Rabbi Yoel Lieberman
Question
Hi There’s an ice cream store called Anita’s that opened in aventura Florida and they have a kosher certification we have not seen before. We emailed the rabbi listed on the certification and asked him about the kashrut status of the ice cream. This is what he answered.. I am the Rav Hamachshir for Kosher Culture. All the dairy used, milk, cream and yogurts, and Chalva Yisrael. Toppings are not Chalva Yisrael, but are Chalva stam or Pareve, as.listed on the certificate. We are an independent kosher certification agency. Regarding Shabbat , the store is sold by heiter mechira to a non-Jew, based on the CRC guidelines. The question is.. is there another question we need to ask to this rabbi to determine if eating at this store is acceptable? They don’t have the normal kosher Miami certification which is strange, but maybe a new kosher kashrut agency shouldn’t be disregarded because it’s not the usual? We are confused in whether eating here is halachically corrext or not. Thank you
Answer
ב"ה Shalom, 1. First of all, your concerns are correct, therefore it is the right thing to try to verify more. 2. Secondly, in ice cream the milk itself is not the only question, but the many other flavorings and other ingredients. Also, you have no idea what non-kosher items may be in the store and if they come in contact with the kosher items. In addition, there are so many toppings these days which all need kosher certification. 3. Many places in America have local Kashrut committees which are officiated by the local community Rabbis. Therefore, I think the best thing to do is to contact your community Rabbi, or the Miami kosher certification who should know best if this Kashrut is reliable. I’m afraid , that from Jerusalem, Israel I can’t help you much. 4. Once you have this information, either you stay away from the place or enjoy your ice cream. All the best
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