Articles

By Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator

Q. Do hashgachos pay any attention to the packaging the food comes in?

A. Generally, the paper, plastic, or other material that the food is packaged in is inedible, and, therefore, does not pose any traditional kashrus concerns.  [On occasion, there will be an edible coating on the inside of the package, but this is quite uncommon.]  However, there are other ways that the package might be problematic for a kosher consumer, and these are things that hashgachos do pay attention to.  Here are some examples:

Some companies choose to put a verse from the Torah on their package, for one reason or another, and these are potentially shaimos.  Since these require special care for how they are disposed of, it seems inappropriate to be present on a package that will be sold to the public at large, many of whom will not know about these requirements.  However, if the package just provides some information – such as the proper bracha, that the product is suitable for kiddush, or that it meets a given standard (e.g., yoshon, pas Yisroel, chalav Yisroel) – then most would not consider that shaimos and would not object to their presence on a label.

A different type of concern occurs when the packaging either contains images that do not conform with our standards of tznius or references practices of other religions in a way that is not appropriate for a Jewish home.  The criteria for deciding which of these are “too” objectionable is very subjective, depending on the sensibilities of the Rav HaMachshir and the sensitivities of the community he serves.

The final type of issue that can be problematic on a label is when it implies or encourages a violation of halacha.  A simple example is when food is sold as “bacon”.  Bacon is not kosher, and depending on how the item is described on the label, might mislead users to think that the product actually contains real bacon.  A different type of situation is when the usage instructions would lead the user to do something that is forbidden.  For example, a chicken seasoning that contains dairy, or a steak sauce that contains fish.  Both of those – adding milk to chicken, or fish to meat – are forbidden.  Thus, the hashgachah must decide if their certification implies support for using this item as per the package’s directions, or if kosher consumers will understand that they should use it in different ways.  Lastly, it is forbidden to create or eat bread that contains milk (or meat); does that mean that a powdered bread mix which contains dairy should not be certified?   Or can they assume that the consumer will use it for some permitted use? This case is a bit more sensitive than the previous one because many people are not even aware of the prohibition to make dairy bread.  Hashgachos take different stands on this matter.

In summary, although the package per se typically does not pose a “kashrus” issue, there are elements of packaging and labeling that a hashgachah would consider when granting certification.

This article first appeared in the Let’s Talk Kashrus column, Yated Ne’eman, July 12, 2024.