Is there any reason why kosher meat and many of the "licensed" kosher butchers who sell it, fail to maintain basic levels of hygiene and cleanliness.
As a Jewish community we are being short changed and paying for it. We get sold cuts of meat that you wouldn't want to give to a dog. But as long as it is described as "kosher" it is fine. But, no, it is not fine.
The word "kosher" has become a byword for fit, proper and good. But in many cases these days, you can't rely on it. It might have the word "kosher" on it, but it is far from fit and proper and potentially could be a danger to your health.
Why do we as a community have to put up with the poor standards that are evident in many of the retailers selling us food?
Last year Schlagman’s in Finchley, north west London was taken to court by Barnet Council over the filth and dirt in the shop. They were fined £16,000 by Barnet Council for 11 heathly and safety breaches.
A report in the Jewish Chronicle said at the time:
In the koshering area the inspector had observed “live and dead beetles, meat debris and dirt on the floor.
Yet, the kosher organisation who was supposed to be supervising this butcher didn't seem to be too concerned with hygiene standards. Why didn't the London Board for Shechita and its staff not see that the food being sold and being offered to customers was coming into contact with all manner of vermin when they were doing inspections?
The London Board for Shechita is supposed to be charged on behalf of the community for maintaining standards. On it website it says:
The Board employs full-time Inspectors who visit every establishment at least once a day and check for the continuous integrity of the sealing process, monitoring the performance of the porging (removal of forbidden fats and sinews) and koshering (soaking, salting, and rinsing) processes carried-out by Board-approved personnel.
The Board further adds:
The public can safely rely on the vigilance of our Shomerim and Inspectors
Isn't it time they actually provided evidence of their work? Are their records open to the public? Can they show on their website, dates/times when their inspectors have been into an "establishment"? If we go into a public toilet they show the last time they were cleaned, surely we should expect more from our kosher supervisors?
So you can have a steak sold in a butcher that has come into contact with bugs and the organisation that supervises the premises will still maintain it is "kosher". How could this Board and its own supervisors fail to see all the filth, the same filth that Barnet Council could see?
I say thank you to the local councils up and down the country who are visiting shops including Jewish shops and taking legal action against those who flaunt the hygiene rules.
Why are the Beth Dins and The Board not actually doing what the are supposed to do. They should not only make sure the products are "kosher" in terms of the way the animal was slaughtered, it should also mean that when it is sold, it is kept in a fit and proper condition - that means hygeinic.
Those who supervise food production for the community should be accountable to the community and if they are supervising food production, they need to do just that - otherwise what is the point of trusting them with food.
No wonder why so many Jews are either becoming vegetarian or buying non-kosher meat.
Do you trust kosher food production in the UK and the selling of kosher food to the public?
