Marzano Spaghetti Sauce: The OU certifies Marzano Spaghetti Sauce as an OU pareve product. Some labels with an OU symbol were used for a spaghetti sauce that contains non-kosher beef. The labels for the kosher and non-kosher products look alike except for the ingredients statement. Consumers should look at the ingredients statement and verify whether or not beef is listed as an ingredient. If beef is listed, the product is not certified and bears an unauthorized OU symbol. If beef is not listed, then the product is certified. The product with the beef is being withdrawn from the marketplace. If you see this product being sold, please provide details to kosherq@ou.org.
General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch – Club 2-pack is missing the D Dairy designation. The sleeve on the 2 pack, only bears a plain OU symbol. Each individual box correctly bears a OU D Dairy designation. The product at this time does not contain actual dairy, but is produced on dairy equipment.
The following products are being sold at Sprouts Farmers Market locations bearing an unauthorized OK symbol:
Sprouts Cut Leaf Spinach
Sprouts Cut Corn
Sprouts Broccoli Cuts
Sprouts California Blend
Sprouts Brussels Sprouts
Sprouts Mixed Vegetables
These products are NOT certified by the OK.
Many Garden Lites “Veggies Made Great’ products now carry a Triangle K and are no longer recommended.
Regarding the Infestation Alert below, the AKC is not aware how serious the problem is in our area.
If you have noticed this issue please contact the AKC.
Infestation Alert from the Star-K:
BROWN RICE sold in the Northeastern USA has been found to be infested due to issues in the distribution chain and storage. According to the Star-K, this issue is more widespread than previously thought. Affected batches were found in markets from NY to Maryland.
The research is ongoing and they will issue updates as warranted. In the interim, they are recommending that consumers in the affected areas check all brown rice prior to use, using the following procedure:
Place brown rice in a fine mesh strainer/sifter. Shake for 25-30 seconds over a light box or white paper. Examine the surface of the lightbox or paper under a strong light for any insect presence. Booklice and Mites are the most common insects.
QUINOA: The problem mainly found in quinoa is that it had been stored for over a year (it had been packed more than a year prior). Quinoa packed within the year was generally not infested.
However, due to differences in each company’s date coding, they are recommending that all quinoa be checked prior to use, in the same manner as for brown rice above.
BARLEY (particularly Yoshon brands) continues to have consistent issues with infestation. Therefore the Star-K is now recommending that all barley be checked prior to use.
Infestation Alert from the OU:
QUINOA: Some brands of quinoa were recently found to contain booklice. The OU is looking into this matter. Accordingly, quinoa should not be used without a thorough inspection. The method of checking that has been found to be effective is to pour the quinoa into a thirty mesh sifter and agitate for 30 seconds over a white surface. If any booklice are found on the white surface, the quinoa should be discarded.