We are writing this post as a reminder to the Jewish Orthodox community at large, that you must always be very careful about kosher food. You can’t trust any establishment, just because they have a kosher certificate.
The following story is compiled from a few sources, including The Jewish Press and The Yeshiva World.
The story is about a pretzel stand selling items as kosher with an expired kosher Hasgucha (certificate). The pretzel stand in questions, is located in the very popular Palisades Center Mall, located just 15 minutes from Monsey, New York. The mall is very popular with kosher consumers in Rockland County. It is also visited by Jewish consumers from all over New York City.
Some sources only report that the Kasruth certificate expired, and consumers were buying large pretzels without a kosher certificate. As if, the food was the same, but the kosher certificate already expired. But other sources quote that the stand is also selling hot dogs. Even worse, the hot dogs were never kosher. The original certificate clearly stated that only the following items are covered by the kosher certificate:
The following items are Kosher Dairy: all pretzels, the coffee, and the following dips: Vanilla icing, Chocolate icing and the caramel dip. The Cheese Dip is NOT certified Kosher. Any item not listed here is NOT certified kosher
One of the sources we looked up on this story, quoted that even while the certificate was in effect for the pretzles, some Jewish kosher consumers got confused and ordered hot dogs.
So this and multiple other stories should be a lesson for all kosher consumers who want to do what is right. You must be extra careful while you travel. Be very careful when buying meat products on your travels. From this story, you can understand why some have the extra Chumra (stringiness) not to eat from a vendor that the owner does not keep kosher.
Below is form The Jewish Press
Pretzel Stand Takes Down Hashgacha After Rabbi Makes A Scene
The Jewish Press – Friday, July 5 , 2019
By Baruch Lytle
Jewish Press Staff Writer
On Sunday, June 30, the Pretzel Factory – a pretzel stand at Palisades Mall in West Nyack, NY – finally removed its hashgacha certification letter, months after it expired. Many frum Jews, reportedly, had been buying food from the stand since the certification’s expiration in February, relying on the hashgacha certification, not realizing that was no longer valid.
“I went there [on Sunday] and I made a scene,” Rabbi Yaakov Spivak, rabbinic administrator of United Kosher Supervision (UKS) of Monsey, told The Jewish Press. At that point the Pretzel Factory staff took it down.”
“They hadn’t been returning my calls,” he explained. “I tried to reach them and they wouldn’t answer, so I sent[my mashgiachs]. The staff threatened to call the police if we tried to take the sign down.”
Rabbi Spivak is happy the sign is finally down and said UKS will visit the location regularly to make sure it doesn’t
go back up.
A Pretzel Factory worker hung up the phone when The Jewish Press called for comment. Subsequent calls went unanswered.
The following is from The Yeshiva World
KASHRUS ALERT: Pretzel Stand At Palisades Mall With Expired Hashgacha Selling Treif
June 30, 2018: From the Yeshiva World:
“It is a booth that is located in the Palisades Mall called the Pretzel Factory. It has a hashgacha that expired back in February of 2019, and now, this food booth is selling Treif Hot Dogs.”
“People see the hashgacha and do not realize that it is expired and that it does not apply to the treif hot dogs. While the Kashrus certification does have a disclaimer stating that only the items listed are kosher – there are dozens of frum people that are purchasing the hot dogs.”
“The Kashrus letter states: The following are certified Kosher: the lemonade, the cola, the smoothies, mustard and marinara sauce. The following items are Kosher Dairy: all pretzels, the coffee, and the following dips: Vanilla icing, Chocolate icing and the caramel dip. The Cheese Dip is NOT certified Kosher. Any item not listed here is NOT certified kosher. This certification for the above items at the Pretzel Factory, Palisades Mall, Nyack, NY shall be valid until February 3, 2019, at which time it is subject to renewal. It is signed by Rabbi Yaakov Spivak.”
