CRISIS: Shortage of Kosher Bread in Communities

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By Rabbi Akiva Males, Memphis

Friends, have you noticed that there is a serious lack of readily available Kosher certified breads and buns in the local grocery stores? I used to chalk this up to local circumstances, but after communicating with other rabbis, I have learned that this is a growing concern across the US.
Some have expressed that this lack of readily accessible Kosher bread/buns is particularly challenging for some who are new to keeping Kosher / considering full-time Kosher observance.
Here’s what I learned: One of the largest bread producing corporations / distributors in the US is Bimbo Bakeries ( https://www.bimbobakeriesusa.com/brands ) — see that link to understand just how many bread companies are under their umbrella. Based on innocent business decisions, they’ve chosen to move away from having many of their nationally distributed breads/buns certified as Kosher.
I reached out to friends at national Kashrus Agencies and was put in touch with people at the highest levels who confirmed this. They told me that the most effective way to change this is for as many people as possible across the USA to reach out to Bimbo Bakeries and tell them how they have been negatively impacted by a lack of readily available Kosher breads/buns. (The national Kashrus agencies — cannot be the ones behind this campaign. They feel it’s crucial that it comes 100% from consumers themselves.)
We need a groundswell of people to call/email Bimbo Bakeries in order for them to understand our concerns.
Can you please take a minute to call/email Bimbo Bakeries towards this end?
Here is the contact information for the consumer hotline at Bimbo Bakeries:
Phone: 1-800-984-0989
Please let Bimbo Bakeries know (politely, of course) that you have been negatively impacted by a lack of readily available Kosher breads/buns — and that you would be eager to purchase their products if they were Kosher certified.
Thank you!
{Matzav.com}

19 COMMENTS

  1. These brands are all Pas Akum!! Keep them off the shelves and let the FRUM companies that bake bread fill the slots. Mi Kiamcha Yisroel!!!!

    • Hey idiot. Not everyone has the availability like Lakewood and Brooklyn. Many out-of-town communities face such challenges. Not every town has their own bakery. Most don’t. It’s not just bread. It’s Kosher wine and milk as well, amongst other items. Get off your high horse, you schmuck. Just keep wearing your white shirt & black pants and keep busy with your shidduch crisis.

  2. These brands are all Pas Akum!! Keep them off the shelves and let the FRUM companies that bake bread fill the slots. Mi Kiamcha Yisroel!!!!

    • It is not Pas Akum- It is Pas Palter.
      Your idea would work well. Have people be more makpid on a chumra and have them be ovair a d’oraysoh.

    • Learn some halocha because you sound like a grubeh am haoretz!

      This is pas palter. And unlike you who lives in cushy Brooklyn, there are yiddin all over the fruited plain who rely on these brands for bread.

      You’ve proven you aren’t much of a ben Torah, hopefully you are a better baker.

  3. If I complain to them and I dont really need this isnt it geneivas das?
    There is always money involved in all such decisions.

  4. @Ben the Jewish Baker They are Pas Palter, not Pas Akum, and they are Mutar Lchatchilah in places that don’t have comparable bread. Please brush up your Shulchan Oruch before posting!

  5. Ben, are you familiar with Pas Palter?
    Also, are you in any way concerned about your Jewish brothers and sisters living outside of your own bubble across the US?
    Most of them are nowhere near any frum bakeries.

  6. Regarding pas palter, the Sefardim follow the ruling of Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 112:2), that if Pas Yisroel is available, one should purchase only Pas Yisroel. However, if it is not available, or if it is of inferior quality, then one may consume pas palter.
    In contrast, the Ashkenazim, as per the ruling of Rama (Yoreh De’ah 112:2 ) allow pas palter.
    Nonetheless, it is a meritorious stringency to consume only Pas Yisroel.

  7. It’s not pas akum, it’s past paltur. Don’t push your chomros on to other people. Especially out of town communites that don’t have access to pas yisroel breads.

    Companies make decisions based on business. The sales of commercial bread to the NYC kosher market, has recently dropped dramatically due to the availability of commercial pas yisroel breads. Although there are many kosher consumers throughout the USA, the companies make their kosher decisions based on sales in kosher supermarkets.

  8. Ben, just curious, would you care if every Mezonos item with a Hechsher in the US was in danger of losing its Hashgacha, but Lieber’s and Gefen could still supply your enclave with the Mezonos items your family needs?

  9. Ben the jewish baker….. How many NY based kosher bakeries make daily deliveries to Florida, texas, ohio, california, indiana I personally have a need to go to orlando on business a few times a year …..I have to rely on the local establishments for bread during that time.

    • Our grandmothers most likely didn’t work full time and stayed home all day baking bread and busied themselves with other homemaking things that most full time working mothers do not have time for. In the smaller out of town communities pas yisroel is only baked once a week for shabbos if even that and there are some towns especially in the south and midwest that have no kosher bakeries at all!

      • That’s Verrazzano-Narrows bridge, with 2 Zz’s! We just paid millions of tax dollars to correct that! Thank you very much.
        In the meantime I’m going to enjoy my delicious Entenmann’s chocolate fudge ice cake (all 12g of fat per serving) with my coffee and International Delight chocolate caramel coffee creamer. Hmm hmm hmmm. Doesn’t get better than that. To all my Chalav Yisroel and Paas Yisroel/Chadash heimisha hechsher fanatical friends, I say, GET A LIFE!!! Don’t be such a killjoy.

  10. The website has an option to become a distributor. If enough of us wanted to distribute only kosher bread perhaps the company would change its mind.

  11. This story about bimbo dropping hashgocha on many breads is old news, upwards of 18 months or more since the OU hasn’t been on those breads. I’m surprised it took so long for the author to notice it.

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