CONVERSATION WITH A MASHGIACH

We recently attended an affair out of state. We met the mashgiach for the event and had a conversation with him.

We commented on the fact that Vaad of Queens had posted a sign in a kosher store stating that because the salads were prepared in a meat kitchen on meat utensils, the salads (kugels, salads, etc) were fleishiq. We quoted the Shulchan Aruch.

His reply: We give the store a choice. Either you can do a good job washing your utensils between using them for pareve after meat or we will post that sign. When I demurred that any reside would surely be batel bashishim, he disagreed and once again stated that it was based on the job the store did washing their utensils.

We found this answer to be more than just a little disingenuous. We pointed out several objections: There was nothing hot in the utensil. The utensil is required to be washed between foods by order of the NYC Health Dept. Yes, we do not know how well they clean the thing, but I suspect that is a valid assumption that they use soap, thereby rendering any bits of food there no longer food. We mentioned, as an aside, that we have no need to use kosher soap for the very same reason. We mentioned that even had they put raw meat in/on the utensil, the reddish liquid that came out of the meat was NOT blood. Sero-sanguinous fluid would not render the untensil trefe after kashering the meat (done before the meat was put in/on the utensil.)

The man remained steadfast in his support for the sign in the store. So, what do we say?

There is precious little to say to people who think that way. Clearly, that man (and others of his ilk) are more concerned with Orthodox street culture rather than halacha.