Is ‘glatt kosher’ a meaningless label?
Once, we competed for kudos with the labels on our clothes. Today, it is the labels on our food that matter. As large segments of society have decided that organic is a must-have, in kosher-observant circles, prestigious rabbinical certifications have become increasingly important. Take a trip to a kosher supermarket anywhere in the world and you will see shelves loaded with goods boasting all sorts of kashrut credentials, such as glatt, mehadrin and yashan. “Once upon a time people commonly thought ‘either its kosher or it is not,'” says Rabbi Jeremy Conway, director of the London Beth Din Kashrut Division. “But today they readily understand that just as there are differing standards of cuisine, design and healthcare, so there are different standards of kashrut.” If you are confused by the words on the labels, don’t worry. It seems that many of the certification connoisseurs – and the rabbis who write the labels – are, too. You can buy dozens of “glatt” products these days, including
