By ROBERT APPEL
(A Seven Arts Feature Syndicate
Writer)
The American Jewish com-
munity can contribute one spe-
cialist whose line is virtually
guaranteed to stump the quick-
witted panelists of a popular
television program dedicated to
ferreting out unusual occupa-
tions.
He is the 20th century rab-
binical authority on kosher
foods and related products, who
must know not only the Jewish
Dietary Laws but also chemis-
try and food technology.
The laws of kashrut are un-
varying, but the conditions un-
der which foods are produced
in the United States have under-
gone extraordinary changes in
.the past half-century. The rab-
binical authority on kashrut
Happy New Year
BLUE RIBBON
FURNITURE & CARPET
CLEANERS
Cleaning - Laying - Binding
Work Guaranteed
3424 Gilbert
TA 6-2765
•
Oer
New Year Greetings
[est Manufacturing
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LI
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needs this unique blend of sec-
ular and religious knowledge
for these new conditions.
Why does the modern rab-
binical expert have to know
something about chemistry and
food technology to discharge
his religious duties effectively?
To raise another current ques-
tion, why cannot the religiously-
conscientious Jewish housewife
depend in most cases, o
label of foods e buys
local supermar t as
the kashrut of hos
One of the est
or
replies to su
qu stions is a
tall, mild-man red abbi, Alex-
ander S. Rose berg, who is the
rabbinic administrator of the
kashrut certification program
of the Union of Orthodox Jew-
ish Congregations, more fam
iarly known as the Orthod
Union. This nationwide publ
service program, now in its 35
year, has established a uniq
relationship with the Ameri
food industry which provide a
constantly growing variety each
year of dependably kosher foods
and related products — desig-
nated by the familiar (U) on
the label—far the Jewish home-
maker.
Rabbi Rosenberg believes
that observant Jewish house-
wives depend far too much
and too often on label read-
ing. This shopper-occasionally-
turned-mashgiach rarely has
any idea of the complexity of
modern food technology and
is frequently led astray by
being her own self-appointed
New Year Greetings
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Holiday Good Cheer
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13807 W. 9 Mile
LI 4-2522
a••••••e•ee•••••••s••a••ematee•es
• •
• • •
Holiday
Greetings
•
• •
•
•
•
• •
• • •
PURITAN ELECTRIC CO.
• •
• • 16216 Wyoming
UN
3-0503
• • •
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Aomemoretbom OS 0111•41411 1110041011000111111100004~/bOt
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Happy Holiday To Our Friends
STAN & SON GULF SERVICE
Expert Mechanic on Duty
Open Daily 7 to 10 — Sun. 9 -
8
6 Mile — Turner at Santa Barbara
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expert. on kashrut via label
reading.
The growing demand for
kosher foods has brought about
a smattering of knowledge
among some food manufactur-
ers which is displayed on some
labels in a boldly - lettered
phrase: PURE VEGETABLE
SHORTENI . Assuming none
of t e in ents listed on the
rently 'non-kosher,
od enough?
Orthodox Union's kash-
ru certification service pro-
vides some revealing answers
about both that question and
the need for the special qualifi-
cations for modern rabbinical
supe ion.
E Isifiers,
one ex-
am
more used
e of processed
. They perform an essen-
tial blending function. They
may be derived from animal
sour s which makes them—and
the i = od in .which they are used
—no -kosher, or from vegetable
sour 5, which may or may not
be k her. Emulsifiers need not,
by 1 • , be listed on the label.
Eve if there was such a re-
quire nt, the listing would
not icate the. origin of the
em
er.
Gly• ne is widely used in
prepar ion Of foods. Its pres-
ence a need not be listed on
the la •
Most glycerines are
ani
origin and may be
consider non - kosher. H o w
could th label reader know?
Another ehnological develop-
ment con ns the use of lard.
Refinem t of animal fat has
reached a int where it is no
longer obje • =able to the gen-
eral consum because of taste
or odor; or t e manufacturer
because of la 's shorter shelf-
life, the leng of time a prod-
uct will rem fresh on the
grocery shelf.
Even after s h refinement,
the price diffe nee between
lard and vegeta e shortening
is so great that st-c • nscious
manufacturers
1 choose
lard, or add 1 •
egetable
shortening. D
s able rab-
binical certific
and su-
pervision is the I y guaran-
tee that a product does not
have this non-kosher fat.
Without such certification
and supervision, a consumer
cannot be certain that a prod-
uct listing only vegetable short-
ening may not contain lard.
This could happen in spite of
a government regulation which
forbids such a substitution.
There are circumstances when
the Government agency will
permit this to happen. In the
experience of the Orthod
Union, it has happened m
than once that the company
permitted to continue w
listing of vegetable short
on its label, despite inc
of lard, on the plea th
company would • suffer a
stantial loss if it was forced to
destroy the label or the con-
tainers listing vegetable shorte-
ning.
In the Orthodox Union's pro-
gram of such certification and
supervision, nothing is left to
chance. The statement of an
applicant company about the
sources and kashrut of its raw
materials is not accepted at face
value, not because managements
are considered suspect but be-
cause they are not experts on
the Jewish Dietary Laws.
How widespread must such
rabbinical checking at the plant
source be? A list of ingredients
supplied by a company seeking
rabbinical endorsement and su-
pervision of its products includ-
ed a total of 21 supplier sources
in 12 states, aside from the
cleaning agents used in the
plant of the applicant firm.
The principle is that the rab-
binical authorities of the Ortho-
dox Union and of the Rabbinical
Council of America, the rab-
binic arm of the Orthodox
Union, must be satisfied that
ingredients, equipment, clean-
ing agents, processing and stor-
ing are kosher, not only in the
final manufacture but in all
supplier plants as well.
What premium does the
kosher shopper pay for this in-
tensive careful checking by the
Greetings
ARNE'S
Service Station
Tire and Battery Service
3001
Kercheval WA 1-1963
Samuel E. Solomon
5150 General Motors Bldg.
Wishes You a Joyous Holiday
18276 Wyoming UN 4-9661
Mr. William Cohen, prop.
TR 5-4084
Greetings
Ajax Composite
Die Company
12900
BR 3-1507
Auburn
; .... ..•.•.
New Year Greetings
Alder-Kay Company
Everything in Wood
12126 Wormer
- KE 2-7100
Holiday Greetings
Averill Equipment
Company
JOHN ARMS
SIGN STUDIO
Industrial Safety Appliances
Signs and Show Cards
People Can Read
19225
Conant
FO 6-2400
203 E. Adams
WO 3-6811
GS
ANY FRIENDS "
Bill's Barber Shop
UNITED STEEL SALES
New Year Greetings
Holiday Greetings
Happy New Year
Holiday Greetings
rabbi who is also food technolo-
gist and chemist? None at all.
The rabbinical supervision of
the Orthodox Union is based on
fees established at a level to
assure that the service is self-
sustaining. Spread over the
total volume of production in
a modern food plant, the cost of
the fee per unit of production
is` o small that • the manufac-
turer need not raise the price
of his product when such rab-
binical supervision is instituted
in his plants.
If kosher certification did not
increase sales, the fee would be
an economically - unjustifiable
increase in the company's cost
of production. Because Ameri-
can Jews do seek out and buy
such kosher products, they give
the manufacturer solid business
reasons for engaging a service
which is available on a basis
that does not require the Jew-
ish consumer to pay a premium
for these products.
DAVID MANASTER,
KOSHER ZION
MEATS ARE
STRICTLY KOSHER
PRES.
THE SIGN
Or QUALITY!
U.S.
INSPECTED
ADO PASSED IT
DEPARTMENTOF
AGRICULTURE
BOYD'S CAFE
Happy New Year
REDFORD
RAMBLER, INC.
Roy C. Englington — Jack Baker
20405 Grand River
Detroit 19, Mich.
Steaks - Chops
Dinners and Short Orders
3233 McGraw
TY 4-9704
New Year Greetings
Bradley's Service
Custom blending fits the
fuel to your car
12300 E. Jefferson ED 1-9544
KOSHER ZION
SAUSAGE COMPANY OF CHICAGO
3
At Leading Groceries, Restaurants, Gelkatessen
s & Super Markets
Michigan Distributor
J. M. LEFKOFSKY
4089 ELMHURST
WEbster 3-8816
33 - THE DETRO IT JEWISH NEWS — Friday, September 23, 1960
Orthodox Union in 35th Year; Familiar "U" Costs Consumer Nothing