A group of Israeli rabbis met this past week to decide on creating an industry standard for an item that might not seem like a likely candidate for governmental regulation: bourekas.
Radio Kol Chai (http://bit.ly/VFy7Jj) reports that members of the Rabbanut Harashit convened to discuss the much-loved baked goods whose fillings, which cannot be readily determined from outward appearance, can contain meat, dairy or pareve centers.
In a meeting with members of the baking industry, Rabbi Chagi Bar Guriya of the Rabbanut Harashit, demonstrated how despite their different shapes, it almost impossible to determine the filling of any closed pastry including bourekas, cigars and croissants, which has in the past created problems for both kosher consumers and those with food allergies.
Saying that the health concerns for those with food allergies is an even greater problem than the potential kashrus issues, Rabbi Bar Guriya suggested that perhaps a new industry standard be adopted, with all pareve bourekas being completely closed, while those with dairy fillings be left partially opened so that their filling is visible, or using different shapes to designate the type of pastry filling.
Members of the baking industry who were present at the meeting countered that not all the suggestions made would be possible to implement and further requested that any decisions made should be enforced throughout the entire country.
The Rabbanut Harashit is expected to decide on an official policy shortly.
mezonos (at least that’s what I say)
what bracha does one make on bourekas?
these bourekas are full of trans fat,
you should stay away from all of them,be they milk meat or parave.
according to the f.d.a you should not consume any trans fat
zero trans fat a day
I’ve been known to eat my own brought food at weddings, and other simchas. The worst part of limited diet living is the social isolation it can cause. This is not a joke, the diet can be easy, and we who live this way are perfectly comfortable bringing and eating our own food. But people don’t feel comfortable issuing the invitation, and therefore don’t invite us, and then we are left out.
why are u buying take out form a michig place for a fleishig kiddush? Now you see why they have to be shaped differently
Once at my shul the person who was sponsoring the kiddush had included mixed borekas in his order from the takeout place, which is under reliable supervision. By mixed, he meant spinach, potato and mushroom varieties. However, by mistake the place included cheese borekas. The person’s niece picked everything up already bagged and brought it to the shul, where the ladies who usually put out the kiddush put out the borekas along with all the other items. It so happened that the person sponsoring the kiddush was the first to bite into one of the cheese ones and it was… Read more »
anybody with serious allergies should not be eating any food that is not prepared in his/her house.
another thing – what happens if whoever closed the bourekas did not pinch it tight, and it opens?
the best thing would be to make sure the boxes of bourekas are labeled!
there are many bored people [read: Rabbis] around.
bugs in the water, strawberries, shaitlach, now bourekas.
HELP!!!!!!!!!
Since when do bourekas come in a package?
Doesn’t it say the ingredients on the package? If you have allergies, how do you eat anything at a simcha?
Parve, milk, or meat
I have a friend with serious allergies and he has a hard time knowing when a danish or boureka is dairy or pareve. One time he looked at a broureka and it smelled pareve and ate it, winding up in the ER.
The shulchan aruch says that dairy and other pastries should be shaped differently.
I say Kol Hakavod.
there is a Halocho in shulchon aruch (Yoreh Deoh Simon 97) that a bread which is kneaded (or filled) with dairy must be shaped differently than the typical bread. although comment #4 may be right that in the case of Bourekas it may be different because you have the ability to know its contents by opening it before eating. but i guess the Rabbonim feel that 1. most people don’t open it first 2. not always is it noticeable because many bourekas may just have some milk mixed into the potatoes (for example). we have enough flaws in the kashrus… Read more »
youve gotta be kidding??
Don’t make light of kashrus. For as long as I remeber, so-called mezonos bread is slashed a certain way before baking. why should a cheese boreka be identical in apperance to a meat or even parve one?
Just as many people break open hard-boiled eggs to check for blood spots- just break open the boureka to see what is inside. Who knows, maybe the factory will make a mistake and close up bourekas that need to be partially opened.
Good call #1 … I am laughing hysterically
and now i have a craving for bourekas!
You made a story out of this and it wasn’t even written humorously?