Can one purchase a certified ice cream flavor in a non-supervised ice cream franchise?
• ANSWER: We think it is permissible to purchase ice cream from ice cream shops provided that you can verify that the ice cream flavor you wish to eat is indeed certified. You might do so by looking for the kosher symbol on the side of the tub. Otherwise, you could ask the franchise for a letter of certification stating the flavor is certified. Then you would check the side of the tub to make sure that the ice cream really comes from Tasti D-Lite, and then confirm that you are receiving the flavor that is listed as being certified. The scooper does not pose an inherent kashruth concern because it is used cold. Nonetheless, it is possible that the ice cream scooper could contain traces of non certified ice cream from a previous scooping. Therefore it is necessary to ask the franchise employee to clean the scooper before serving you. What about the toppings and cones? Unlike ice cream, which is scooped out of big tubs that contain the brand names or symbols on them, toppings and cones ar
