Readers
of last week's AJN will
notice the newspaper celebrating an extraordinary
Yom Tov. No, I am not referring to Shavuot but rather to the exciting and
fantastic news that Rabbi Moshe Gutnick has convinced Arnotts company to
produce "Kosher" Tim Tams.
To quote their excitement: “It is indeed a milestone that as of today, kosher consumers across Australia can walk into any supermarket or store or petrol station and purchase these iconic Australian biscuits,” gushed KA rabbinic administrator Rabbi Moshe Gutnick.
Though
not the purpose of my post, a quick Google search will show that while the
rabbi gushes on about his achievement, both he and the AJN fail to mention other issues associated with the product -
health-wise and ethical.
If any
reader is interested, here are a few links which show that there are
others in the general community who won't recommend this delicacy:
This
YouTube clip (WARNING: a non-tzeniusly dressed woman) lists all the unhealthy and even dangerous ingredients noted on the packaging.
And here's another clip.
And from
this website: The
chocolate coating in Tim Tams is not made from cocoa, but a mixture of
artificial colours of Tartrazine (102), Sunset Yellow (110), Allura Red (129),
Brilliant Blue (133) and Caramel (150). These additives are all suspect
carcinogens.
So despite becoming Kosher (and I am surprised at the AJN's excitement about this - it is usually full of advertisements
for non-Kosher establishments and products), it is
unclear if Tim Tams are good
for you.
But
back to the Kashrus issue.
Despite
the well-known views of Rav M Moshe
Feinstein zt'l who permitted the consumption of Chalav Akum (where there are govt
supervision and penalties by the authorities for tampering or substitution), it is difficult these days, when Chalav Yisrael is
readily available in nearly every communty of observant Jews, to find a Chareidi
Rav who will these approve the use
of non-Kosher milk products. The fact is that most poskim hold that non-supervisied milk is actually 'treif' and if
used in error the equipment has to be Kashered. This view is especially
so amongst Chassidic groups - every single one. And Chabad, to the best of my knowledge, have certain stringencies
regarding Chalav Yisroel that many other chassidim and Charedim don't require. Furthermore, even the Rabbanut Kashrut in Israel,
which generally has lenient standards, is very strict on this.
See RabbiBakshi Doron re the psak of the
Rabanut
A collection of quotes on the unacceptability of
non-Kosher milk
So
my question to the good rabbi is "Why?"
You being a thoroughly Frum Jew and a Chabad chassid who I have no doubt that Chalav Akum
products have no place in your kitchen. Yes, I understand that being in charge of KA
means that you must allow
leniencies, especially
for items that are necessary for certain groups of consumers. I refer to milk,
butter etc.
But
is it really so important that Australian Jewry gorge themselves with Original and Double-Coated Tim
Tams?
I know that your NSWKA more or less stated (or admitted)
that they have less stringent Kashrut
standards that their Melbourne counterpart Kosher Australia. But really, is it necessary to
go out of your way and make
the effort to chase and convince Arnotts to produce 'Kosher' - Chalav Akum - chocolate biscuits? Is there really such a
shortage in the 100% Kosher version? Rabbi, please visit Glicks, Grandma Moses (all which are under your
supervision), Heimishe,
Lichtenstein and the
others in Melbourne and Sydney and you will be amazed what a range we already have.
Is it really
the function of a Chassidic Rav to produce unnecessary and unhealthy products
which are not 100% Kosher. After all, it's not as if Arnotts came begging to you for your
Hechsher. By all accounts it was the other way around! In fact the front cover of this issue tells us that this Tim Tam 'miracle' was achieved "after a decade of hard work and persuasion by the Kashrut Authority".
Imagine, wasting a decade for a half-Kosher unhealthy choclate snack!
Having written all this,
today I received an email from that great crowd KCA warning us that only the 200gm
(net) packets are acceptable (plus another few conditions).
Although the AJN
article also mentioned this, my survey shows that very few people (like indeed myself) actually
remember seeing these provisions. Thus anyone missing these may be consuming
not only Chalav Akum but also tarfus!
I discussed
this post over Yom Tov with my rabbi, who told me that though he agrees with
my views 100% and encourages me to publish, he, for a number of reasons, could
not publicly make these comments. I gently reminded him about לא תגורו מפני איש...
I
have heard whispers that some in the Kashrut industry are getting
worried about items being produced under Rabbi Meir Rabi and his
"Kosher veYosher" Kashrut label. This is especially so now that Rabbi
Rabi has publicly stated that his supervision aims to cater for those who are
not overly stringent in their standards. I realise this may affect both KAs,
but I suggest that you let him keep that sector of the Kosher market and you
remain faithful to the more demanding standards that most Kashrut
organisations worldwide are now seeking and which you often represent here in Australia,
And
if that means not seeking out new customers like Tim Tams with its non-Kosher milk, so be it.
PS: I am trying to find the time to post my thoughts about that upstart Kashrut organsation "Kosher veYosher". Maybe in the next few days or weeks.
