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24 Shevat 5759 - Feb. 10, 1999 | Mordecai Plaut, director Published Weekly
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Chief Rabbinate Warns of Serious Orla Problems in Raisins

by Betzalel Kahn

The Department for Mitzvos Hateluyos Ba'aretz of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel has issued a warning to the public about problems of orla in raisins sold throughout the country.

The department explained that most of the raisins on the market today are made from leftover grapes which remained in the fields after the better grapes had been sorted by agriculture workers. Because these residues, which are left behind in small amounts, are gathered by farmers and manufacturers in an unorganized and unsupervised manner, it is very difficult to identify the source of these grapes, which are marketed, in essence, without supervision for problems of orla.

During the past two years, difficult problems were created in two large raisin manufacturing firms, as a result of unidentified grape shipments.

The Department for Industry and Manufacturing of the Rabbinate, in conjunction with the Department for Mitzvos Hateluyos Ba'aretz, has adopted a number of procedures to correct the problem. The primary ones are: A supervisor must be present during grape harvesting on every settlement where farmers grow and market orla produce, in order to identify grapes earmarked for use as raisins. Farmers who already have kashrus supervision will also have this added supervision. Drying of the raisins will take place in factories and not on the farmer's premises, in order to ensure full supervision.

A convention will soon be held for those who grow grapes for use as raisins and for raisin manufacturers, in order to explain the new procedures to them and to urge them to be cautious in this area.


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