Friday, January 19, 2007

News From Israel

New Bug Free Producer to Enter Kosher Market

Bnei Brak… By Sarah Cohen… In just two weeks, kosher consumers around the world will be able to find a new brand of bug free produce in accordance with Jewish Law, KosherToday has learned. According to kosher dietary laws, insects in any form are forbidden to be ingested. In the new age of “superbugs” where insects have developed immunity to pesticides, producers have been searching for new methods of inspection to comply with halacha. Like Alei Katif, which first established its greenhouses in the Gaza Strip, Pso’Tiv Produce is growing vegetables, fruits and herbs in the controlled environment of a greenhouse. Bodek, a leader in bug-free produce also now has its own greenhouse.

Items such as Romaine and iceberg lettuce, parsley, cilantro, dill, broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, spinach, and raspberries, all of which are typically subject to infestation will be grown in Pos’Tiv expansive greenhouses using specially designed mesh and other insect deterring devices. “Strict inspections in accordance with Jewish Law are conducted in the greenhouses and the distribution plants,” commented Cliff Charles, Plant Manager for Pos’Tiv Produce. Depending on the stage of growth as well as the type of vegetables, some of the inspections are visual while others will be done by washing a percentage sample of the produce. The produce will be available for retail the week of January 29th in supermarkets around the world. “The success of this project will enable us, for the first time, to offer 100% clean bug-free produce to not only Jewish consumers but also to any other consumer who desires this product in the US and Canada,” said Charles. The entire project enjoys the approval and rabbinical certification of the world’s leading authorities on religious dietary law, including Rabbi Moses Vaya of Bnei Braq in Israel, as well as the Orthodox Union in NYC. Rabbi Lenny Steinberg of the OU is one of the Rabbinic Supervisors of the Pos’Tiv project.

Permission give by koshertoday.com to republish

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