Rabbanut Puts Unsupervised Bug-Free Lettuce Growers On Warning

In continuation of the bug-free lettuce growers that have been put on warning by Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar due to the high amount (and type) of pesticides used, the Rabbanut has officially taken the next step, which is really the only logical thing for them to have done.

The Rabbanut sent out a special update on their email list announcing a clarification of how this is going to work. The update says that in light of Rav Amar's decision, the Rabbanut has decided to deal with the issue. They are telling the various kashrut organizations that give hechsherim to these companies (and there are a lot, as you can tell from looking at any given bag of bug-free lettuce - each bag has about half a dozen hechsherim) that they should make their hechsher conditional on being supervised by the Ministry of Health via laboratory inspections. To clarify, the Rabbanut will not give a hechsher to any food establishment that purchases such vegetables that are not under supervision.

So, while until now one could say that these "kosher" pesticides with a little bit of lettuce were treated similar to the way they treat bleach, being that they give it a hechsher because it's not "not-kosher" and the companies want it and are willing to pay for it, now they are no longer going to do so. Now the food better actually be safely edible to get a hechsher, and not poisonous. I wonder if they will next remove the hechsher from bleach and laundry detergent..

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