The Rabbanut of Bet Shemesh (Mehadrin) was certifying that this restaurant was really using "better" products, "higher hechsher" products, so people who want specifically those products could rest assured that this is what was being used.
While I thought this was somewhat unusual, I didn't remember seeing it before in such detail, I did think it would be helpful for some people who look for specific meats and might rely on the Rabbanut Mehadrin hechsher to state that, while other people might decide that if they rely on Rav Rubin hechsher alone, they will not rely on this type of a certificate. To each his own, but at least it would be helpful to some people.
The Rabbanut just recently announced that such kashrut certificates are the new version of their teudat kashrut. Chief Rabbi Rav Yitzchak Yosef instructed the Rabbanut to no longer just say a restaurant is kosher or kosher lmehadrin, but to give more details, such as regarding the level of kashrut and "chalak" of the meat, details of the food being bishul yisrael.
source: Srugim
More information is always good. The consumer need not be overwhelmed by information that will confuse him or her, but an informed consumer is always a good thing.
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The shmita before last I saw a Teudah in Ramat Gan which specified that the restaurant relied on the "hetter mechirah".
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure hetter mechira was something that was always stated explicitly
DeleteThis is good news.
ReplyDeleteIn the past many Rabbinates have included additional information on a Tudah. I have even seen places with Regular (not Mehadrin) kashrut with a letter from the Mashgiach saying that the meat was Glatt and vegetables were Gush Katif. Marking Heter Mechira products is very common during Shmitta year.
But if the Rabbinate is going to standardize this, that would be an enormous service to consumers - just not sure how it is practical. If a restaurant gets deliveries from a few suppliers, each with a different Hasgacha, would they all have to be listed on the Teuda?
As an aside, the word "Mehadrin" has ne fixed meaning. Each city rabbinate can determine whether to offer a Mehadrin Hashgacha, and set whatever standards they want for it. This means that "Rabbinate Mehadrin" in one city may be a very different standard from a different city.
I am pretty sure that if a restaurant gets that kidn of detail regarding what products it uses, it can only use those products. maybe a generic rabbanut mehadrin with no special limitations would let them continue using anything that qualifies, but to me it makes sense to assume that once specifics are detailed they are limited to those details
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