4

A

a

Some of the currently
uncertified Nabisco prod-
ucts which will be stamped
kosher by the Orthodox
Union.

271 West Maple
Downtown Birmingham
248.258.0212

Oreos Go OU

Monday—Saturday 10-6 • Thursday 10-9

The Orthodox Union stamps 80 percent
of Nabisco's products with a kosher seal of approval.

wAnNangre

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN

Staff Writer

China & Giffs

china, crystal
stemware, and silverware
patterns—the largest in-
stock dealer in the USA.

. 2,000 fine

• Introduce the bride-to-be
to Heslop's registry and
exclusive bridal plan.

Orchard Mall

West Bloomfield
(Orchard Lake & 15 Mile)

1/2

1998

18

(248) 737-8080

finally, those Oreos you've
been dying to try are going
kosher. And so are the Fig
Newtons, graham crackers,
Ritz crackers, Wheat Thins, Harvest
Crisps and other Nabisco products
that have eluded the stamp of kosher
approval.
Within the next two months, 80
percent of Nabisco's products will
appear on local shelves with the OU
kosher certification of the Orthodox
Union. The only Nabisco products
which will remain unkosher are its
cheese products, according to Rabbi
Eliyahu Safran, senior rabbinic coordi-

nator for the Orthodox Union.
"Nabisco is the largest cookie corn-
pany in America; it's realized the sig-
nificance of the kosher market and it
decided to go kosher," Safran
explained. "When they decided to go
kosher, they did it in an extremely
conscientious, professional, responsi-
ble and caring manner."
The OU certifies more than 3,000
American food companies, providing
regular rabbinic supervision to pro-
duction plants across the country.
"Nabisco has almost a dozen
plants around the country. Each of
these plants has been appraised, eval-
uated and inspected ... specific needs
regarding kosherization of equip-
ment, the complete review of the

hundreds of ingredients used at all of1/
the Nabisco plants," Safran said.
"Once the contract is signed, the
plant is assigned a regional rabbinic
representative who visits the plant on
a regular basis."
Until seven years ago, Nabisco used
lard, a trayfe ingredient, in some of its
products, Safran said. The company
stopped using lard "because it was no
longer in vogue for health reasons,
well as in anticipation of the prospect
of becoming kosher."
Kosher certification can include
changes in ingredients, sources of
ingredients or equipment cleansing. A
Nabisco representative did not return
phone calls by press time.

❑