Monday, February 13, 2012

DNA Results Are In: Canned Sardines Are Kosher


Just so you know: Canned sardines are kosher.

This judgment would appear to be definitive, based on DNA evidence. Genetic testing by a parasitologist at the American Museum of Natural History has confirmed that the recent discovery of small worms in canned sardines does not render them treyf, or unkosher. It may render them unappetizing, but that judgment is up to the consumer (more on that later).

The museum got involved last March when rabbis from the Orthodox Union, which certifies as kosher hundreds of thousands of products across the world, sought scientific help in resolving a question that arose when they began finding the worms, or nematodes, in cans of sardines. [...]

5 comments :

  1. I think it's kind of suspicious that the OU only tested sardines for nematodes and didn't test other fish species for anisakis while they were at it. The ossrim say that worms are migrating in partially gutted fish. The OU has a huge vested interest in anisakis remaining permitted and one of their officials has even admitted it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. If I may make a brief comment about gerus following up on a recent discussion on this blog. Lakewood rosh yeshiva R' Yeruchim Olshin shlita gave a shiur in Lawrence this past Shabbos on parshas Yisro which is full of inyanei gerus. After the shiur someone told R' Yeruchim that R' Shmuel Berenbaum zl was very pro gerei tzedek. R' Yeruchim replied that he saw in one of the kisvei HaGr"a that gerei tzedek have the highest form of neshomo, more than any of us.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Off topic said...

    If I may make a brief comment about gerus following up on a recent discussion on this blog. Lakewood rosh yeshiva R' Yeruchim Olshin shlita gave a shiur in Lawrence this past Shabbos on parshas Yisro which is full of inyanei gerus. After the shiur someone told R' Yeruchim that R' Shmuel Berenbaum zl was very pro gerei tzedek. R' Yeruchim replied that he saw in one of the kisvei HaGr"a that gerei tzedek have the highest form of neshomo, more than any of us.
    ===============
    Did they or their children marry gerim?


    Horios (13a): Mishna Saving the live of a cohen takes precedence over that of a levi while a levi takes precedence over a yisroel, the yisroel takes precedence over a mamzer while a mamzer takes precedence over a nasin and a nasin takes precedence over a ger and a ger takes precedence over a freed slave. This hierarchy is only valid if they are equal in other respects however if the mamzer is a talmid chacham and the cohen gadol (high priest) is an ignoramous then the mamzer talmid chacham has precedence over the ignorant high priest. Gemora – A nasin takes precedence over a ger since the nasin the nasin was raised with us in holiness and the ger was not raised with us in holiness. A ger takes precedence over a freed slave for the slave is included in the curse while the ger was not… It was taught: R’ Shimon bar Yochai said it is logical that the freed slave should in fact take precedence over the ger for the slave was brought up by us in holiness and the ger wasn’t, however since the slave was included in the curse and not the ger – the ger takes precedence. R’ Eleazer the son of R’ Tzadok was asked, “Why do all want to marry a giyorus but not everyone wants to marry a freed maidservant? He answered that the maidservant was included in the curse while the giyorus was not. Another explanation is that the giyorous is known to protect her chastity while the maidservant is not…

    ReplyDelete
  4. How do you reconcile that Gemara with the fact that gerim both are like newborn babies and come from the Avos hakedoshim?

    And what about that the avaryonim who brought mamzerim into the world are supposed to be mispalel that their forbidden pairos die as part of their teshuvah?

    There has to be more to this shtikl Gemara than it's seeming face value translation.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Crony Watch said...
    "I think it's kind of suspicious that the OU only tested sardines for nematodes and didn't test other fish species for anisakis while they were at it ... The OU has a huge vested interest ... and one of their officials has even admitted it."

    Can you provide more info, including which of their officials made the admission and what he admitted to? Thanks.

    ReplyDelete

ANONYMOUS COMMENTS WILL NOT BE POSTED!
please use either your real name or a pseudonym.