WELL, IT’S ABOUT TIME!

FROM KOSHER TODAY (AUG. 12)

AKO Reminds Members to Keep an Eye Out for Health Violations
By Staff Reporters
08.12.13 – Mashgichim_healthcodes.jpg

CHICAGO — Kosher supervisors (mashgichim) were reminded to make sure that the facilities they certify are in compliance with health codes. Several agencies have recently taken the position that they would reconsider their kosher certifications if a plant was in violation of health codes. Rabbi Yosef Eisen of the Five Town Vaad has confirmed that their hashgacha will be directly tied to their facilities passing of health inspections.

Rabbinic sources say that each case will be evaluated individually but that repeat offenders may very well risk losing their kosher certification. While the rabbis emphasized that they did not expect the mashgichim to convert into health inspectors, they will carefully monitor the history of health code violations and what efforts were being made by management to correct the violations. But the consensus amongst the rabbis was that most food producing facilities are extremely conscious about the ramifications of repeated health code violations.