News from the Guide to Chodosh

[Y. Herman]

THE FOLLOWING AS OF 11 FEB 00

The final issue of the Guide to Chodosh for this season has gone to the 
printer and should be available in a few days. I will also send out E mail 
when the E mail version of this Guide is available for downloading. 
Meanwhile, note the following additional news:

DOUGIES BAR-B-Q GRILL, 4310 18th Ave, Brooklyn, (718)686-8080. There is no 
longer any problem with the same oil being used to fry the Chodosh egg 
rolls and the french fried potatoes. This practice has been discontinued.

LIEBERS update: The wheat in all cookies, crackers and cereals is Yoshon. 
Those items that contain malt may be Chodosh at this time. The mashgiach 
will forward information about malt when it becomes available. Items 
containing oats may be Chodosh at this time. Liebers bread crumbs and 
OldScale frozen pizza are Yoshon.

UNGER bread crumbs are Chodosh at this time. Unger cereals have a package 
code that is 1 year after packing. Use the EARLIEST of the following 
package codes: wheat= Aug 25, 2001, oats Oct 15, 2001, barley=Oct 2, 2001, 
malt=Jan 15 2002.

BETTY CROCKER CAKE MIXES, correction: The wheat flour used is Yoshon. For 
other questionable ingredients, the package date is 1 year after packing.

GENERAL MILLS CEREALS sold in Israel and Europe. An earlier bulletin stated 
that the same package date codes apply as in the USA. This is not correct. 
We have still not found out the correct code for outside the USA.

HOLDEN FOODS FARINA. The wheat used  can be winter or spring. Probable 
Chodosh date Aug 25, code Aug 25, 2002 (2 years after packing.)

COCOA MUNCHIES, COCOA WHEATS. The wheat used  can be winter or spring. 
Probable Chodosh date Aug 25, code Aug 25, 2002 (2 years after packing.)

FLOUR USA sells high gluten flour in 5 and 6 pound brown bags in kosher 
groceries in the metropolitan New York area. Those bags sold by Monsey 
Glatt, on Route 59 in Monsey are Yoshon by special arrangement. This flour 
sold in any other store is Chodosh.

The following is the latest comprehensive summary from Kemach:
KEMACH PRODUCTS MARKED YOSHON:

THESE PRODUCTS DO NOT PRESENT ANY CHODOSH PROBLEMS THAT WOULD NECESSITATE 
LOOKING FOR CODE DATES

CEREALS:  open code dated 1 year after manufacture

 >TOASTED OATS, HONEY NUT TOASTED OATS, FRUIT WHIRLS  HAVE A CHODOSH DATE 
OF 10/2/00
 >SUGAR PUFFED WHEAT  HAS A CHODOSH DATE OF 10/16/00
 >HONEY CRUNCH (like Honeycombs), CORN CRISPS (like Kix) - HAVE A CHODOSH 
DATE OF 10/2/00
 >WHOLE WHEAT FLAKES (like Total), AND RAISIN BRAN  ARE MADE FROM WINTER WHEAT
***ALL CEREALS HAVE “MALT”*** MALT CHODOSH DATE IS 1/16/01.

PASTAS: consumer packages, marked with open code 1 year after manufacture

 >ONE POUND BOXES OF SPAGHETTI, MACARONI AND LASAGNA HAVE A CHODOSH DATE OF 
10/30/00.

NOODLES: consumer packages, marked yoshon in English

 >ALL PACKAGED NOODLES AND NOODLE CUTS ARE YOSHON WITH OR WITHOUT ANY 
YOSHON MARKINGS THROUGH JANUARY & POSSIBLY LATER. LOOK FOR YOSHON OVERPRINT 
AFTER JANUARY.

NOODLES & PASTA: bulk foodservice boxes, coded with Julian date

 >10LB. BOW TIES; 10LB. BARLEY; 10LB. FINE NOODLES; 10LB. MEDIUM NOODLES 
MADE BY ZAREGA  CHODOSH DATE OF 10/30/00=   XXXX  3040XXZ (= JULIAN DATE + 
YEAR. THE FIRST 4 CHARACTERS [IF FOUND] AND NEXT TO LAST 2 CHARACTERS ARE 
IRRELEVANT. LAST CHARACTER SHOULD BE A Z).,

 >10 LB NOODLES, 20 LB PASTAS (MADE BY PRINCE)  CHODOSH DATE 12/1/00 =  P 0 
336 XXX (LAST 3 CHARACTERS ARE IRRELEVANT)

 >10 LB NOODLES, 10 LB TOASTED BARLEY, 10 LB BARLEY (MADE BY BENED 
FOODS)  WILL BE YOSHON WITHOUT ANY CODE DATE.

Ø       20 LB. PASTAS IMPORTED FROM MEXICO ARE ALL YOSHON.
Ø       ALL PASTAS TO BE IMPORTED FROM ITALY, BULK AND PACKAGED WILL BE YOSHON.


FLOUR:

 >HIGH GLUTEN FLOUR IN 5 LB. BAGS IS YOSHON, INCLUDING MALT, WITH OR 
WITHOUT ANY YOSHON MARKINGS ON BAG.

 >HIGH GLUTEN FLOUR IN 6 LB. BAGS WILL BE YOSHON BY CODE DATE. CODE IS AN 
OPEN CODE 1 YEAR AFTER PACKING. AT THIS TIME THERE IS ENOUGH YOSHON FLOUR 
INCLUDING MALT TO LAST UNTIL PESACH EVEN WITHOUT ANY CODES.
 >REGULAR FLOUR IS YOSHON AS STATED ON BAGS. MALT CHODOSH DATE FOR REGULAR 
FLOUR IS 1/15/01.  [ALSO NOTE NEW CODING ON REGULAR FLOUR! CODE IS NOW A 
“USE BY” OPEN CODE ONE YEAR AFTER MANUFACTURE.]

COOKIES: *important change from previous  years on sandwich cookies*

 >ALL COOKIES EXCEPT FOR OATMEAL ARE FROM WINTER WHEAT AND ARE YOSHON.
 >SANDWICH COOKIES ARE ALSO FROM WINTER WHEAT THIS YEAR AND ARE YOSHON EVEN 
WITHOUT YOSHON MARKINGS ON PACKAGES.

CRACKERS: Kem Kem, Whole Wheat & Bran, Snackers, Grahams, KREX

 >ALL CRACKERS ARE FROM WINTER WHEAT INCLUDING WHOLE WHEAT AND GRAHAM CRACKERS.
 >FOR COOKIES CONTAINING MALT (SNACKERS AND GRAHAMS)  WILL SUPPLY CODE 
DATES AFTER JANUARY.
BREMNER (SNACKERS AND GRAHAMS) HAS NOT SUPPLIED A FIRM MALT DATE. PLEASE 
USE STANDARD ESTIMATE.

FLAT BREAD: all flavors, not coded

 >WILL BE YOSHON IF PURCHASED THROUGH DECEMBER 2000. UPDATE ON FLATBREAD: 
YOSHON THROUGH 12/15/00!

BREADSTICKS:  consumer sesame and garlic; 5LB. food service;  not coded

 >BREADSTICKS ARE YOSHON UNTIL PESACH.
 >MALT IN ALL BREADSTICKS MAY BE CHODOSH AFTER PURCHASE DATE OF 2/26/01
 >WHOLE WHEAT BREADSTICKS ARE NO LONGER YOSHON. IF THE GROCERY STORE 
PURCHASED THEM AFTER NOVEMBER 8TH,  THEY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED CHODOSH

ICE CREAM CONES: all kinds, not coded

 >ALL ICE CREAM CONES ARE FROM WINTER WHEAT AND ARE YOSHON.

SOUP MIXES: in long cello tubes, and/or boxes:

 >VEGETABLE SOUP MIX, SPLIT PEA SOUP MIX, MINESTRONE SOUP MIX, NOODLE SOUP 
MIX, ONION SOUP MIX - WILL BE YOSHON WITHOUT ANY YOSHON MARKINGS UNTIL 
PESACH. WE WILL SUPPLY CODE DATES WHEN AVAILABLE.


CHOW MEIN NOODLES: all varieties

 >PACKAGES OF CHOW MEIN IN 8OZ AND 16OZ SIZES ARE YOSHON AT THIS TIME. 
PACKAGES IN OTHER SIZES IF AND WHEN AVAILABLE ARE QUESTIONABLE AT THIS 
TIME. WILL ADVISE THE GUIDE.


FOODSERVICE MATZO MEAL AND BREADCRUMBS:

25LB. BAGS OF MATZO MEAL AND 50LB. BAGS OF BREADCRUMBS ARE YOSHON WITHOUT 
ANY MARKINGS UNTIL PESACH.

PRODUCTS FROM ISRAEL:

ALL ISRAELI PRODUCTS ARE YOSHON WITH OR WITHOUT ANY YOSHON MARKINGS.

NEW PRODUCTS:
A)      UNCANNY COOKIES: NEW COOKIES IN CANS IN A CHOCOLATE CHIP AND 
OATMEAL VARIETIES. CHOCOLATE CHIP IS YOSHON, OATMEAL IS NOT. CHOCOLATE CHIP 
SAYS YOSHON ON CAN.
B)      WAFER LOG NUGGETS: ARE YOSHON AS NOTED ON BOX.
SOFBITE COOKIES: ARE YOSHON AS NOTED ON BAGS.


GOLDBERG BAGELS, Baltimore, MD. Yoshon bagels are available on Thursday, 
only ordered by the previous day, Wednesday by 3 pm.

Meal Mart in Queens, even the egg rolls are Yoshon under the hashgocho of 
Rav Aaron Teitelbaum

THE FOLLOWING AS OF 7 JAN 01

UNGER BARLEY update: We have contacted Unger regarding our reservations 
about their arrangements for packing Unger Yoshon barley (see 24 Dec 00, 
below). We agreed to disagree. Unger will continue to advertise that their 
barley is Yoshon. We will continue to urge that you ask your own posek if 
Unger’s arrangements are satisfactory. Please note that if your posek 
objects to Unger’s arrangements, then you have to ask at all private homes 
and all catering establishments that claim Yoshon about the brand of barley 
that they are using. The grocery stores and food product distributors are 
likely to claim this barley is Yoshon based on Unger’s claim.

DOUGIES BAR-B-Q GRILL, 4310 18th Ave, Brooklyn, (718)686-8080. All items in 
the store are Yoshon under the hashgocho for Yoshon of the O-U. The 
exceptions are the egg rolls, which are NOT Yoshon. PLEASE NOTE: The 
mashgiach informs us the same oil that is used to fry the Chodosh egg rolls 
is also afterwards used to fry french fried potatoes! He claims that the 
O-U specifically allowed this arrangement. We have asked the O-U for 
clarification on this matter. When we receive further information we will 
pass it on. Meanwhile, caution is urged.

GEFFEN PASTA is Yoshon until pesach. No hashgocho for Yoshon.

PIZZA WAREHOUSE, 141-25 Jewel Ave,  Kew Gardens Hills, NY (718)261-6666. 
All items produced in the store are Yoshon. This store claimed that the 
Yoshon was certified by the Vaad Harabonim of Queens. However, the Vaad 
does not certify the Yoshon status.

PITA HOT restaurant, 75-25 Jewel Ave, Kew Gardens Hills, NY (718)544-6755. 
All items are Yoshon. No hashgocho for Yoshon.

Kosher World Market, Arthur Godfrey Boulevard, Miami Beach, FL. Bakes 
Yoshon chalehs once per week on Fridays. Ask for Yoshon and check for 
Yoshon label on the bag. No hashgocho for Yoshon.

THE FOLLOWING AS OF 31 DEC 00



Dougies Bar B Q Grill, 4310 18th Ave, Brooklyn, (718) 686-8080. All items 
are Yoshon under the hashgocho for Yoshon of the O-U, except egg rolls.

Shlomy’s Heimishe Bakery, 4301 16th Ave, Brooklyn,  (718-633-2209). All 
items baked on premises Yoshon, no mashgiach for Yoshon.

Baum Catering, 54 Ave. O, Brooklyn, (718)234-3755. All items catered 
Yoshon. No mashgiach for Yoshon.

GEFFEN CEREALS the wheat is always Yoshon. For other ingredients, note that 
the date on the package is 1 year after packing.



THE FOLLOWING AS OF 24 DEC 00

Geffen and Unger, a Tale of Two Barleys

(Preliminary note: The Guide is divided into two sections, those items for 
which a reliable mashgiach checks the facts are listed in the first section 
of the Guide. The second section lists items that are Yoshon according to 
the testimony of the company, without the supervision of a mashgiach. The 
facts listed below about Geffen and Unger barley would belong in the second 
section, based only on the information given by the Geffen and Unger 
companies themselves about their own products.)

Both the Geffen and Unger companies made provisions before the Chodosh 
season began to put away Yoshon barley in unprocessed form for processing 
and packing till pesach. Each gave a contract to a different non-Jewish 
company to pack their stored barley as needed. There is no mashgiach at 
either company to confirm that the barley that is packed is Yoshon. Each 
company claims that their product is Yoshon the entire season. Therefore, 
according to the convention of the second section of the Guide, each 
company’s barley should be listed as being Yoshon. Why is it that we feel 
more comfortable recommending Geffen as being Yoshon and we hesitate to 
recommend Unger’s barley?

According to the Geffen company, they have contracted to have the barley 
packed by a company that does not pack any other barley of any type at all. 
Therefore, there is no chance to mix up the Chodosh and Yoshon barley by 
accident or on purpose. On the other hand, Unger informed us that they have 
arranged for the barley under their name to be packed by a different 
company, which produces it own brand of Chodosh barley throughout the 
entire season. This provides the opportunity for Chodosh and Yoshon barley 
to be mixed up, with no control to prevent it, other than the non-Jewish 
help performing the work.

Both companies are advertising that their barley is Yoshon. We suggest that 
you consult your own posek about the arrangements made by each company. 
However, we feel uncomfortable recommending the Unger arrangement.


OTHER CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

Bread Basket Bakery, 703 Kings Highway, Brooklyn is no longer under the 
hashgocho of Rabbi Gornish. It is not recommended for Yoshon pending 
further clarifications.

Unique Pastry Bakery, Enrico CA. Jelly donuts (sufganiyot) are no longer 
Yoshon, as of  Dec 13. All other items baked on premises are still Yoshon, 
under the hashgocho of Rabbi Simkin.

The Guide lists the phone number of the Chicago Rabbinical Council as 
(773)588-1600. The new number is (773) 465-3900.




NEWS AS OF 10 DEC 00

The second issue of the Guide to  Chodosh for the year 5761 has been 
printed. So far as we know, by now all the paid subscriptions have been 
mailed out. The last batch was taken to the post office on Dec. 7. Those 
who wish to get an unformatted e mail version of this new Guide will find 
instructions on how to request it at the end of this note. The following 
are news and corrections that came in since the publications of the second 
Guide.

BARLEY: Geffen Barley is expected to be Yoshon (without hashgocho for 
Yoshon) until pesach. Ungers barley is not recommended as Yoshon at this 
time. If purchased up to October 6, it is probably Yoshon.

QUAKER OATS Co. The Guide lists cereals where the date on the package is 12 
months or 18 months after packing. Where the date is 12 months, it should 
be 12 times 30 days, not a full year of 365 days. Similarly, the date of 18 
months should be 18 times 30 days. Therefore, the oats in Quaker cereals is 
Chodosh starting with the packing date of Aug 14. From this date, 12 months 
of 30 days gives a package date of Aug 9, 2001. A delay of 18 months, for 
example for hot Quaker oats,  gives a package date of Feb. 5, 2002. 
Similarly 12 months from the wheat Chodosh packing date Aug 25 is Aug 20, 
2001, and 18 months from Aug 25 is Feb 16, 2002. For all forms of Quaker 
barley the Chodosh packing date is Nov 8. The barley package date is 18 
months later, May 2, 2002. Some small, single servings of Quaker ready to 
cook oats have a different code system. For these, the oats Chodosh packing 
date of Aug 14 is coded on the package as 0M14H3 (0=year, M=not important, 
14=date, H=Aug in alph. order.)

KORN BAKERY. The Guide states that Korn 2 pound size rye bread is only 
Yoshon with a Yoshon label and that Korn whole wheat bread is not Yoshon. 
In fact, the 2 pound loaves of rye bread and whole wheat breads are both 
Yoshon without a Yoshon label.

PASKESZ cookies. The Guide is contradictory. In fact all Paskesz cookies 
with the hashogocho for kashrus of Rav Gruber, are guaranteed to be Yoshon 
only if Yoshon is printed on the label.

KEMACH updates: WARNING: Kemach flat breads may be Chodosh starting a 
purchase date of Dec 15, NOT Dec 31. The Chodosh packing date for malt in 
all Kemach cereals is Jan. 8, 2001, package date is Jan 8, 2002 (1 year 
after packing.) During the discussion in the Guide of Kemach bulk pasta, 
the same items were by mistake listed twice with conflicting dates. The 
Guide stated on page 14 of the second issue, “Pasta in bulk sizes: Egg 
bowties, egg barley Chodosh code for Oct 1 is 2750 (275=day of year, 
0=year). Packages in 10 pound sizes for noodles and 20 pound boxes of 
pasta, if the code begins "P9..." then the Chodosh date is Dec 1, code 
P0336 (0=year, 336=day of year). Packages in 10 pound sizes for bow ties, 
and egg barley Chodosh date Oct 30, code xxxx3040xxx (first 4 and last 3 
characters not important, 304=day of the year, 0=year.) “ The correct date 
for all items listed above as being Oct 1 should have been Oct 30. 
Furthermore, ten pound sizes of noodles and egg barley without any code are 
Yoshon at all times.

NATURE VALLEY GRANOLA BARS have a revised Chodosh date of  Nov 6. The 
package code is Nov 6, 2001 (1 year after packing.)

FLOUR USA sells high gluten flour is brown paper bags in kosher groceries 
in Brooklyn. Apparently some groceries have been putting up signs that this 
flour is Yoshon. According to the company, this flour is not Yoshon at this 
time. They are looking into the possibility of packing Yoshon flour at some 
future date.

LANDAU whole wheat pasta and TAANUG products. The company is trying to 
compile reliable Yoshon information about these products. When the 
information becomes available, we hope to notify people through future updates.

KING ARTHUR Special for Machine bread flour has the probable Chodosh 
packing date of Aug 25. The code on the package may either be Aug 25, 2001 
(1 year after packing) or J1A25A (J=Aug in alph. order, 1=2001 1 year after 
packing, A=not important, 25=day, A=not important.)