Thanks For Kosher Ketchup

By COLlive reporter

150 mashgichim (kosher supervisors) from around the globe met in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights area on November 12 for the annual Mashgiach Conference of the OK Kosher Certification.

Held at the Jewish Children’s Museum, participants honored two of their colleagues, Rabbi Favish Moster, a supervising field mashgiach who created a computer program that assists in monitoring raw materials (kosher and non-kosher) that enter factories, along with Rabbi Yehuda Pink, rabbi of the Solihull Hebrew Congregation in England, who was praised, together with Moster, for upholding the kashrus standards set forth by the OK.

Others honored by the OK were Rabbinic Coordinators from the Israeli office – Rabbi Shmuel Levi and Rabbi Yeshaya Prizant, as well as the liaison between OK Headquarters and OK Israel, Rabbi Moshe Fox.

It was also an opportunity to highlight a beneficiary of the OK kosher label – ConAgra Foods, a packaged-foods company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, whose products under various brand-names are sold in supermarkets and restaurants around the country.

They are the makers of Hunt’s Tomato Ketchup, Wesson oil, Pam cooking spray and countless other kosher products.

Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, renowned administrator of the OK Kosher Certification, said the company was “making strides in increasing their kosher offerings and goes out of their way to uphold the highest kashrus standards.”

He presented the award to the company’s longtime employees and kosher liaisons, Mr. Britt Nichols and Ms. Patty Harvey.

In addition, the OK celebrated their longtime relationship with Mr. Willy Geeraerts, who is soon to retire from Barry Callebaut Chocolate, a premier producer of kosher chocolate.

Other speakers included noted lecturer Rabbi YY Jacobson, Rabbi Saul Emanuel of Montreal Kosher, Rabbi Ahron Haskel of OK Israel, and OK Rabbinic Coordinators Rabbi Yitzchak Hanoka and Rabbi Yitzchak Gornish.

Rabbi Levy was also presented with Hakaras HaTov awards from three camps whose campers benefit greatly from his generous camp scholarship program.

The conference ended with a lavish buffet lunch allowing the rabbis to interact with each other and personnel.