In our Wednesday’s KASHRUT section HOTD is introducing the reader to the world of reliable Kashrut certifications. We already talked about OU and OK, two major companies in the Kashrut world.

As all KASHRUT symbol, KOF –K symbol (see their web site: http://www.kof-k.org/) is protected under Federal law against unauthorized use.

Today we will discuss the KOF-K, one of the foremost Kosher certification agencies in the United States.

KOF (or KAF) is the name of the 11th letter of the Hebrew Alphabet and the first letter of the word KASHER in Hebrew. .

The Kashrus policies of KOF –K are governed by a Rabbinic committee who reviews and decide all questions of Halacha (Jewish law) which may arise in the course of food production

From KOF –K home page:

KOF-K is directed by a staff of Kosher food production specialists, each an expert in various aspects of the food industry. Always available for consultation are flavor chemists, dairy and bakery professionals, meat processing advisers and computer experts. The KOF-K has an international network of regional coordinators and Rabbinic representatives based in major American cities, Canada, South and Central America, Australia, Western and Eastern Europe, the Orient and Israel. These representatives conduct frequent visits to major manufacturers and their suppliers at every location where Kosher supervision is needed. Confidentiality of all proprietary information is assured.

Watch the KOF-K presentation video: http://www.kof-k.org/flash/index.html.

13th of Sivan, 5770

In the coming weeks -we’ve announced- on the Wednesdays’ Kashrut section I would like to present the readers the world of “Kosher supervisions”.

My goal is to promote a better understanding and observance of Kashrut. However, I’m not endorsing or sponsoring any specific Orthodox Kashrut certification over the other. Today I would like to introduce the readers to the probably second largest Kashrut organization in America. The OK.

Let me quote from their web site:OK Kosher Certification is one of the world’s most respected symbols of kosher approval…

Under the leadership of Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, the OK provides certification for food giants and products such as IFF, Kraft, ConAgra and Tropicana. Operating on six continents and supported by more than 350 of the world’s leading kosher experts, the OK certifies more than 300,000 products, produced by over 1,500 companies.

One of the most difficult problems in Kashrut certification today is the use of additives in the food industry. For a nice article about this and other challenges in the Kashrut world read the following text from OK:

…Hundreds of foods labeled “kosher” dot our supermarket shelves, but many factors that we cannot see complicate the process of guaranteeing a product as kosher. Over 2,800 additives not known fifty years ago are legally present in our foods, including colorings, flavorings, and preservatives. Huge factories manufacture enormous quantities of many types of food using processing techniques of which we know little or nothing…

Read the complete article here: http://www.ok.org/Content.asp?ID=116

Read a credible story about the fascinating world of Kosher supervision: “http://www.ok.org/Content.asp?ID=218″>http://www.ok.org/Content.asp?ID=218

In the coming weeks –on the Wednesdays’ Kashrut section- I would like to introduce the readers of Halakha of the Day to the world of “Kosher certified foods”.

I get very often many questions on this area and I believe that we need to learn what a Kosher certification means, what do they certify, what are the more common and reliable Orthodox Kosher certifications, what products need and what products do not need a Kosher certification, etc, etc.

My goal is obviously to promote a better understanding and observance of Kashrut. However, I’ve no intention whatsoever to endorse or sponsor any specific Orthodox Kashrut certification over the other.During the following weeks I will introduce the readers to a few Kashrut organizations –limiting myself to a small sample of institutions, especially those who have a Web site- with a strict educational goal.

I would like to start by introducing the most popular Kosher certification in the US: the OU. O.U. stands for “Orthodox Union” an Institution whose mission statement goes way beyond Kashrut certifications.

See for yourself visiting their web site at www.ou.org I recommend this page to learn about Kashrut issues: http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/consumer/videosThe basics of Kashrut are here: http://oukosher.org/index.php/consumer/videos/kosher_kidz/OU also has a very effective Q&A link for Kashrut questions.

Try them and see if you get an answer. http://www.oukosher.org/index.php/consumer/ask

Today is the 7th of Yiar, 5770 (22 days of Omer. 3 weeks 1 day)

Last week we explained what happens with the food when we accidentally we cooked a meat food on a diary utensil or vice versa. Today we will see what we should do with the cookware.
As a general rule, most utensils or cookwares that were used with a prohibited food can become kosher again, but they need to undergo a process of “depuration/sterilization” to get rid of the absorbed particles of the forbidden food. Most people are familiar with the process called “Hagala” which basically means immersing a utensil in boiling water. For example, if one accidentally used a meat spoon to stir dairy food, the spoon needs to be immersed for a few seconds in boiling water.
There are some utensils that are not used with water or for “cooking”: for example, a grill or an oven. The food particles were absorbed there by direct fire or by heat; water therefore won’t be effective in getting the forbidden particles out…
So If one wants to make Kosher a non Kosher grill he needs to do a Libbun Chamur (heavy firing) which means, that the grill must be placed on the fire or heated with a torch until the metal changes its color to red/white.
A regular electric or gas oven needs Libbun Kal (heating) which consists on bringing the oven to its maximum temperature –the highest it might have reached when cooking the non Kosher food- for about half hour. The self cleaning function of most electric ovens is considered Libbun Kal.

30th of Nisan, 5770, ROSH CHODESH

Today is the 15tyhn day of the Omer (2 weeks,1 day)

If accidentally one cooked a milk food in a meat cookware sometimes the food is prohibited and sometimes is permitted.

If one for example fried a cheese omelet in a meat pan.

Case 1: if the pan was not clean and it had some visible leftover of meat, even though those were small leftovers, like meat fat etc, the omelet is forbidden because cheese got mixed with meat.

Case 2: if one fried the cheese omelet in a completely clean meat pan that was used with meat during the last 24 hours, the cheese omelet is forbidden because it absorbed the meat particles on the pan’s walls.

Case 3: If the meat pan was not used with meat for the last 24 hours, and one accidentally made a cheese omelet in that pan, then the omelet is permitted. Because the Halakha considers that after 24 hours the meat particles absorbed in the pan’s walls are decomposed (noten taam lifgam) and they are not considered meat anymore.

As for the cookware, in all cases, it requires Hag’ala (immersion in boiling water) or Libbun (firing) depending on the type of utensil. It will be explained BH in following Halakhot.