With appreciation to Rav Moshe Vaye of Yerushalayim, the world’s leading authority on the halachos of insect infestation and insect inspection, we provide the following excerpt from Rav Vaye’s sefer, BedikasHamazon Kehalacha, in time for Tu B’Shevat. It provides clear and concise instructions for checking fruits and vegetables.
The guide is provided thanks to Pos’tiv Produce, which has come to be known as the standard for kashrus and integrity. Pos’tiv’s state-of-the-art growing techniques, greenhouses and washing equipment allow for a fully contained and controlled system, enabling the production of guaranteed kosher product. Expert mashgichim meticulously check the product through every necessary stage of the growth process and again before and after the washing process.
We wish you a happy, kosher and bug-free Tu B’Shevat.
Click here to view Rav Vaye’s guide for checking fruits and vegetables.
{Yossi Schneider-Matzav.com Newscenter}
I suspect that Rav Vaye’s guidelines are based on the Metzius in Eretz Yisrael. In America, the Metzius may be different. See, e.g. http://www.star-k.org/Insect_Checking_ebook.pdf, which contains guidelines based on the Metzius in America.
Rav Vaye has been to the USA many times and has checked the Metzius there. He personally told me that the results are pretty much the same as in Eretz Yisrael.
I believe that he also mentions this point in his sefer, which BTW I would recommend as required reading for anyone who wants to be meticulous regarding the halachos regarding ingesting creepy crawlies.
Here is wishing you a bug free Tu B’Shevat