ALUMINUM FOIL – Requires no supervision.
BABY FOOD – Requires supervision for all forms: vegetables, fruits, cereals, and puddings. Common problems: equipment used for non-kosher products, mono- and di-glycerides added, non-kosher flavoring.
BAGELS – (See Bread, page 157.)
BAKERIES and BREADS – (See separate article, page 157.)
BEVERAGES – Requires supervision in many cases. Common problems: grape products, flavorings, colorings, stabilizers. It is important to note that many soft drinks need not list all their ingredients by name on the label. (See beverage article page 158.)
BLINTZES, EGG ROLLS – Requires supervision. Common problems: oil, eggs, cheese, equipment and utensils used for other, non-kosher foods.
BREAD – Requires supervision. Common problem: oil, mono- and di-glycerides, shortening, release agents. (See page 157.)
BUTTER – All grade AA and grade AAA butters are kosher (dairy) without supervision.
CANDIES – (See separate article, page 159.)
CAKES, CAKE MIXES, DOUGHNUTS, PASTRIES AND PIES – All require supervision and can be assumed to be non-kosher without certification. Common problems: di-glycerides, shortenings (lard is extremely common because of its unique flaking quality and its high absorbency).
The fillings and creams may contain fats, emulsifiers, and stabilizers. Also, be careful to check for dairy ingredients.
CANNED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES
It has been generally accepted that commonly used canned (including jarred) fruits and vegetables do not present a kashrus problem. Peas, carrots, string beans, sweet potatoes, asparagus, beets, peaches, pears, etc., are usually processed seasonally by canneries in plants producing only fruits and vegetables. Recently, however, some companies that process dry pack vegetables have manufactured canned (including bottled) vegetables on the same processing equipment as non-kosher meat products. This situation has long existed with canned tomato juice, vegetable juice, prepared sauces, chow mein vegetables, canned soups and baked beans. These items are occasionally processed in plants producing similar varieties of products that contain meat or other non-kosher foods. Therefore, these products and any items in which they appear as ingredients may require supervision. Reading the label in such a case is not enough! However, in plants that do not produce dry pack vegetables, there is no reason to be concerned in regard to peas, carrots, green beans, corn, etc. In fruit packs, care must be taken that grape juice should not be in the ingredients.
CHEWING GUM: (See article and listing, page 164.)
CHAMPAGNE – See Wine.
CHEESE – All varieties require supervision (including rennetless cheese.) (See article, page 161.)
CHOCOLATE: Requires supervision. Standards for milk chocolate vary from country to country, and care is necessary. Common problems: whey, emulsifiers, flavors, oils and resinous glazes. The same equipment is often used for milk chocolate and other non-kosher products.
CLEANSERS (Household)- Requires supervision. The detergents can be animal derivatives or synthetic.
COFFEE – 100% regular coffee requires no supervision.
COFFEES – FLAVORED – Require supervision. Common problems: often they are flavored with non-kosher artificial flavor. They may contain oil as well.
COOKIES AND CRACKERS – Require supervision. Common problems: shortening, oil, flavors, emulsifiers, stabilizers, anti-oxidants.
Many cookies contain dairy ingredients. However, careful reading of the label is not enough since some plants also produce cookies and crackers on dairy equipment and yet do not indicate this on the label.
COTTAGE CHEESE: (See article and cheese list, page 161.)
Requires supervision.
DAIRY PRODUCTS – (See article, page 167.)
DISHWASHING DETERGENTS: (See Cleansers.)
DOUGHNUTS: Requires supervision. (See Cake.)
DRESSINGS (Salad): Common problems: Flavoring, stabilizers, gelatin, oil, mono- and di-glycerides. Requires supervision.
EGGS – (See article on eggs, page 111.)
EGG SUBSTITUTES: Requires supervision. Common problems: oil, emulsifiers, artificial flavor. (See article, page 113.)
HORSERADISH – Requires supervision. Common problems: vinegar, turmeric, artificial flavor.
INFANT FORMULA – Requires supervision. These products are often either dairy or soy derivatives. Common problem: oil, flavoring, stabilizers & emulsifiers.
ICE CREAM, SHERBET, ICES – Requires supervision. Common problems: flavoring, mono- and diglyceride, stabilizers, emulsifiers, gelatin, whey and oil. (See article, page 189.)
JELLIES, JAMS, AND PRESERVES – Requires supervision. Common problems: gelatin, coloring, flavors, grape products (especially in dark-colored jellies) In Israeli products, the problems include Ma’aser, Terumah and Shmittah.
KETCHUP, MUSTARD, VINEGAR – Requires supervision. All three are made with vinegar which may include wine vinegar. Ketchup presents a problem common to tomato products – the possible contamination from utensils and equipment. Mustard is sometimes flavored with oleoresins of turmeric or pepper. Supervision is then required because of the di-glycerides or emulsifiers.
LAUNDRY DETERGENTS – Does not require supervision.
MACARONI – Check for milk and kosher eggs.
MARGARINE – Requires supervision. Common problems: oil, preservatives, flavoring and coloring. (See Margarine article page 190.)
MARSHMALLOWS – (See article page 192.)
MATZAH – See Bread.
MAYONNAISE – Requires supervision. Common problems: oil, vinegar, emulsifiers, eggs, oxystearin, and spices.
MELBA TOAST – See Bread. Requires supervision.
MUFFINS – See Bread. Require supervision.
MUSTARD – See Ketchup. Requires supervision.
“NON-DAIRY” PRODUCTS – Used in whipped cream, pareve ice cream, coffee whitener, pareve sour cream, pareve cheese) Require supervision. Government standards for “non-dairy” and Jewish law’s standards for pareve are very different. Most foods labeled “non-dairy” are not in fact pareve. Some “non-dairy” products are not even kosher. Common problems: whey, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate, lactalbumin, calcium stearoyl-2-lactylate, lactose (all the above are dairy by common agreement of most rabbinic authorities) polysorbates, oil, and sorbitan monostearate.
Whipped toppings require supervision. Whipped cream often contains stabilizers, mono- and di-glycerides, polysorbates, and oils.
NOODLES – See Pasta.
NUTS – Nuts roasted in oil require supervision even when roasted in “pure vegetable oil”. Dry-roasted nuts are ordinarily kosher without supervision. (Caution: some companies add gelatin to their nuts.)
OLIVES – See Canned Fruits and Vegetables. Olives from Israel require reliable supervision. Problem: Teruma, Maaser, shmitta. Olives outside Israel which contain only olives, water, ascorbic acid, salt and ferrous gluconate do not require supervision.
PANCAKE MIXES – Require supervision. Problems: emulsifiers, stabilizers, oil, mono- and di-glycerides and flavoring.
PASTA – (Noodles) Requires supervision. Common problem: eggs, milk, protein fortifiers, stearates.
PASTRIES – (See Bakery article page 157.)
PEANUT BUTTER – PROCESSED – Requires supervision. The common problems are oil and mono- and di-glycerides. “Old Fashioned” peanut butters which list only peanuts and salt as ingredients do not require supervision. Peanut butter with oil added requires supervision. (Even if it is “pure vegetable oil.”)
PICKLES – Require supervision. Common problem: turmeric, flavoring, non-kosher equipment. Note: government standards regarding the term “kosher pickle” merely require that they contain garlic, and then they are permitted by law to be called “kosher pickle”
PIE – See Cakes.
PITA – See Bread.
PIZZA – Requires supervision. Common problem: cheese (see article page 147) oil, flavorings, toppings.
PLASTIC BAGS – Does not require Supervision.
PLASTIC WRAP – Does not require Supervision.
POLISH, SILVER – Does not require Supervision.
POPCORN – Raw popcorn kernels do not require supervision. Microwave popcorn or popcorn kernels prepared in oil require supervision. Bagged popcorn and all popcorn sold commercially (theaters, parks, etc.) always require reliable supervision even if one sees they are currently using kosher oil. This is due to the fact that without supervision we have no control or knowledge as to what types of oils have been used in the machinery previously.
POTATO CHIPS – Requires supervision. Common problems: oil, spices, equipment and utensils used for production of dairy cheese snacks or non-kosher products.
POTATOES (instant, mashed, hash browns, french fries, etc.)- Require supervision. Common problems: oil, emulsifiers, flavoring, mono- and di-glycerides.
POWDERED MILK – See Dairy Products.
PRESERVES – See Jellies.
PRETZELS – See Potato Chips. Requires supervision.
PUDDING – Requires supervision. Common problems: flavoring, oils, whey, emulsifiers, stabilizers.
RAISINS – Does not require supervision when oil is not listed.
RELISH – Requires supervision. Common problems: Vinegar, equipment.
RICE – UNSEASONED – Does not require supervision
ROLLS – See Bread.
SANDWICH BAGS – Does not require supervision.
SAUCES – Require supervision. Common problems: oil, wine meat, tomato products, polysorbates, and use of same utensils and equipment for non-kosher products. Worcestershire sauce and steak sauces usually contain fish derivatives causing an additional problem since many authorities forbid the eating of fish and meat at the same time.
SHERBET – See Ice Cream.
SHERRY – (See Wine, page 197.)
SNACKS – (See separate article page 194.)
SOAP – See Cleansers.
SOUPS – Require supervision. Common problems: meat, chicken, stabilizers, emulsifiers, and use of the same equipment to produce non-kosher or dairy items.
SPAGHETTI – (See Pasta) Common problems: milk protein fortifiers.
SPICES AND SEASONINGS – Pure spices generally do not require supervision. Garlic salt and onion salt require supervision because calcium stearate is often used to prevent lumping. All spices should be checked for calcium stearate. Seasoning usually contain many ingredients some of which require supervision or are not kosher altogether, such as shrimp, etc.
SUGAR – Does not require supervision.
TEHINA MIX – Requires supervision. Common problems: oil, bugs.
VERMOUTH – is wine. Requires supervision.
VINEGAR – Does not requires supervision. (Wine vinegar requires supervision.)
VITAMINS – (See separate article, page 194.)
WAX PAPER – Requires supervision.
WINE, LIQUEUR, PREPARED MIXES – Does not require supervision. (See separate listing, page 197.) Wine yeast requires supervision.
YEAST – Requires supervision.
YOGURT – Requires supervision. See Dairy Products. Common problems: rennet, gelatin, emulsifiers & stabilizers, flavoring.