[Avodah] Halachic Policy Guidelines of the Kashrus > Authority of Australia

[Harry Weiss]

> From: Zev Sero <zev at sero.name>
> I have mentioned before that I once asked the OU (in the person of
> "the webbe rebbe") about raw cashews.  The answer I got was that there
> are potential problems, but that these are so uncommon that I needn't
> worry about them, and may buy raw cashews from any source without a
> hechsher.  However if I do see an OU hechsher on them then I can know
> that they have checked it out and the problems (at least the ones they're
> aware of) do not exist.
>
> In the terms of this discussion, all raw cashews are "approved" by the OU,
> i.e. they have told me that I can consume them in good conscience, but
> they are not certified, and thus it is possible (though unlikely) that
> klapei shmaya galya that they are treif, or at least contain a bli`as
> issur that is batel.  This is the sort of thing that would appear on the
> LBD or KA lists.  Whereas "certified" is the next level where the OU
> positively asserts that this particular packet of nuts is kosher; and
> to say that they must verify that it really is so, and they can't rely
> on bittul.

You brought down the OU basis for giving formal certifications for items
on their list of type of items that do not required certification.  This
includes raw cashews as you say and even water.

You mentioned their line about the advantage of having certification  The
interesting things is if you buy another items that has items on that list
of "not requiring certification"  as an ingredient they will allow
products without certification.

If you buy ice cream which contains cashews it will have the OU on the
label, even though there may be no certification on those cashews.

The fact is they are not just relying on straight bittul, but miut sheayno
matzuy.