21st Century Kashrus

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21st Century Kashrus
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Agenda

• Severity of the Prohibition
• A Historic Outlook
• Types of Insects
• Infested Produce Halacha
• Infested Produce the Facts
• Pre-washed Vegetables
• Demonstration

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Severity of the Prohibition (1)

• Sheretz Hamayim 4 Laavin
• Sheretz Haaretz 5 Laavin
• Sheretz Haof 6 Laavin
• Makos (16b)
• WHY?
• Pri Chadash Y.D. siman 84, end

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Severity of the Prohibition (2)

• Timtum Halev
• Rama Y.D. (81,7)
• Pri Chadash Y.D. (81, 26)

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Severity of the Prohibition (3)

• The prohibition of insects is severe
• He who upholds the commandment is as if he
• has upheld the belief in the exodus from
• Egypt
• He who denies the commandment is as
• if he denies the exodus from Egypt
• (Toras Kohanim)

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Infestation An Overview

• History
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ban of DDT
  (June 1972)
• 1980s brought on an anti-pesticide movement
• The level of Insect infestation in leafy
  vegetables has increased dramatically since the
  FDA banned several pesticides (US News World
  Report Sept. 1992)

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Infestation USDA Tolerance
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Types of Insects Aphids

• Colors
• Yellow
• Gray Green
• Black
• Found in
• Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• Berries
• Others

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Types of Insects Thrips

• Colors
• White or yellowish turning into gray or
  brownish/black
• Found in
• Leafy vegetables
• Cauliflower, Broccoli
• Scallions, Asparagus
• Artichoke, Chives
• Cabbage, Others

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Types of Insects Spider Mites

• Colors
• Yellowish to pale green when immature becoming
  brownish-red
• Found in
• Strawberries, Lettuce
• Celery, Parsley
• Spinach, Fennel
• Others

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Types of Insects Leaf Miner

• Found in
• Leafy Vegetables
• Asparagus
• Scallions
• Others

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Size of Insects Halacha

• Usually range from .85mm to 3mm
• Anything that is visible to the naked eye even
  if only recognizable as a bug from under a visual
  tool
• Poskim

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Categories of Infestation Halacha
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Categories of Infestation - Fact

• Seasonality
• Globalization

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Commercially Pre-washed Vegetables

• Brands Dole, Fresh Express, TA, Bodek,
• Goldenflow, Eden and more
• What is the Claim?
• 1) Effective Cleaning or
• 2) Usually effectiveReduction of infestation
  levelsDepending on the seasonsetc.

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Household Cleaning and Checking

• Methods of Checking
• 1) The chazakah procedure
• Shut Rashba (1,274) Bais Yosef Y.D. (84,8)
  Rama, Shach, Pri Megadim ibid. Shut T.T.V. (1,
  123) who all disallow this method under normal
  circumstances for a product that is infested
  (gt10)
• 2) The soaping procedure
• Method employed by COR, OU, Kof-K and other
• reputable kashruth organizations

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Demonstration

• Every Vegetable Checker Needs
• A Light-box
• Vegetable Wash (Soap)
• Good Set of Eyes
• Patience!!