[Avodah] Rabbi Chaim Goldberg on Star-K on Worms in Fish

[Yitzchok Levine]

Rabbi Chaim Goldberg,  who heads the OU "Fish Desk" sent the response 
below to my earlier email (part of which is below) on this topic.  He 
has given me permission to distribute his response. YL

1.       Gefilte fish is ground, so presumably any bugs would be 
ground too.  There is no issur of bitul issur lchatchila, since one 
does not want the bugs, and ground up they are no longer a beryah and 
therefore batul.

2.       A & B uses farmed salmon (wild is RIDICULOUSLY expensive)

Rabbi Chaim Goldberg
Rabbinic Coordinator
Orthodox Union
212.613.8340
Direct Fax 212.613.0695

From: Yitzchok Levine [mailto:Larry.Levine at stevens.edu]
Sent: Sunday, May 23, 2010 12:20 PM
To: avodah at lists.aishdas.org
Subject: Star-K on Worms in Fish

Below is the recent Star-K post regarding checking for bugs in fish. 
It is from 
<http://star-k.org/cons-vegdetail.php?ID=74>http://star-k.org/cons-vegdetail.php?ID=74

I found the listing under "only the variety of fish found on the 
following list may be used without any need for inspection" of 
gefilte fish and minced fish sticks surprising.   After all, one 
could conceivably use some of the varieties of fish listed under 
"should NOT be used" in the making of gefilte fish and/or minced 
fish. Indeed, A & B sells (or at least did sell) salmon gefilte fish. 
See 
<http://www.gefiltefish.com/product.asp?id=1&subid=58&productID=445>http://www.gefiltefish.com/product.asp?id=1&subid=58&productID=445 


Presumably the fact that the fish is ground up and therefore the 
worms are also ground up is why the Star-K lists gefilte fish and 
minced fish as being OK, no matter what kind of fish these products 
are made from. IIRC, there was something about pureeing strawberries 
that might be bug infested and then using them.

I am not sure exactly how grinding or pureeing works halachically so 
that one may use the result. True, one can no longer see the worms or 
bugs, but why is one allowed to do this l'chatchila?  Is it not being 
mevatel an issur up front?

YL

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