Gedolei Rabbonim Issue Kol Koreh: Food Produced to Be Sold Requires a Reputable Hashgacha

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Producing food items in 2022 is more complex than it has ever been. Kashrus experts attest to this fact, explaining that manufacturing and producing food is incredibly multifaceted and complicated, and the application of halacha in this day and age is therefore also more difficult than it’s ever been.

At the same time, whether due to Covid or other circumstances, there has been a proliferation of home-based businesses serving the frum community. This recent phenomenon has led people to approach leading rabbonim with concerns and troubling first-hand accounts relating to the kashrus of these home-based businesses, most of which are not supervised by any kashrus agency.

After studying this matter extensively and discussing the details with other poskim and leaders in the kashrus industry, these gedolei rabbonim felt that it is imperative that we implement a system that is consistent with prior practice of requiring all food businesses to have a reliable hashgacha. The gedolei rabbonim have thus released this kol koreh, making their feelings known that food produced for profit should not be bought unless it bears a reputable hashgacha or a respected rov gives his personal hashgacha on the operation.

The rabbonim were and are very sensitive to the plights of the owners of these home-based businesses, aware of the fact that they rely on their businesses to earn a parnassah. The rabbonim considered this carefully before releasing this statement.

The fact, however, is that most people don’t realize how many items they are consuming on a regular basis that do not have a hechsher altogether. When something is served to them, people should be trained to ask: Does this come from a store or business that has a hechsher?

When food is produced to be sold, oversight is needed. Allowing the current situation to continue unaddressed will unfortunately jeopardize the kashrus standards in our communities, as the rabbonim write in the kol koreh.

Questions or concerns related to this kol koreh may be addressed to [email protected].



28 COMMENTS

  1. I’ve been waiting for something like this! The home businesses are a churban! Meat boards, cakes, herring, everything under the son. Ameratzim making it in their kitchen and everyone thinks they can eat from it.
    And no there’s no eid echad neeman bissurim on a business

  2. The greatest irony here is that we just saw a massive scandal where somebody was selling tarfus, real tarfus, under the one of the largest hechsheirim in the world. And you’re telling me I can’t buy hamentaschen from my neighbor…

    • And the answer is . . . in that particular case, there was obviously no hashgachah in spite of the presence of a well known and still rightfully well respected hechshar.
      Were proper protocols in place?
      Were daily inspections of all cold and dry food storage areas part of these protocols?
      Did these protocols require that mashgiach is called for all food deliveries?
      Was mashgiach supposed to be the first one to arrive daily, and the last one to leave?
      Did mashgiach leave daily, and at the same time each day, for tefilah b’tzibbur?
      Did mashgiach have other responsibilities in the establishment such as manager, errand boy, etc.?

  3. The earlier Poskim That are quoted saying that anybody selling anything needs a “HECHSHER” Where not referring to today’s Hechshairim. There is a vast difference between the 2. Back then all they required a person to have was a letter from a Rav that they are an Erliche yid The Rav hardly did any spot checks on them and sometimes gave a letter when they where travelling salesmen and it was impossible to make a spot check on them. Today’s Hechshairim Don’t know the owners personally and make spot checks. So comparing the 2 words HECHSHER is almost like Reb Chaim’s “panim chadoshos” If someone is making a complicated product in their house or has Goyim Working for them or has a big operation than 100% They need today’s style Hechsher Because even though they are 100% Ehrlich There can be problems that they don’t realize are problems…. But if it’s just a small operation (like a lady making challaI or cake)than a letter from a Rav might be required but not today’s Hechshairim

  4. Why do we need a “reputable hashgacha”

    There is a much simpler idea.
    Have the Rav of their shul sign a paper that shmuel of shmeel shmear or dina of dina’s delights is a fine member of their communitty and has a chezkas kashrus etc.

    Like this even though I don;t know dina, I recognize her Rav and he stands by her. If I don;t know the Rav I can ask my Rav

    Of course if he/she doesn’t have a Rav that’s a different story and if the Rav doesn’t feel comfortable writing such a letter well there is your answer.

    • Do you really think that’s all that is necessary? Chezkas Kashrus is for eating as a guest in their home, not for a business.
      Do you think any Rav is going to give their blessing without checking and having the ability to spot check (even if they dont go often, just knowing that the Rav can come in at any time to inspect is enough – mirtas). A Rav who gives his support WITHOUT oversight, might have his motives questioned. Al Ta’amin Be’atzmecha ad yom mos-cha.
      Dinas delights, might be using ingredients that are questionable,but the method must also be ‘kosher’, is she is ‘taking challah” properly, checking for bugs even in the soup mix, sifting flour, toiveling the kaylim, keeping milk, dairy and pareve (and treif) separated, is anyone bringing outside foods into her kitchen, does she have a non-Jewish worker in the house, does she use grape juice or wine or apple cider? Etc, etc….
      To offset the cost of hashgacha for a new business, perhaps the first year can be at a discount as long as the chief/cook/bottlewasher is cooperative.

      • “Chezkas Kashrus is for eating as a guest in their home, not for a business.”

        Peopel keep saying this
        There is no such source. Please please please don’t make up halacha
        You list a bunch of questions “Dinas delights, might be using ingredients that are questionable,…”

        ALL of them apply to eating at her table without paying her.

        Yo ucan write your own shukchan aruch that forbids this.

        But the one we have does not .

        You can, of course, also enact whatever standard you want for yourself.

        but halacha is clear a frum person is beleived on kashrus. Period.
        There is no “buisness” exception

        If there is please provide a source
        (the sources in the Kol Koreh do not say there is, they say people dont know each other which is why my proposal helps)

      • Not only do I think that is all tyhat is neccesary
        that is wah tthe Kol Kore hsays

        “… unless it bear a reputable hashgacha OR a respected Rav gives his personal hashgacha on the operation”

        Of course the headline of this “sponsored content” leaves off that part

    • Chezkas Kashrus we all have. Among the questions which arise are:
      1) Basar (as well as chalav, oif, dagim, and KEILIM) she’nifkidu bi’yidei akum.
      2) Status of ovens (are meat or dairy items prepared there uncovered).
      3) Bishul Akum (e.g. are we relying on pilots, what about convection ovens which shut off automatically when doors are opened).

      • What takanah? Until thirty years ago, virtually every catering establishment in Brooklyn (Flatbush, Boro Park, Williamsburg) operated with no hashgachah. That began to change in Flatbush in ’93 with the advent of the KIC, and some time later in BP when a similar organization was established. Can you please provide a copy of this takanah?

  5. Ed echud neman… is said in chazal for business (some selling any food to someone else).
    Not saying you do/don’t need hashgacha. Just don’t quote chazal falsely.

  6. why shouldnt a home based business require a hashgacha?? why are they any different than a store based business?
    Need to be focusing more on kashrus than on lace shaitels

  7. This is only going to work if the rabonim of the various shuls put their foot down and take responsibility for their kitchens. If they make a rule that everything coming in needs to have certification, so That would mean that homemade stuff will need to be legitimately certified.

    If we leave it to the people such as the ones here that come up with the boych svoros so they could eat anything, nothing will ever happen.

  8. Pretty hysterical that everyone here is rattling around svaros and no one is quoting the mekoros in the Kol Koreh!
    How about you go and read the Darchei Tshuva, siman 119, sif katon 9.
    (spoiler alert…you might be a little suprised).

  9. The source that everyone wants is the Aruch Hashulchan YD 119,4.

    ערוך השלחן’ (יו”ד סי’ קיט סעי’ ד) כתב: “דאע”ג דהתורה האמינתו לכל אחד מישראל על האיסורים מ”מ חנוני קבוע שמוכר תמיד בכל עת ובכל שעה שאני דהוא מורה התירא”.

    • Ari, that’s not his psak. You literally took a snippet out of context.
      His psak is that as long as you know the person in question is an ehrlicheh Yid, he has a chezkas kashrus and you can buy food from him. (Provided that it does not involve shechita, bedika, and/or nikkur where you need a mumcheh)

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