Update bulletin from Guide to Chodosh

[Y. Herman]

CHODOSH NEWS AS OF 27 JAN 03

BARLEY UPDATE: SOME GEFEN BARLEY NOW HAS SAME QUESTIONS AS 
BENZYS/MARTISCO/UNGER BARLEY

The recent issue of the Guide to Chodosh stated that Gefen barley is Yoshon 
(without hashgocho for Yoshon) up to the packing date of Sept 23. (The code 
on Gefen barley is one year after packing with the exception of Sept 23 
where the code was mistakenly printed as Sept 23 01 instead of Sept 23 03.) 
Since then there were additional packings of barley by Gefen, such as in 
November. These later packings have the same halachic questions as we 
raised earlier regarding the barley under the labels of Benzy, Martisco and 
Unger (see Dec 29, below). Namely, there is a source of Yoshon barley that 
has been reserved for use of the packing companies. However there is much 
other barley available in the marketplace which is mostly Chodosh. In all 
these cases, there is only the unsupervised word of the gentiles packing 
the individual barley packages to guarantee that the reserved Yoshon supply 
was used and not the easily available Chodosh supply. In this respect, the 
post Sept 23 packings of Gefen are the same as Benzy, Martisco and Unger 
and raise the same halachic questions. One difference may be for the 
January packing of Gefen barley, which the company claims was done with a 
mashgiach present. Once I get documentation from the mashgiach to back that 
up, I will pass on this information to our readers. Until then, the 
questions should be considered applicable to all Gefen barley packed after 
Sept 23. One other major difference between Gefen on one hand and 
Benzy/Martisco/Unger on the other hand is the availability of information. 
Gefen has always been completely cooperative, responding fully to requests 
for clarification and further information. On the other hand, Martisco who 
does the packing for the other 3 brands of barley, has been unwilling to 
release date codes and other information. Furthermore, Rabbi Shore, who 
issued a letter assuring that these 3 brands of barley are fully Yoshon has 
never returned our repeated phone calls and faxes asking for more 
information. Free flow of information is crucial in kashrus in general and 
Yoshon in particular. The earlier listing on the Martisco barley question 
appears below. As mentioned below, consult your own Rav or posek regarding 
barley by Benzy, Martisco, Unger, and now about the recent packings of Gefen.



YOSHON STANDARDS: The recent issue of the O-U Daf HaKashrus (Jan. 03) 
details the standards the O-U uses on items labeled O-U Yoshon. 
Essentially, the newsletter states that the O-U applies the strictest 
standards that Yoshon-observant consumers are likely to require. For 
example, all equipment used in manufacturing Yoshon must be either used 
only for Yoshon, or be left idle for at least 24 hours since the previous 
Chodosh production. We welcome this clear statement, as well as the 
strictness of the applied standard. We call on other hashgocho 
organizations and individual mashgichim to share with us and the public the 
standards that they apply to Yoshon items under their hashgocho.



WARNING ON SPELT AND RYE PRODUCTS: Recently there has been an influx of 
kosher spelt and rye products from overseas and Canada. The Guide has 
stated over the years that spelt and rye (but not rye bread) are always 
Yoshon in the USA. We need to emphasize that this is known to be true only 
for grain and items produced in the USA. This assurance does not hold for 
items produced outside of the USA, for which we have no information. It is 
possible that some of these that are sold in the USA may be Chodosh. We 
thank Rabbi Israelowitz for pointing this problem out to us.



GOLD MEDAL flour with a factory code of GF has a Chodosh packing date of 
Nov. 15. For white home baking flour and bread flour the Chodosh code is 
May 15 04 GF (18 months after packing.) For whole wheat flour the code is 
May 15 03GF (6 months after packing.)



ADIRIM pasta will be Yoshon up to pesach, without hashgocho for Yoshon.



PRINGLE potato chips. The code in the Guide is correct. Ignore the Best if 
used bydate. Look for a sequence of numbers preceded by LOTor Land use the 
first 4 digits only for your code.



HECKERS AND CERESOTA whole wheat flour. The Guide states that the date on 
the bags is 12 months after packing. We have received a call about a bag of 
such flour that had a date that was more than 12 months after the current 
date. The company states that that code must have been a factory error 
since their specifications still code for a date that is 12 months for 
whole wheat flour.



CHODOSH NEWS AS OF 16 JAN 03



MANISCHEWITZ Tam Tam crackers are Yoshon, including the malt, at least up 
to the packing date of Feb. 28. Manischewitz pasta has the Chodosh date of 
Oct 17, code 2902 (290=day of year, 2=year).

GOURMET ON THE BAY, 8501 Bay Pkwy in Brooklyn. Revised listing: Everything 
is Yoshon besides barley, couscous and anything made with Chinese eggroll 
skins. Under the hashgocho of Kehilah Kashrus.

ESSEX ON THE CONEY, 1359 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn. The American side is 
Yoshon, including noodles and pasta, but excluding the egg rolls, hamburger 
and frankfurter rolls, baguettes, fries, square knishes, and fancy cakes. 
Also excluded are anything that is fried. On the Chinese side nothing is 
Yoshon. Under the hashgocho of Kehilah Kashrus.

LANDAU SUPERMARKET, 4510 18th Ave, Brooklyn, 718-633-0633. All items in the 
bakery and takeout sections are Yoshon. No hashgocho for Yoshon.

MATAMIM CATERERS, 4302 16th Ave, Brooklyn, 718-435-8556. Mrs. Resnick. All 
catered items are Yoshon. No hashgocho for Yoshon.

KEMACH correction. The malt in flour date given below applies only to the 
regular baking flour. The high gluten flour is always Yoshon, including the 
malt (since the flour is in storage.)



CHODOSH NEWS AS OF 8 JAN 03



ANNUAL MALT REMINDER



We never found any malt manufacturer that begins to ship Chodosh malt from 
the new barley crop earlier than Dec. 15. The malt is then shipped, Dec. 15 
or later, to other factories that begin to use it in the end products. 
Therefore, using the terminology established in the Guide, all malt in 
foods is definitelyYoshon before Dec 15. Up to Jan. 15 such malt is 
probablyYoshon

The following applications of malt pose a problem of Chodosh. Malt is used 
for several purposes. Foods using malt for flavoring or coloring should not 
be used if packed after Dec 15 or at least Jan 15 since that malt may be 
Chodosh. That includes cereals flavored with malt such as Corn Flakes and 
Rice Crispies, as well as most pretzels where it is used for coloring. Beer 
is also included in the category of items which are Chodosh because of 
malt. (In the case of beer, we recommend that the Dec 15 date should be 
used, not the probable date of Jan 15.)  In addition there are specialty 
vinegars such as malt vinegar, terragon vinegar and salad vinegar which are 
made with high concentrations of malt.

We had urged our readers to avoid some items in the past because they may 
contain barley malt. We have since discovered that many of these are not a 
problem so far as the malt content is concerned. This includes baking flour 
that lists barley malt in the ingredients. Also permitted are most 
vinegar-based items such as ordinary household vinegar, and condiments such 
as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, pickles, etc.



OTHER UPDATES



KEMACH malt update.  All Kemach cereals dated Jan 04 or later may have 
Chodosh malt.  All flour dated Jan 13 04 or later may have Chodosh malt. 
Bread sticks have no malt and are Yoshon. Crackers malt status to be announced.

LIEBERS cereals. All cereals containing oats or wheat germ should be 
considered Chodosh now. No codes given. Malt in cereals is Yoshon. Liebers 
potato chips and corn chips are Yoshon. All under the hashgocho of Rav 
Weissmandl.

FLOUR USA. Caution, the high gluten flours in brown paper bags made by this 
company may be Chodosh at this time. Those bags that contain Chodosh flour 
have the Yoshon label crossed out. Always check the label on the bags.

LANDAU whole wheat pasta is Chodosh at this time. No code given.

LE CHAIM Potato Crisps (like Pringles) is Yoshon. It contains no flour. The 
flour listed in the ingredients is by error.

BEECHNUT baby foods code update. For example for the sample code of 
2507MAY04, look only at the first 4 characters. 2=year, 
5=month(1=Jan&9=Sept, X=Oct, Y=Nov, Z=Dec), 07 day of the year. For oats 
and barley the code would be Sept 14=2914& For wheat Sept 11, code 2911&

MAYPO oats Chodosh date is Sept 21 (Note earlier than the date in the 
Guide!), code SEPT 21 2003 (1 year after packing). Maypo farina is Yoshon.

KOSHER BITE restaurant in Baltimore. Not all items are Yoshon. Yoshon is 
only available on some items and only on request. Ask at the restaurant.

SOUTH AFRICA. Up to date Yoshon information is available from the UOS, The 
Union of Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa in Johannesburg. Their Yoshon 
Bulletin may be accessed on the Web at the address 
<http://www.uos.co.za/>www.uos.co.za.  Look for the Kashrus Guide. Under 
that look for Yoshon Update. You can also call them at 011-27-11-485-4865.

MANNA frozen pizza is Yoshon under the hashgocho of the Star-K. This is 
stated in the Guide, but is hidden there.

GENERAL MILLS cereal Lucky Charm is NOT KOSHER. The Guide does state that 
we take no responsibility for kashrus. Nevertheless, we try not to include 
items that are known not to be kosher. This cereal should be deleted.



---------------------------------------------------

THE FOLLOWING AS OF 29 DEC 02



The second issue of the Guide to Chodosh has been mailed out to all the 
subscribers. The following are additions and corrections to the second 
issue of the Guide.



BENZYS MARTISCO AND UNGER BARLEY UPDATE. The second issue of the Guide 
described in great detail the halachic questions raised by these brands of 
barley. Refer to that Guide for the details. We suggested that you consult 
your Rov or Posek for halachic guidance. After the publication of the 
second Guide, on Dec. 13, 02 a letter was issued by Rabbi Evan Shore of the 
Young Israel of Syracuse. It states that Rabbi Shore visited Martisco (that 
packs all 3 brands of barley in question) and verified that all of the 
barley at Martisco on that date was of the Yoshon batch sealed under the 
hashgocho of the Ottawa Vaad Hakashrus. Based on that one time inspection, 
the letter concludes, in the words of Rabbi Shore,  Without reservation I 
can say that the barley packaged by the Martisco Bean Company is Yoshon.I 
had left two telephone messages on Rabbi Shores answer machine asking that 
he call me back for clarifications. I also left a telephone message with 
Unger/Martiscos agent asking that Rabbi Shore call me. I sent a fax to both 
the agent and Unger with the same request. Despite the agents assurance 
about a week ago that Rabbi Shore will call me, that call never came. 
Perhaps, Rabbi Shore is out of town&? I have several serious questions 
about this letter. Since Rabbi Shore has not called me back yet I have no 
choice but to detail my questions here. When you ask your Rov of Posek 
whether or not to use Benzys, Martisco or Unger barley, add the following 
questions regarding Rabbi Shores letter:

·        How significant is Rabbi Shores finding that all of the barley at 
Martisco was Yoshon based on only one visit, especially since it appears 
that the visit was expected and prearranged by the company (the agent told 
me ahead of the time that the visit will take place) ?

·        There is no reason to suspect that Martisco will necessarily bring 
in Chodosh barley to include in their packing. However, how can Rabbi Shore 
guarantee that in writing?

·        How can Rabbi Shore give assurances that all of the barley packed 
by Martisco will be Yoshon the entire season, when he does not even claim 
to have been there at any of the packing?

OTHER ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS TO THE GUIDE

LE CHAIM FRUIT BARS. The Guide states that they are all Yoshon under the 
hashogocho of the Mechon LHoroah of Monsey. The Mechon has asked that we 
warn the public that the latest packing of these candy bars may be Chodosh. 
The following package codes should be avoided: 23501, 23502 and 23512.



ARROWHEAD MILLS whole wheat bread flour is from winter wheat.



MRS. SILBER, 6 Maple Leaf Road Monsey sells 3 kinds of whole wheat flour. 
At this time these are Yoshon without hashgocho for Yoshon. They may be 
Chodosh in the future, ask.

AMNON frozen falafel balls are Yoshon.









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Y. Herman

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