Veggies

Asked by Yair Hoffman · January 11, 2004 · Comments

Question

Well, I finally received a response from the OU regarding the standards of kashrut regarding potatoes. Here it is: Thank you for checking with the OU on your Kashruth question. We sincerely apologize for this delayed response and thank you kindly for your patience. Please be advised that all vegetables may be eaten. There is no need, at the present time, to be concerned about the kashrus or of either your vegetables of or of your pots, ovens, etc. Most raw vegetables, except for questions of bug infestation can be purchased without kosher supervision. This has always been the policy of the Orthodox Union. However, the food industry has become complicated by technology. The OU endorses raw carrots and potatoes for those consumers who want to be sure that those "veggies" are kosher without question. But at this time, those veggies can also be purchased without supervision. Please don't hesitate to contact us again should you have any further questions.

Answer

Answered by Aaron Abadi

I read this 3 times and I am very confused. I wonder if anyone out there understood this. CYA I believe the answer is as follows: The canned vegetable industry has changed in the past decade where a number of jobbers are doing the canning of all sorts of vegetables. These cans are then steamed in a huge room where other foods are simultaneously steamed. The concern is that there is bliyah mitoch hadofen. (The Bais yosef quotes three shitot on this the smag, smak and maharam mirottenberg and we paskin lechumrah like all of them) The poskim have matired it for a number of reasons, one of them being is that it is not always true that there are treif canned foods in these rooms. Nonetheless, the move is to begin to forbid these.. Please give my regards to your brother Aharon