Hoorray!!!

Question

Congress is set to pass a new law that would require even greater food labeling. All packaged foods would be required to carry the new labels by 1/1/2006. The new labeling would eliminate the listing of ingredients such as "natural flavours", 'spices" or "natural ingredients" and require manufacturers to list each item specifically if any of these contain a potential allergen. The eight potential allergens that will be required to be listed are: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, soy, and wheat which account for 90% of the nations food allergies. This of course has absolutely no bearing on kashrut issues as the current labeling is already more than sufficient, but it should be very helpful for allergy sufferers. Also this will leave only "beef or meat" in natural flavours as "hidden ingredient" possibilities for the hechshers to use in order to scare people into relying upon their services to certify packaged food products as "kosher". They will surely have to think up something new. Of course we were thinking that it could be a good business model to certify things like imported pistachios, Turkish dried fruit, Egyptian cottonseed oil, Japanese tuna, Chinese cotton tee shirts, Persian rugs, Chinese frozen fruits and Indian brass lamps or anything imported from countries where the population practices idolatrous religions as "avoda zara" free. It is a common idolatrous practice to make gifts of fruit and other items to the "gods". This could bring into question any fruit or nut that is imported from any country where people practicing these religions are prevalent. Certifying wigs would seem to me to be merely the tip of the iceberg from a business prospective. Like "kosher certified" potatoes, sugar and bottled water, once the hechsher is on the product, the perceived need will be there. I am seeing a proliferation of "kosher certified" wigs and women are willing to pay more for them, so the possibilities are out there and they are endless.