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Kosher consumers are on the rampage
ANT KATZ
The Johannesburg Beth Din came under criticism from kosher consumers again over the past week after issuing a Kosher Alert that cheese products packed by ‘Kee Ingredients’ and displaying the name ‘Kee Wings’ on their packaging, contain an unauthorised Beth Din logo and cannot be eaten.
User-comments centred around two main issues: the non-removal of goods from store shelves; and the confusion facing kosher consumers.
The kashrut division of the Johannesburg Beth Din says, however, said that kosher consumers don’t always understand the extent of effort the Beth Din goes to, to remedy, or protect, the community from non-kosher or unsupervised products.
Jewish Report spoke to the head of kashrut at the Beth Din, PICTURED RIGHT, Greg Bloch, to get a better understanding of the issues.
“From time to time companies make errors on their packaging,” explains Bloch. “This includes their use of the Beth Din kashrut logo on products illegally. The Beth Din logo is a legally protected trademark which cannot be used without our authorisation. This is a very serious matter as it could result in people eating food that is not kosher.”
Users were responding to a notice which advised that cheese packed by Key Wings was not kosher
In essence, kosher consumers have, for several months, been expressing a loss of trust in the veracity of the Beth Din’s trademarked diamond hechsher.
Included among the user-comments posted on last week’s alert story (every kosher alert posted of late attracts a slew of comments) was this one posted by Miriam de Vos last week which sums up the general feeling: “Excuse me but what good will it do to send an alert? What about a person who doesn’t have email? Or who missed this email? Or who forgot this email? This is outrageous. As long as (these) products remain available, the BD UOS/SA is ‘placing a stumbling block before the blind’. Why have they not insisted on a total recall? What can we trust anymore?”
Another, this week, from Trevor Tuvia Shapiro, took exception to the understanding words of Lawrence: “@Lawrence – it is not an unfair request that the Beth Din take whatever measures are necessary to protect their copyright. What are they scared of? If you see a product with the BD you want to be assured it’s not a fake.”
See more examples of user-posts below
Kashrut head Greg Bloch told Jewish Report that “each and every instance of unauthorised logo usage we become aware of is treated with the utmost severity to ensure that it is resolved as quickly as possible.”
Bloch says that the kashrut department “does not have the legal right to remove products from the shelves without a court order.” Wherever necessary, however, they do pursue legal action. “Given the unavoidable, time-consuming and complex nature of this legal process, we inform the community immediately and engage with the offending company to resolve the matter,” he said.
“At the same time, we make every effort to notify the community in real-time through as many communication platforms as possible to prevent people from unknowingly eating food that may not be kosher.”
Greg Bloch advises kosher consumers who do not currently receive regular kashrut updates to subscribe to ensure that they receive all kashrut alerts immediately. He suggests that anyone who does not receive the kashrut division’s alerts should send an email to them at kashrut@uos.co.za and they will add users to the list.
More kosher alert notices and comments
The following are just the comments that have appeared on Jewish Report Online since the beginning of November (with links to the original stories). They are published verbatim:
Tanqueray Gin
“London Jew” said on 16 Jan: This is not a kashrus announcement it’s a financial announcement. Notice that they didn’t say it’s unkosher they just said it’s no longer certified, ie no longer being paid for the hechsher. According to the London Beth Din, ANY Gin is kosher as long as it doesn’t contain grapes, which would have to be listed on the label. Same rules as for Scotch, ANY Scotch is kosher.
Kee Wings
Trevor Tuvia Shapiro said on 13 Jan: What’s the good of copyrighting a mark if they won’t act on it. And if they don’t act on it, others will do the same. How do we know which products with the mark are kosher and which are not? They cannot be relied upon.
G Taubkin said on 14 Jan: What on earth is happening? More alerts about false labels than ever before. Is there no control? Who is responsible? Can we have some names.
“Duvi” posted on 14 Jan: no longer reliable
Miriam de Vos posted on 15 Jan: Excuse me but what good will it do to send an alert? What about a person who doesn’t have email? Or who missed this email? Or who forgot this email? This is outrageous. As long as this products remain available the BD UOS/SA is ‘placing a stumbling block before the blind’. Why have they not insisted on a total recall? What can we trust anymore?
“Lawrence” posted on 16 Jan: You are all requesting impossible thing from our Beth din, just be happy they are looking out for your kashrut or ele there would be nothing to really in
Trevor Tuvia Shapiro responded to Lawrence on 18 Jan: @Lawrence – it is not an unfair request that the Beth Din take whatever measures are necessary to protect their copyright. What are they scared of? If you see a product with the BD you want to be assured it’s not a fake.
“Zalman” also posted on 18 Jan: “We are working to resolve this issue as soon as possible” – Translation: “We have told the company to pay. If they do, the food will then be kosher. If they don’t, well, it can’t be eaten.”
These are NOT kosher
Peter Fine posted on 25 Dec: Is it not time that the BD legally enforces the copyright of their kashrut sign? More and more companies are using it without authorisation. It is important that those who don’t know about its importance learn about it. It would also re-assure those that do pay to use it of its legitimacy. As Kosher consumers we also need to feel confident that a new product on the shelves that we discover that has a hechsher is definitely kosher.
More Kashrut alerts
Denis Solomons on 06 Nov: The answer is to have three fridges; fleishik, milchik and treif!
Rachmiel on 08 Nov: The state of kashrus in this town has become so bad. Unless you make it yourself, you should not trust the hechsher. When money and politics, and not halocha are the determining factors, it’s a sad indictment on the system.
Mendy on 09 Nov: Case in point. Funky Korn has been marked parev for at least two years.
Dov on 09 Nov: Sensationalism at it’s best. To say that the kosher consumer is now vulnerable is overreacting. We have the most incredible Kashrut Department and for a community the size that we are, to have such choice and variety is really something. So sometimes things are mislabeled or lose their kashrut license, this happens with all products – manufacturers are constantly putting out notices about errors or even withdrawing stock due to fault in production or some issue around allergies (and these have serious medical consequences). Does that mean that we are now vulnerable when trying to buy those products? Let’s try keep a little perspective here. The minute there is an problem or a change, the UOS issues a Kashrut Notice to inform the public. I think a little credit is due here for their hard work.
Bar One
Meloney on 02 Nov: So many products mislabeled. How can we tell when the hechsher is reliable or not?
Denis Solomons on 03 Nov: While on holiday in Umhlanga recently we came across a fudge and chocolate ice cream by Dairy Maid that was kosher and it tastes very similar to Bar-One. A win- win situation
Yuval 04 Nov: Biggest money making scam
“Steve” on 05 Nov: Dear Mr Editor, when they say “The manufacturer is taking corrective action to remedy the situation,” what they mean is that the manufacturer is waiting for clearance from head office to pay the invoice.
Some of the myriad of comments that have been posted on the website since November
