“Eden”, a company that markets vegetables to the kosher market, ran an ad in Jewish newspapers that reads in part:
“Cauliflower, broccoli, and many other vegetables are home to tiny insects that are nearly invisible to the untrained eye, and are quite impossible to remove. That’s why Eden doesn’t just try to get rid of insects; we keep the insects out, from the moment of planting.…
“Eden keeps insects out by growing its vegetables in greenhouses… So if you want to keep the food in your home truly kosher, trust the brand that has… a greenhouse –that keeps the tiniest intruders away.”
Now this is an advertisement, not a halachic ruling, but much like pre-washed vegetables, I can see greenhouse-grown vegetables becoming a widespread convenience bought “just in case;” then a communal norm; and finally a standard to be kept without which the vegetables may not be eaten.
And so Orthodoxy becomes ever-more restrictive. Here’s hoping I’m wrong.
The problem isn't "How far can Orthodoxy go to the right" nor is it "What makes Yanky run", but the problem is who is decidng the position of the left? Are the rabbis doing due diligence or are they parroting the psakim of the rabbis who lead the kosher agencies or who are paid by the very agencies for whom they render their decisions.
ReplyDeleteOur great society, quick to raise millions for yeshivos and for the less fortunate, has never sponsored independent research into kashrus. This country has no laboratory for kashrus matters, no insect infestation organization and supports no independent research to report to all of us. There is no Consumer Reports of kashrus and no one seems to care.
The Kosher Kid