[Avodah] halachic guidelines for kashrus

[Prof. Levine]

At 05:53 PM 12/7/2011, Rabbi E. M. Teitz wrote:


>       In Europe, a hakpada on glatt was rare.  It was a middas 
> chassidus, based not on a higher standard of kashrus -- non-glatt 
> was not considered less kosher -- but rather as a hiddur, not to 
> eat from basar shehoreh bo chacham, as Yechezkeil Hanavi prided 
> himself (Chullin 37b).   [This only applies to 
> Ashk'nazim.  S'faradim are required to eat only true glatt, since 
> the M'chabeir paskens not to rely on the testing of lungs by 
> removing sirchos.  Hence the newest term in kashrus marketing, 
> "Beis Yoseif glatt," which is today's equivalent of what "glatt" 
> meant forty years ago.  And of course, it does not apply to veal, 
> lamb and goat meat, which must be glatt according to all 
> opinions.]  Today, of course, we are all tzaddikim and lower-case 
> chassidim, for whom all hiddur chumros are mainstream requirements.

It also does not apply to chicken, although the packaging on Empire, 
Kiryas Joel,  Vineland,  and other poultry says glatt on it.

The following if from the article What's the Truth About Glatt Kosher 
by Rabbi Dr. Ari Z. Zivotofsky that is at 
http://www.kashrut.com/articles/glatt/

 From the above explanation, it is clear that referring to chicken, 
fish or dairy products as glatt is a misuse of the term. In addition, 
even when referring to meat, it only attests to the status of the 
lung, but makes no comment about the standards of, for example, the shechitah.

Misconceptions about the meaning of glatt are so widespread that, for 
many, the term glatt has colloquially taken on the implication of a 
higher standard, similar to the term mehadrin. In addition, some 
caterers or stores may have only one kashrut sticker that they use on 
all products, and hence the sticker on the corned beef sandwich and 
on the omelette will both say "glatt kosher." Although it is 
technically inaccurate to label chicken, fish, lamb, or dairy 
products as glatt, it is not uncommon to find such labeling. In the 
majority of cases, it is probably not being done to mislead; but in 
some instances it may be intended to imply that the product was 
processed under a superior hashgachah, as per the term's informal usage.


Yitzchok Levine 
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