Kosher Food Industry News
Orthodox Jewish leaders to visit Postville for first-hand account of Kosher meat plant
Postville, Iowa…A leadership group of Orthodox rabbis and lay leaders will be here on Thursday on a fact-finding mission, according to Rabbi Pesach Lerner, Executive Vice President of the National Council of Young Israel, who is coordinating the one-day mission to Agriprocessors. The visit to the plant, which is one of the largest producers of kosher meat and poultry in the U.S., is intended to provide the Jewish leaders with a first-hand account of the state of the Agriprocessors plant and the impact that recent developments have had on the Postville community. It is the first mission to Postville since the May 12th immigrant raid by Orthodox leaders, who represent the core constituents of Agriprocessors. Last Sunday, several hundred conservative and reform Jews joined with local Catholic leaders in an interfaith prayer at a local church and marched through the city in support of the incarcerated workers and their families, in an effort to protest alleged abuses at the Agriprocessors plant.
“This mission is meant to provide Jewish leaders from across the United States with a factual perspective of the true situation at the Agriprocessors plant, untainted by the rumors and innuendos that have been circulating,” said Rabbi Lerner. “As one of the major producers of kosher meat in the U.S., the success or failure of Agriprocessors is an issue that will directly impact Jewish communities that purchase kosher meat and poultry across the country. The situation warrants that we approach this with an open mind and obtain a first-hand account of the situation so that we can draw our own conclusion for the betterment of the American Jewish community.”
The Jewish leaders will tour the Agriprocessors plant and facilities, where they will meet corporate officials and managers, including Jim Martin, a former U.S. Attorney who is now responsible for all compliance issues for Agriprocessors. The group will also meet with senior representatives of the Kashrus organizations who certify the plant. In addition, they will meet with the Mayor of Postville and other local elected officials who will lead them on a tour of the Postville community.
According to Rabbi Lerner, the National Council of Young Israel took the lead in organizing this important mission because of the inevitable impact that the future of Agriprocessors will have on the American Jewish community. Sources say that leaders of the Orthodox Union, Rabbinical Council of America and Agudath Israel of America will also be on the mission.
Kosher meat prices continue to soar
New York…by Sarah Cohen…Prices for kosher meats and poultry are on average 15% higher than they were just before the raid on the Agriprocessors plant on May 12th. While there are still retailers that say that their prices have not risen, they are by far in the minority. The retailers point out that even non-kosher meat and poultry products have gone up by as much as 5%, but nowhere near the increases in the kosher market. In the Five Towns in New York, customers are likely paying 10% higher, while in Baltimore the increase is closer to 15%. In a survey of retailers around the country, the average increase was 15%, including such markets as Los Angeles, Miami, and Atlanta.
Much of the increases are due to the upheaval created by the federal raid on Agriprocessors on May 12th, which has since replaced many of the workers. The immediate fallout of the raid was a shortage of meat on many supermarket shelves resulting in an almost immediate price increase by competitors. Some sources say that many of the kosher stores have yet to pass on general increases in commodity prices which have resulted in 3% - 5% increases in the price of meat and poultry. Experts expect that the average price increase would reach nearly 20% in advance of the upcoming Jewish holidays.
Real Italian Gelato opens in Boca Raton
Boca Raton…Kosher visitors to Rome often “kvell” at eating real kosher gelato within earshot of some of the major tourist sites. Now the kosher Italian gelato has made its way to Florida. Under the supervision of the ORB, The Gelato Shoppe Petrini offers pareve, cholov yisroel and dairy gelato as well as many creative desserts. The Gelato Shoppe Petrini produces onsite authentic Italian gelato utilizing traditional Italian production techniques, recipes and ingredients. Mauro Petrini, whose family has a long history as restaurateurs in Italy, is the owner of The Gelato Shoppe Petrini and head gelatiere (gelato chef) along with his wife Dawn Wolstein-Petrini. Their decision to adapt authentic Italian gelato recipes to respect kosher traditions was based on his belief that gelato, if made naturally with no additives, preservatives, food coloring or unnatural ingredients, can and should be enjoyed by everyone.
Mauro’s gelato has 0 to 9% fat content and flavors range from traditional Italian flavors, such as stracciatella and gianduia, to the most popular American flavors like milk chocolate, strawberries and cream and peanut butter. Ingredients have been carefully selected in order to obtain the highest quality gelato. Mauro uses whole milk, roasted nuts, real fruit and Belgian chocolate in his recipes. In order to meet the diverse palate of their clients, The Gelato Shoppe Petrini has developed unique flavors such as Green tea and mint, Pomegranate, Banana Cream Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, After Eight, Pina Colada, Margherita and Lemon Meringue pie.
Ta’boun Grill, Breadsmith of Skokie, and Jewel Food Store Top Survey of Chicago Area Kosher Establishments
Chicago… The best kosher restaurant in Chicago is Taboun Grill, the best kosher bakery is Breadsmith of Skokie and Jewel is the best kosher store. These were the winners of the 2007-2008 Chicago-area kosher survey conducted by Kosher Community Surveys LLC. Other establishments with strong showings include Shallots Bistro, Romanian Kosher, Tein Li Chow (take out) and Da’Nali’s Café (pizza). Neil Rosenbaum, President of Kosher Community Surveys LLC, noted that “area consumers have increased interest in providing meaningful feedback to Chicago’s kosher establishments, with 50% more participants than last year. I look forward to hearing how establishments will use the survey results to better meet the needs of customers.” Over 300 people participated in this year’s survey.
Kosher Community Surveys LLC conducts consumer surveys of kosher restaurants, bakeries and stores across the country. The organization is dedicated to the improvement of the kosher food sector through customer feedback as well as providing recognition to those establishments with the highest quality food and service in their respective markets including Philadelphia, Washington DC, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago and Cleveland. Their surveys have been featured in the Washington Post, KosherToday and a range of other publications. For more information visit www.kosher-community-surveys.com/.
