one is familiar with the details of the production. For example, cooked potatoes or pasta require bishul Yisroel if they are cooked alone, but not if they are cooked together with the rest of the soup and are just a minor component of the soup.

Lastly, canned foods are usually cooked in a sophisticated piece of equipment called a “retort”, and most companies use their retorts for more than one food. Thus, the retort in which non-kosher beef soup was cooked this morning, may be used to cook the vegetarian soup in the afternoon, and the cleanup between products does not qualify as a kashering. Thus, the general rule is that most canned items are only acceptable if they bear acceptable kosher certification which assures (among other things) that the status of the food is not compromised by the equipment.

Rav Feinstein wrote numerous teshuvos on the topic of chalav Yisroel and in each he notes that it is preferable for people to drink chalav Yisroel, but it is nonetheless perfectly permitted to use (what is colloquially known as) chalav stam due to government inspection of dairy farms to assure that only cow’s milk is used.  Those who have always used chalav stam may continue to do so and should not be concerned about recent rumors that these inspections no longer exist. It is true that there is no formal question on the inspector’s forms that says “Does the milk come from cows?”, however:

1. 
   The law clearly requires that milk and milk-products sold to the public be from a cow.


2. 
   Inspectors have told kashrus personnel that if an inspector ever observed someone using milk from another animal or even having another type of animal on a dairy farm, that person would definitely be cited for a violation.


3. 
   It is basically impossible (in the USA) to purchase equipment with which to milk non-kosher animals, and therefore the only violations that ever occur in this realm are when a farmer will attempt to substitute kosher goat or sheep milk for cow’s milk. Even this type of violation is quite uncommon.


4. 
   The requirement that milk must come from a cow is so obvious and is so rarely violated that the inspector’s forms don’t even bother asking the inspectors to check that during an inspection. It is akin to the fact that when the cRc instructs a Mashgiach as to his tasks we do not ask him to check if the restaurant is using ham because it is so obvious that a kosher facility wouldn’t use it, and of course the Mashgiach will report someone doing so.

Accordingly, those who have always used chalav stam may continue to do so.

The “rules” for these pods is the same as if the coffee or tea was not in the pod - if the powder is pure (regular or decaf), unflavored coffee or tea, the pod may be used even if it does not bear kosher certification, but any flavored item (as many of the teas and some of the coffees are) requires hashgachah.

Even if the pod is kosher, one should not use it in a coffee maker that is also used for non-kosher products – such as in an office environment – without first consulting with your Rabbi.

It is not.  Whole/raw eggs sold as containing higher levels of Omega-3 are standard eggs which are laid by chickens that are fed a special diet that causes their eggs to have more Omega-3 than other eggs do.  From a kashrus perspective it is irrelevant what the chickens are fed, and the eggs are kosher.

In contrast, most fruit juices are bottled hot such that (a) there is more equipment involved and there are therefore more b’lios which have to be batel and (b) the complications of bottling make it likely that the process will have to stop more frequently, and this negatively affects the bitul calculations. Therefore, we recommend to consumers that they only purchase fruit juice which bears a reputable kosher certification, but permit plain milk even if it is not certified.

One of the world’s experts on the kosher status of different birds is Rabbi Chaim Loike, who works for the OU.  An article which he wrote on quail can be found on their website at http://bit.ly/hgLAbV, and he has also shared with us a 22 page book which he wrote on the topic.  In these works, he notes that many species of quail are kosher but there are others which are not and therefore he recommends (on page 11 of the book) that “At this point quail eggs should not be consumed unless it is possible to verify that the eggs are indeed those of a kosher quail specie.”

Yes, you may eat (or should I say drink?) any kosher flavor of Slurpee even if the specific 7/11 store is not kosher certified. The reason is as follows:

Each bag-in-box that holds a single Slurpee syrup has its own disposable hose, but there are some hoses that do not get changed or thoroughly cleaned between products. Thus, it is possible that some of Flavor A will be in the pipes even though the bag-in-box and sign say that Flavor B is being served. The reason this isn’t a serious kashrus concern is because (a) the amount of Slurpee left in the machine is minimal enough that it would invariably all end up in the first Slurpee purchased after the hoses were changed, and (b) almost every single Slurpee flavor is kosher. Accordingly, the chances that I will get non-kosher Slurpee in my kosher Slurpee are too small to be significant. For more details on the kosher issues with Slurpees, see the article by Rabbi Fishbane on our website at  http://bit.ly/fvZ1bh.

Nowadays, these materials are not made from 12-month old deposits, but rather from grape-based items which have been mechanically dried over the course of a few hours. Some rule that the leniency only applies to the exact case discussed in Shulchan Aruch and therefore do not consider mechanically-dried tartaric acid to be kosher unless it is made from kosher wine. However, the cRc and most American Hashgachos follow the lenient approach which argues that the product is kosher as long as the mechanical drying mimics the (moisture-reducing qualities of the) 12-month air-drying.

Some frozen selections of winter squash must be cooked prior to serving, while others come fully cooked and do not require any additional cooking. Even if there are no ingredient problems with the product, if the frozen winter squash is already fully cooked when purchased, it could possibly not satisfy the requirements of bishul Yisroel, and the cRc would not recommend its use. [Written by Rabbi Abe Sharp.]

Our expert on insect infestation, Rabbi Yaakov M. Eisenbach, checked the spots and confirmed that they are not any form of insect.  After researching the issue further, he believes that what you are seeing is a fungal growth which is common in dried apricots.  [For more on the fungus please see http://bit.ly/liIT9oand http://bit.ly/l9oc6I.] 

In contrast, our experience is that cauliflower florets are packed together so tightly that bugs are almost never found within the floret, and they are only found in the large and small branches that support the floret. Therefore that area does not need checking and we were able to write a procedure for washing and checking the rest of the food.

The reason for the “ban” on Brussels Sprouts is that in order to wash and check them, all of the individual leaves have to be peeled off. This is perfectly effective at removing the bugs and would be acceptable, but most people want to eat/serve the Brussels Sprouts whole. Thus far, no one has been able to figure out any way to check the Brussels Sprouts whole and therefore we do not recommend them. However, the Rabbis at the cRc regularly investigate and consider new methods and information, and we would be happy to consider any ideas you might come up with.

Citrus scale is the name for a class of insects which attack the fruit (and leaves) of oranges, grapefruits and other citrus fruits.  Each tiny scale attaches itself to a fruit, lowers a rostrum (a hair-like feeding tube) into the fruit and sucks juice out of the fruit.  After the scale is attached to the fruit, it excretes a wax-like cover/shield over its exposed side, and remains immobile and attached to that same spot for its entire life.  The cover is typically black and round, and is the basis for the name citrus “scale”.  An experienced person can peel the cover (and probably the insect as well) off the fruit; this is different than other discolorations of the fruit which cannot be removed.  [Detailed reports on citrus scale by the University of Florida and the University of California can be found at http://bit.ly/iOQy5s(HS-817) and http://bit.ly/l7Smlb(#21529).]

There are two halachic issues relating to citrus scale:

• 
  Shulchan Aruch YD 84:6 rules that insects that lived their whole life in a fruit without ever moving are permitted and citrus scale would appear to be a perfect example of this.  The arguments against this are (a) the citrus scale may be visible when they first crawl onto the fruit in their first instar/stage (the details of this question are beyond the scope of this column), and (b) Remaargues that such insects are forbidden.


• 
  Citrus scale (or at least their wax cover) are large enough to be visible to the naked eye, but they are not recognizable as insects to the average person looking at them without magnification.  Whether insects of that size are, in fact, forbidden is a dispute between contemporary Poskim (see Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchaso Chapter 3 footnote 105) with most Israeli Poskim/ adopting the strict approach and many American Poskim ruling leniently.  [This question is also somewhat intertwined with whether the citrus scale are visible in their first instar, noted above.]

The good news is that growers in the United States use all types of pesticides and natural predators to keep citrus scale off of oranges and other fruit intended for eating, and therefore this discussion is not so relevant for most of us.  It seems that in Eretz Yisroel citrus scale is more common, and the people there are encouraged to either remove the scale or make sure to peel the fruit carefully so as to make sure none of the insects come off the peel and fall into the food.  Even in the United States citrus scale is sometimes found on fruit intended for juicing where the appearance of the fruit is not as significance. 

Nowadays, most flour is processed in a manner that removes all insects and even destroys just about all insect eggs, such that flour stored in cool, dry conditions will remain bug-free for 60 days or more.  Accordingly, the halacha does not require one to sift their flour before use (unless they have reason to think it may have been stored in a damp and/or warm environment or for an extended amount of time). 

Nonetheless, there are some who do sift all of their flour so as to make sure that there is not even the slightest chance that they will consume a bug.  For those who chose to follow this practice, it is recommended that they use an electric sifter whose screens are 60-70 mesh.  [A lower mesh (i.e. <60) will not remove enough bugs and a higher mesh will make sifting too difficult.]  Sifters that meet this standard are available online for approximately $60-70. 

Before answering this question we turned to Rabbi Dr. Ari Zivotofsky, professor at Bar Ilan University and an expert on the kashrus of animals and birds, who in turn consulted with his brother, Dr. Doni Zivotofsky, D.V.M., and we thank them for their help.

You mentioned that the Torah might consider hippopotami to be “related” to pigs. Some support this notion because scientists classify those two animals as being in the same “order”. However, this is not as significant as it seems because the order they share (Artiodactyla) refers to all mammals that have an even number of toes. Actually, they used to also share a suborder but scientists are now considering removing hippopotami from the pig suborder (Suina) and reclassifying them in a new suborder for hippos, dolphins and whales, which all seem to share certain DNA. These criteria may be significant to scientists but I think most non-scientists would agree that dolphins and hippos are not one “family” (even if they are in the same order and suborder), any more than pigs and giraffes are (even though they both are Artiodactyls)! Thus, whether pigs and hippopotami share an order and suborder does not seem to be a meaningful factor. From a lay perspective, there is some similarity between pigs and hippos, but it would seem that they are not similar enough for the Torah to consider a hippopotamus to merely be a water-based pig. [The Yiddish word for hippopotamus is vasser chazir, which means water-pig, but the English name means water-horse (in Latin, hippos means horse, and potamos means river).]

Rather, it seems that the answer to your question is that the hippopotamus does not have cloven hooves. A hippo has four toes which are covered and connected by thick skin which in turn produce a web-effect and aids the hippo in swimming. Thus, a hippopotamus is much like most non-kosher animals which do not chew their cud and do not have split hooves.

[A related side note from R’ Zivotofsky regarding the hippopotamus’ ruminant status: Without exception, every animal with a 4 chambered stomach is a ruminant. There are those who dispute this and assert that the hippo is an example of an animal that has 4 chambers and is not a ruminant., but this is erroneous. In fact, it has a three chambered stomach: parietal blind sac, the stomach (which can be considered simply connecting tissue) and the glandular stomach. For more on this see: E.T. Clemens and G.M.O. Maloiy, “The digestive physiology of three East African herbivores: the elephant, rhinoceros and hippopotamus”, Journal of Zoology, 1982, Vol. 198, pp 141-156.]

Before you begin kashering, the barbecue pit and grates would have to be perfectly clean, which is likely not going to be easy to accomplish. Next, you’d have to put enough coals to cover (a) the entire floor/pit, (b) the underside of the grate, (c) the top of the grate, and (d) any contact points between the grate and pit. Lastly, you would light the coals and let them burn for about an hour, after which you could use the barbecue for kosher food.

Yes, just rinse the corkscrew off and it can then be used for kosher wine. 

On the other hand, if you fry with an insignificant amount of oil (such as with cooking spray) then the general rule is that the frying pan cannot be kashered, since the level of kashering required (libun gamur) is basically impossible for most people. The strictness of the latter case surely applies if someone cooked non-kosher food in a frying pan, but in many cases it can be waived if the person merely cooked kosher meat in a dairy pan (or vice versa), and any such questions should be directed to a Rabbi.

Your kitchen must go through a process called “kashering”. If you want to try this on your own, you might want to read the article on our website at  http://www.crcweb.org/kosher_articles/Kashering_in_the_Kitchen.php and/or consult with your local Rabbi. Otherwise, you can contact our office at 773-465-3900 to arrange for a Rabbi to help you with this procedure (for a fee).

To kasher a pot, you should do the following:

1. Clean it thoroughly on both the inside and outside

2. Let it sit unused for 24 hours

3. Fill a larger pot with water and bring that water to a boil (this pot must be clean and not been used for 24 hours)

4. Submerge all parts of the smaller pot (including the cover) into the larger one. It is okay to submerge different parts of the pot separately, as long as all parts eventually get submerged.

 If you do not have a larger pot, fill the pot which will be kashered with water and bring that to a boil. At the same time, bring a small pot (which is clean and hasn’t been used for 24 hours) to a boil. When both pots have come to a boil, carefully lower the smaller pot into the larger pot, which will cause the water to overflow from the larger pot. Be very careful to not get scalded by the boiling water.

After this, it is customary to rinse the kashered pot in cold water, and you may then use it as pareve, dairy or meat.

Yes, it is granite bound with a synthetic/acrylic material (see  http://bit.ly/eiaREP). The reason such a mixture may be kashered is because Shulchan Aruch 451:8 rules that stone/granite may be kashered, and the position of the cRc and most American hashgachos is that synthetic materials may also be kashered.

The answer depends on whether these were packaged for industrial/food-service use or for retail/consumer use.

 -If they were packaged for industrial use then we would certify both of those items on condition that the word “dairy” is included in the product name (e.g. Howie’s Finest Dairy Chicken Spice Blend) so as to make sure the end-user knows these items are dairy.

 -If they were packaged for retail use, we would certify the chicken seasoning (with the same stipulation outlined above) but not the bread mix. The difference between the cases is pretty clear – all kosher consumers know that they cannot use dairy (seasoning) on chicken, but not every consumer is familiar with the halacha that it is forbidden to bake dairy bread (Shulchan Aruch YD 97:1). Accordingly, allowing a company to sell kosher dairy bread mix might lead a consumer to unknowingly think it can be used as-is.

In the times of the Mishnah, the Rabbis forbade the consumption of a non-Jew’s cheese even if all of the ingredients are kosher.  Such cheese is referred to as gevinas akum (a non-Jew’s cheese), and there are two opinions as to what is required to render cheese as the permitted gevinas Yisroel (a Jew’s cheese):  Rema YD 115:2 rules that the Jew must see the production of the cheese, while Shach 115:20 argues that the Jew must either own the cheese or participate in its production. 

The cRc, and most reputable hashgachos, require that cheese meet both standards to be considered kosher.  Therefore, the Mashgiach will oversee the cheese-making (satisfying Rema’s requirement) and be the one to actually put the rennet into the milk vat (satisfying Shach’s requirement).  

Based on this understanding, the standing policy in most American hashgachos is that at a certified restaurant or caterer the on-site Mashgiach checks all eggs for blood spots, because that is considered “easy” to check such that it falls under the requirements of the minhag. However, in factory-produced eggs (e.g. liquid eggs, powdered eggs) it is not easily possible to have a Jew stand by and check all eggs, and therefore the minhag does not require one to hire a special Mashgiach just to perform that task.

It so happens that in most modern countries the companies will “candle” their eggs and/or use other methods to remove just about all blood spots, and it is therefore rare to find a blood spot in liquid eggs. However, from a halachic perspective that is not required by the minhag (and if it were required then the candlers would not have the ne’emanus required to fulfill it).

All such products require a reliable hashgachah. I am not aware of the particular ones available, and you may want to try  www.koshervitamins.com as they may have something suitable.

The answer to your question depends on the answers to three other questions:

1 – Are liquid and chewable medicines considered edible?

Liquid and chewable medicines taste good enough that a child can “get them down” but typically do not taste as good as something a person would consider eating if they weren’t ill.  Some Poskim hold (based in part on Shulchan Aruch OC 442 as per Mishnah Berurah 442:20) that such items are not considered edible, and may be consumed regardless of whether the ingredients are kosher.  According to this opinion, there is no need to investigate if a given medicine is kosher (or to consider the two other questions listed below), and a child may take any liquid or chewable medicine much in the way that adults may take any medication in tablet form.  Others argue that nowadays these medicines are tasty enough to qualify as “edible”; therefore, they hold that if the ingredients are not kosher one may not give it to the child unless they can “correctly” answer the next two questions.

2 – Are there any substitutes?

If there is an alternate method of treating the illness which either uses an inedible medicine (e.g. a tablet) or one that has no kosher-sensitive ingredients, then one may not use the non-kosher medicine.  For example, one may not use liquid acetaminophen that contains non-kosher glycerin if there are other brands that bear a reputable hashgachah or do not contain any glycerin.  If no alternative exists, then we must consider one last question before deciding if the medicine is acceptable.

3 – Does the condition warrant taking a (possibly) non-kosher medicine?

One may consume a non-kosher medicine if [there is no kosher alternative and] there is even the slightest chance that if one does not treat the illness it might endanger someone’s life.  Almost every single case where antibiotics are prescribed for a child meets into this criteria, because if these illnesses are not treated they may lead to more serious complications which can be life threatening.  Accordingly, such medicines may be consumed regardless of whether the medicine’s ingredients are kosher.  If the medicine is merely used to relieve discomfort (e.g. a laxative) but will not treat or help in the treatment of a serious illness, then the medicine can only be consumed if one can first ascertain that the ingredients are kosher. 

We do however caution that before deciding to not give a specific medicine to a child, one should consult with their doctor and Rabbi who will consider the different factors and render a decision that is specific to your situation.

In recent years, a third option has become available – sodium phosphate tablets (e.g. Osmo-Prep, Visicol). As with all other inedible tablets which are swallowed (as opposed to chewed), these tables may be used regardless of which ingredients they contain.

If someone is unable to drink the unflavored solution and their doctor recommends that they not use the tablets, then there is halachic basis for allowing the person to consume the flavored solution and they should consult with their Rabbi.

EleCare is manufactured by Abbot, an infant-formula manufacturer who is certified by the OU. On their website,  http://elecare.com/faq.aspx, Abbot notes that EleCare formulas are also made under kosher certification using all-pareve ingredients but the formula is processed on equipment which also handles dairy formulas. Accordingly, if they were to use the OU symbol on the package they would be required to list it as being OU-D (or something similar). They feel that this would cause too much confusion to some of their customers who know EleCare to be a dairy-free product, and therefore they choose to not print a kosher symbol on the package. We confirmed this information with the OU in December 2009, and are therefore comfortable recommending this important product at this time even though it does not bear the OU symbol. It is worthwhile to recheck this information with the OU every so often to make sure that the status remains the same.

For example, someone who takes vitamins for their general health and wellbeing would not be permitted to consume a vitamin that comes in a Softgel, but a person who requires antibiotics that are only available in a gelatin capsule may use it. The difference between the cases is that in the former, the person’s condition is not severe enough to warrant consuming a gelatin capsule, but in the latter case it is.

Therefore, we recommend that you either find an unflavored glucose-drink which meets with your doctor’s approval, or ask the doctor to order a glucose-drink which is certified kosher. [At the time of this writing, Cardinal, Fisher, Nerl, and Perk produce some glucose-drinks which are certified kosher by the OU.] If none of these options are viable, please consult with your local Rabbi who can advise you whether you should nonetheless take the uncertified glucose-drink.

You are correct that the active and inactive ingredients used in homeopathic remedies may be non-kosher, and you should definitely consult with your local Rabbi before consuming any of these items. He will consider the ingredients in the given product and other factors in deciding whether it is appropriate for you.

Most of the infant formula produced in the United States is kosher certified and does not pose any concern to kosher consumers.  There are even plenty of kosher options for children who cannot tolerate standard formula. 

However, there is one type of infant formula whose status is a bit more complicated.  This formula – which is sold under the names “Nutramigen” or “Alimentum” – includes an enzyme derived from pigs and this enzyme helps pre-digest certain proteins to make the formula tolerable for certain children.  Pigs are not kosher and clearly a formula that contains pig byproducts cannot be certified as kosher.  Nonetheless, but due to the relatively small amount of non-kosher mixed into the formula Jewish Law allows children to consume the formula.  [These formulas are produced at companies where all of the other ingredients are certified as kosher.]

Another formula for children with sensitive stomachs which does not bear a kosher symbol is called “Elecare”.  This product doesn’t contain any non-kosher ingredients and is certified by the OU, but it doesn’t bear an OU logo on the package. Read why at http://www.crcweb.org/faq//faqanswer.php?faqid=51.

Lastly, there is Neocate, an infant formula for children with severe food allergies.  It is not kosher certified but Rabbis from different kosher agencies have visited the factory and are in contact with the company to assure that all ingredients used are kosher. 

It should be noted that the hands-free Purell dispenser found in some public buildings, is battery operated, and should not be used on Shabbos or Yom Tov.

However, the company did suggest that you try their Sea-Band wrist band which (they claim) is also able to reduce nausea merely by wearing it on one’s arm. Of course, this item is not ingested and does not pose a kashrus concern. [As always, we have no idea as to the efficacy of either the gum or wrist band, and are just commenting on the kashrus part of this issue.]

Liquid medicines may also contain other kosher-sensitive ingredients, but none of those ingredients are as sensitive as glycerin. Chewable pills rarely contain glycerin, but these may also contain some less-sensitive ingredients.

It so happens that we have been able to verify that the glycerin used in the brand-name Tylenol and Motrin are kosher at this point, but of course, those items have been recalled from the market at this time. We do not have information on other brands and are therefore not able to recommend them at this time for mere pain relief (e.g. teething). In situations where a child requires one of these products for a more serious need (e.g. high fever, infection) a Rabbi may rule that the child is permitted to take the medicine in spite of the questions regarding the source of glycerin. If you have such a situation, we recommend that you be in touch with your local Rabbi who can answer your specific question.

Rav Schwartz has ruled that consumers should only use vitamin pills which carry an acceptable kosher certification, unless (a) there is no kosher alternative and (b) the vitamins are used to treat a medical condition (as opposed to for general health and well-being). For certified kosher vitamins and many other products, you might want to check  www.koshervitamins.com.

The answer to both questions is “no”.

Meat and milk which were cooked together are called “basar b’chalav” and one may not have any benefit or pleasure them. If you were to give the cheeseburger to a non-Jew that would generate goodwill between the two of you, and that goodwill is considered a forbidden direct-benefit from the cheeseburger. For that reason, you cannot give the cheeseburger or a coupon for one to a non-Jew.

Rav Schwartz did however say that if one had a cents-off coupon for a cheeseburger [i.e. a discount for the cheeseburger rather than a coupon for a free cheeseburger] then it would be permitted to give that coupon to a non-Jew. He reasoned that the goodwill generated by giving him that coupon is too indirectly related to the basar b’chalav, and therefore does not pose a concern.

There are some double-ovens that share vents in a manner that allows steam/vapor to travel from one chamber to the other, and in that case you should not use one chamber for meat and the other for dairy.  If the oven comes with a Sabbath-mode then the agency who certifies that Sabbath-mode will probably know whetehr the two chambers share vents in a problematic manner.  Alternatively, you might want to have an engineer or handyman investigate the particular oven you’re considering.

The OU informs us that in the Empire factory the outer container never comes in contact with meat, and therefore you may choose to use it for dairy or pareve as long as you make sure to not let any meat come in contact with it in your home.

The general rule is that after eating a “standard” cheese, one may eat meat after rinsing their mouth, eating something pareve, and checking their hands to be sure there is no cheese residue (Shulchan Aruch YD 89:2). However, Rema rules that after eating a “hard cheese” one must wait 6 hours before eating meat, and Shach 89:15 clarifies that cheeses which are aged for 6 months are classified as “hard cheese”. Grana Padano cheese is a variation of parmesan cheese produced in a specific region of Italy (see  http://bit.ly/f30TYk), and since such cheeses are generally aged much longer than 6 months your boss will have to wait 6 hours before eating his meat sandwich.

No.  Since the pot is fleishig, one may not cook soup in it with intention of then adding dairy items into it.

It is permitted to use the hand soap for the following reason.

One is only forbidden from having benefit (hana’ah) from meat and milk which are cooked together, and the typical method of producing hand soap would be to just cold-blend the glycerin and milk ingredients without any cooking.  Accordingly, one would be permitted to have benefit from that hand soap even if it contains both meat and milk.

[Other factors to consider in this case are that (a) the glycerin may be from vegetable or pig sources, both of which would not create basar b’chalav (and only beef-based glycerin would raise a concern because beef is from an inherently kosher animal), and (b) there is likely a very small amount of milk in the soap such that the milk is batel b’shishim (less than 1/60 of the mixture) and does not give the status of basar b’chalav to the mixture.]

Pets are not required to keep kosher (even if they feel like a full fledged member of the family!) and therefore they are permitted to eat non-kosher food.  However, there are certain non-kosher foods which we are not only forbidden from eating but we are even enjoined to not have any benefit/pleasure from them.  Those foods may not be fed to a pet because when one does so they – the owner – is having a forbidden benefit from the non-kosher food.  The lists of foods which have this stricter restriction (known as assur b’hana’ah) include:

• 
  Milk and meat which were cooked together (see below). 


• 
  Chametz on Pesach (and on Erev Pesachafter a given time in the morning).


• 
  Non-kosher wine or grape juice (according to many opinions, see Shulchan Aruch & Rema YD 123:1, Shach 108:25 & 124:71, Mishnah Berurah 467:33 and Sha’ar HaTziun 467:57).

Within the first category (milk and meat cooked together) some of the details are that:

• 
  It is limited to beef, lamb, or goat meat (even if they are not kosher), and does not apply to poultry or to non-kosher species (e.g. pork) (Shulchan AruchYD 87:1 & 3).


• 
  It includes most dairy products (e.g. whey, milk powder, casein) but does not apply to lactose (meimei chalav – see Shulchan Aruch YD 87:8, 81:5 and Shach87:12).


• 
  The milk and meat must be cooked together, but if they are merely blended together without heat the mixture is non-kosher but may be fed to pets.

Accordingly, when choosing a pet food one must be sure that it does not contain any of the aforementioned items.  The cRc assists pet owners with this task by reviewing the formulations of a number of pet foods made by Evanger’s (see their kosher certificate at http://www.crcweb.org/LOC/Evangers.pdf) and approving of their use for Pesach and year round.  Many other pet foods are also acceptable for use by anyone who is familiar with food ingredients and has the patience to review the ingredient panel.

The primary reason why a brandy would be not kosher is because it is stam yayin (wine touched by a non-Jew), and the bitul/nullification of stam yayin has a unique halacha. If stam yayin was mixed into a beverage (other than wine) it is batel b’shishah (batel if diluted in 6 times its volume) and if was mixed into a solid food then it requires the standard bitul b’shishim. [For more on this see Shulchan Aruch YD 134:2 & 5, Taz 114:4, Nekudos HaKesef ad loc., and Iggeros Moshe YD 1:62.]

Accordingly, in this situation, the dough is only permitted if it contained 60 times the volume of the brandy.

Typically mitzvos that depend on the land are applicable only in the land of Israel but arlah is an exception as it applies worldwide – in a somewhat modified form. Outside of Eretz Yisroel, the only fruit which is forbidden is one which is definitely arlah. If there is any doubt as to whether a given fruit is arlah it may be eaten. Accordingly, even if a significant percentage of trees are arlah, once the fruit reaches market it is impossible to identify the specific arlah fruit and therefore all of them are permitted. As a result, essentially the only fruits in chutz la’aretz which are subject to the prohibition of arlah are those that were grown in a home garden where the owner knows which fruits are within their first three years.

The above leniency refers only to fruit that grew in chutz la’aretz. Fruit grown in Israel is subject to the full restrictions of arlah even if one is unsure if the given fruit is arlah and even if that fruit was exported to chutz la’aretz. (Answer by Rabbi Mordechai Millunchick)

Typically mitzvos that depend on the land are applicable only in the land of Israel; arlah is an exception as it applies worldwide. Therefore your tree is subject to arlah restrictions and one may not eat or derive benefit from any arlah fruits.

Since you planted your tree in the summer of 2010/5770 it will finish its first year on Rosh Hashanah 2010/5771, its second year on Rosh Hashanah 2011/5772, and the third year of arlah on the 15th of Shevat of 5773 (January 26, 2013). (A young sapling finishes its years on Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishrei), while a tree (older than three years) finishes its years on the 15th of Shevat.) From 15 Shevat 5773 to 15 Shevat 5774 the apples are revai and should be redeemed.

If your tree was older than one year old when you purchased it, the arlah years may be shortened. (Answer by Rabbi Mordechai Millunchick)

The laws of arlah, which prohibit the fruit of the first three years of a tree’s growth, apply both in Eretz Yisroel and in chutz la’aretz (outside of Eretz Yisroel). Regarding arlah in chutz la’aretz the halacha allows for certain leniencies some of which are applied in your situation.

The count of three years of arlah differs depending on when the vine (or other tree) is planted. There are three time periods with regards to the arlah count planted in 2008:

§ Planted before August 15, 2008, arlah ends Tu B’shvat 5771 (January 20, 2011)

§ Planted between August 16 and September 29, 2008 (the 44 days preceding Rosh HaShanah), arlah ends on Rosh HaShanah 5772 (September 29, 2011)

§ Planted after September 30, 2008 (Rosh HaShanah), arlah ends on Tu B’shvat 5772 (February 8, 2012)

The above dates refer only to one who initially planted a tree from a seed or a bare-root tree (i.e. the dirt fell away from the roots when it was transplanted from its containers). You however purchased a grown vine. If you know how old the vine is, the years of arlah can be shifted accordingly. [This leniency only applies in chutz la’aretz; in Eretz Yisroel a tree planted in a closed container would need to restart its arlah years.] If you don’t know how old the vine is you may take the nursery’s earliest estimate of the age of the tree. The age of the tree would be determined from the time the cuttings were rooted. In all probability the vine was rooted at the beginning of the season, meaning that the years of arlah would not be affected and the above dates would apply.

We have now determined the end of arlah which means that any fruit that are on the tree on or before the given date, have the restrictions of arlah. Fruit that grow after this date are not arlah. However, for one year after the conclusion of arlah, the fruits are revai, fruits of the fourth year, and those fruits must be “redeemed”. [Please contact the cRc office for the specific text for redeeming revai fruit.] After the fourth year is competed (one Jewish year from the end of arlah) the fruit may be eaten and used without restriction.

You might be wondering what to do with your arlah fruit. The arlah fruits may be disposed of in any way, but they may not be composted or used in any other way that provides you with benefit. You may choose to leave the fruit on the tree if there is no concern that they will be eaten by humans. (Squirrels may eat arlah fruit). It is probably better for the tree if the fruit are removed from the tree so that the tree can send all its energy towards strengthening the vine.

A very small amount of malt is put into flour and it is almost always batel b’shishim.  Although you are correct that a davar sheyesh lo matirim cannot be batel, that is limited to a mixture of min b’mino (like items) and does not apply to a mixture of malt and flour (see Shulchan Aruch YD 102:1).  It is also noteworthy that due to the length of the malting process, chodosh malt does not come to market until very late in the “yoshon season”.  Accordingly, many people who are particular to only eat yoshon are lenient and will consume flour without first ascertaining if the malt is chodosh.  Whether you should choose to follow this ruling is something that you should discuss with your own Rabbi.

During shemittah there are foods which are distributed using the Otzar Beis Din system where – basically – a Beis Din represents all of the consumers by collecting the produce from the hefker fields, bringing it to the cities where people live, and giving it out for “free”.  The Beis Din is allowed to charge for their services (delivery, packaging etc.) and they usually hire the farmer to do that work so he can make a few dollars during shemittah.  Assuming the Otzar Beis Din is done correctly, that is a good system.  [For sources and more details on shemittah, see the articles in Sappirim 1, 2, 4 & 8 at www.sappirim.com.]

Food from the Otzar Beis Din still has kedushas shevi’is such that it cannot be wasted, bought and sold, taken out of Eretz Yisroel, etc.  The question is what the status of that food is when the time of biur arrives.  Usually, as soon as there is no more of a given fruit (e.g. oranges, apples) in the fields, people must take all of that fruit that they have left in their house and make it available for everyone else.  [They can also partake in this fruit, if they take a small amount at a time.]  That whole process is called “biur”.  Many hold that anything which is part of the Otzar Beis Din “system” does not require a formal biur because it is already setup in the most efficient manner for distribution to everyone.  That would justify the fact that the wine made with Otzar Beis Din does not have a formal biur.

Is there kedushas shevi’is after biur?  There are strong sources to indicate that after biur the fruit no longer has any kedushas shevi’is, and those who certify the wine that the person in your shul saw are accepting this opinion.  Accordingly, once the time of biur passes they hold that the wine may be exported from Eretz Yisroel, it can be bought-and-sold, and the people who buy it do not have to be careful to not waste it.  Others assume that kedushas shevi’is remains even after the time of biur, and therefore all of the above would be forbidden.

In different locations, Chazon Ish presents different rulings on this matter, but it is noteworthy that wherever Chazon Ish wrote “instructions” for standard consumers (as opposed to intricate halachic discourses) he wrote that one should be machmir on this question.  Accordingly, most hashgochos do not recommend the sale and use of such wine in chutz la’aretz, and for that reason the wines in question are not sold at Hungarian or other cRc certified stores.  

For example, barley harvested in 2009 is yoshon today (fall 2010) because it was “in existence” during Passover of 2010, but barley harvested in 2010 will not be yoshon until after Pesach 2011. The aforementioned grains are harvested during the summer and therefore from approximately August 2010 until Pesach 2011, the yoshon consumers will have to be more particular about the pasta, flour, bread, soup, oatmeal, breakfast cereal, cake, and many other foods that they eat.

[Technically, the same rules apply to rye and spelt, but in the USA they are always planted in the winter and harvested after Pesach such that they are always yoshon. Similarly, “winter wheat” is planted before Pesach and harvested afterwards such that it is always yoshon, such that only “spring wheat” (used for bread, rolls, pasta, and certain other foods) is a concern.]

Most kosher certified products do not claim to meet the yoshon standard, and therefore consumers who want to eat yoshon must find products that are either (a) yoshon certified, (b) have no wheat, oats, or barley, or (c) are known to use winter wheat. Alternatively, some people buy large quantities of specific items (e.g. barley) at the beginning of the summer, and use those items until Pesach. In the Chicago area fresh-baked yoshon goods are available from Northshore Bakery, Tel-Aviv Bakery and many other stores. The cRc website has a more extensive listing of stores offering yoshon, and other yoshon information including which packaged goods are acceptable.

Aeroshots is a powder-based mechanism for inhaling caffeine and certain vitamins.  A number of the ingredients are kosher-sensitive and therefore Aeroshots are not recommended unless they are certified kosher.

Charcoal briquettes contain a wood byproduct (among other ingredients), and the other items listed in the question are essentially 100% wood. The flavor of the food cooked with these items is impacted by the type of wood used, and the manufacturers highlight this by identifying the source of the wood. Thus, the names “mesquite briquettes”, “apple chips”, and “alder pellets” refer to items made from the wood of mesquite, apple or alder trees.

In general, these items are made from pure wood (or in the case of briquettes, wood mixed with ingredients that are not kosher-sensitive) and do not require hashgachah. The only exceptions are if the wood is pretreated, coated, soaked in wine, produced from barrels which previously held wine, or are labeled as containing some other kosher-sensitive ingredients.

Electronic cigarettes convert a specially formulated liquid into a vapor which the person inhales in a manner that mimics the way one inhales from a traditional cigarette. The liquid (which is sometimes called “juice”, “smoke-juice” or similar names) typically includes kosher-sensitive ingredients such as glycerin and flavors, and since the person imbibes the liquid/vapor, Rav Schwartz said that the liquid must be certified as kosher. We contacted a number of manufacturers who claim to use only kosher raw materials but there is no independent agency who certifies that claim, and therefore we are unable to recommend those products. [As with all medical issues, one should consult with their doctor before deciding to use or not use electronic cigarettes.]

No, glue is not edible and – from a kashrus perspective – any kind is acceptable.

To answer your question, we would have to know more details about exactly which product you were planning on heating up, as some of them can contain non-kosher ingredients such as blood (with innocent-sounding names like “chocolate agar”). However, it may be easiest to avoid the issue by covering the agar (on top and on bottom) when you put it into the microwave, as this will prevent any potential transfer of ta’am/flavor from the agar to the microwave.

The experts we spoke to were of the opinion that mineral oil would be used for this purpose, and since mineral oil is kosher from any source you can feel free to use any steel wool even if it is not kosher certified.

On a related topic, some steel wool comes with soap already on the steel wool.  The soap does not pose a kashrus concern, even if the company acknowledges that it is made from non-kosher animal fat (as one prominent brand does), because soaps are considered inedible.  Accordingly, you may use the steel wool even if it contains soap.

Wood spoon oil made of just mineral oil and beeswax is kosher without certification, and therefore the spoon which your wife bought may be used. If the spoon had been treated with some other oil (e.g. coconut, hemp) we would have to know the source of that oil before deciding on the status of the spoon.

In many hotel rooms you will find a small coffee maker and a few pouches of ground coffee. If you can determine that all of the coffee pouches are kosher [either because they contain pure unflavored coffee (regular or decaffeinated) or are certified kosher] then you can assume the coffee maker has always been used for those varieties and may be used as kosher. If one or more varieties are not kosher, then you should refrain from using the coffee maker.

On the other hand, we are not able to recommend you taking a cup of coffee or hot water from the hotel kitchen or restaurant. In most cases, coffee served in a non-kosher hotel from an urn, metal coffee pot, pump bottle, or other container cannot be assumed to be kosher because the containers may have been previously used with non-kosher hot drinks and/or washed together non-kosher dishes. For example, coffee urns are sometimes used in hotel kitchens as “ladles” with which soup is moved from large kettles into individual bowls. There are limited situations where one can determine that neither of these concerns applies, and in those cases it would acceptable to drink the coffee; otherwise we cannot recommend it.

The very first halacha regarding pas Yisroel (Shulchan Aruch YD 112:1) is that it is only required for foods made from the five primary grains – wheat, barley, spelt, rye, or oats.  Accordingly, most gluten-free food does not require pas Yisroel because the very nature of gluten-free food is that never contains wheat, barley, spelt, or rye.  The only exception would be foods made with special gluten-free oats – such as gluten-free oat matzah for Pesach; those foods contain one of the five primary grains, and therefore potentially require pas Yisroel if they meet all of the other criteria.

There is a disagreement between the Poskim as to which containers may or may not be opened on Shabbos, and we have not taken an official policy as to whether a Jew may or may open these items. For more details on this question, you might want to read the article by Rabbi Jachter which can be found at  http://koltorah.org/ravj/FashioningOpeningstoUtensilsonShabbat.htm. For a final decision on this and similar questions we encourage you to speak to your local Orthodox Rabbi.

The cRc has taken a stand on this question as relates to asking a non-Jew to open the container, because that question is one that is relevant to caterers who we certify as kosher. Our policies for them are:

§ Individual packets of packets of coffee, sweetener, whitener whose packaging has many words written on it should not be used because it is virtually impossible to open these packages without cutting through words.

§ Cans may not be opened on Shabbos.

§ Whenever possible, bottles should be opened before Shabbos, but if not, a non-Jew may do so on Shabbos. The same applies to aluminum foil, Saran Wrap, and disposable tablecloths.

§ Twist ties may be opened by the non-Jews.

Yes

One should consult with their Rabbi before performing tevillas keilim in a river or small lake, but there is no question that Lake Michigan is suitable.