Healthy Kosher packed lunch ideas and information for JFS students and parents. Remember... • No Meat! • No Nuts! • Everything brought in must be Kosher and healthy! This document is a helpful guide full of ideas and useful information in eating kosher in a healthful way. Visit: www.isitkosher.uk The Kosher Certificate - ‘Hechsher’ Most processed food items invalidating the kashrut of branded items will have these but you will have to check one require supervision from a the whole process. There are stamps. These kosher stamps of the kosher websites or apps ‘shomer’ (literally ‘guard’). several organisations that have can be found in the same to check whether it is. This is someone whose job is these supervisors, and they location on a food packet as the Whilst JFS is a United Synagogue to supervise the cooking and each have their own ‘hechsher’ ‘suitable for vegetarians / vegans school, we accept all types of preparation process to ensure (kosher stamp). etc’ stamps. If you cannot see orthodox recognised kashrut that no non-kosher food items A lot of products in regular one, this does not necessarily authorities. This list is not or utensils are used, thus supermarkets that stock mean the item is not kosher, exhaustive. You may also see stamps from USA-based These are UK-based Kashrut organisations, such as the following: authorities whose symbols you will find on food packaging that is certified Kosher. Kosher alert! Helpful vocabulary London Beth Din Kedassia Hechsher = kosher stamp Kashrut = general term for laws governing keeping kosher. Parev = contains neither dairy nor meat (i.e. suitable for vegetarians, but not necessarily vegans). If a hechsher has a ‘D’ next to it, that product contains dairy and cannot be Manchester Sephardi Kashrut mixed with products containing meat. Beth Din Authority Visit: www.isitkosher.uk Bread Any food that is cooked or Hendon, Shenley Road in processed needs kosher Borehamwood, Bushey High supervision to ensure all Street, Stamford Hill, Mill Hill, ingredients and utensils Edgware and more. If you are used are also kosher, and not sure if a bakery is Kosher, have no contact with ask the staff if they have a non-kosher food items or kosher certificate. utensils. In addition, there are a few Even if all the ingredients in supermarket brands that a type of bread are kosher, have been certified as Kosher if the trays they are baked by the London Beth Din or the on are greased with lard or Sephardi Kashrut Authority: Kosher Bakeries in butter that is not kosher, that All Hovis Bread products, London: makes the bread non-kosher including Fast Action Bread Bonjour (Hendon) too. If they are baked in the yeast, and even crumpets, Daniels (Temple Fortune) same ovens as non-kosher are certified by the London Mr Baker (Hendon and Borehamwood) bread, they are also no longer Beth Din and will display Sharons (Hendon and Edgware, Golders kosher. the KLBD kosher stamp (see Green) We are extremely fortunate page 3). Davids (Hendon) in London to have access to Kingsmill and Allinson breads Grodzinski (Golders Green, Hendon, so many kosher bakeries. are certified by the Sephardi Edgware, Stamford Hill) There are several on and Kashrut Authority and should Parkway (Finchley, Preston Road) near Golders Green Road, have the sKa kosher stamp Hendon Bagel (Hendon) Finchley Road in Temple on them. Bread (Temple Fortune) Kosher alert! Fortune, Brent Street in Visit: www.isitkosher.uk Cheese In the UK, regular milk does not need to be Cheese & supervised as its production is regulated and inspected by the government (some people will only have supervised milk, which is also available). Dairy products such as cheese and yoghurts do however need supervision Yoghurt as their production may involve the use of rennet or lipase enzymes or other products The following brands, available in kosher from a non-kosher animal. supermarkets, are all certified: Cheese Charedi Dairies Both hard and soft cheeses (e.g. cottage cheese, cream cheese and fromage frais) KC (kosher continental) made without Rabbinical supervision are Snowcrest not permitted at all. Kosher cheeses can Sol be found in kosher supermarkets and Kosher alert! The Milk Company many regular supermarkets like Tesco and Sainsburys. When purchasing cheese in a Yoghurt be avoided unless on the kosher product regular supermarket, please ensure that list. Fromage frais is only permitted when each packet bears a hechsher (kosher stamp Ordinary plain and fruit flavoured yoghurts produced under Rabbinical supervision. – see page 3) as some non-kosher cheeses are permitted except when they contain are available under the same brand name in gelatine, cochineal (E120), grape juice or Brands such as ‘actimel’, ‘activia’, identical packaging. other problematic ingredients. For further ‘benecol’, ‘stapletons’ and ‘muller’ have a information see http://www.kosher.org. lot of approved kosher yoghurts, but only In addition, there are several vegan cheese uk/article/which-enumbers-additives-are- the flavours listed on www.isitkosher. companies that have plenty of kosher- not-allowed. uk or http://www.kosher.org.uk/klbd- approved products, such as ‘Sheese’ , koshersearch are permitted so you must ‘Vbites’ and ‘Tofutti’, which you must check More complex products, such as yoghurt check each flavour. the packaging of for the hechsher. with chocolate, toffee or lemon curd should Visit: www.isitkosher.uk You would be surprised... There are a lot of ubiquitous food items that people often think are kosher, but are actually not. Here are some examples you are likely to encounter when planning packed lunches for your children that are not permitted in school. Walkers crisps: only 3 walkers crisps and shake’. No other Walkers crisps products are kosher – ‘ready salted’ products are kosher, including ‘baked’ from the regular crisps range, ‘simply and ‘sensations’ranges. Kelloggs cereal bars: only 4 of the salted’ from the ‘lights’ range, and ‘salt (Beth Din Food Guide p45-46) kelloggs cereal bars are kosher ‘Special K Belgian Milk Chocolate’, ‘Special K Hazelnut and Almond’, Confectionary: Check the ‘Special K Peach and Apricot’, confectionary list in the Beth ‘Special K Red Berry’. No other Din Food Guide on Pages 35 Kelloggs cereal bar is kosher, even - 44 as some of the known if the cereal equivalent is. However, ‘favourites’ may mot be kosher. Nature Valley has an excellent range For example, no Rowntrees products are kosher. M&Ms of kosher cereal bars available in Kosher alert! regular supermarkets, as do ‘nakd’ Choco, Crispy and Peanut and ‘doves farm’. (Beth Din Food are not kosher and neither is Guide p29). Cadbury’s twisted cream egg. Visit: www.isitkosher.uk Pom-Bear snacks: These snacks were once recognised as Kosher by the KLBD but that is no longer the case, they are now not supervised by them. Hula Hoops are also not kosher. SEAWEED AND NORI: Not all types of seaweed products are kosher please check the KLBD ‘Is it kosher’ app and the food guide for the different approved makes– (Beth Din Food Guide p102) Oreo Biscuits: The popular Oreo biscuit made in the UK is not kosher. Those manufactured in the USA have an OU Dairy hechsher (found in kosher supermarkets) and are therefore permitted in school. Shop bought salads: Please do not bring in any Cakes and biscuits: These need to be bought salads from a supermarket unless it has a hechsher. from a kosher shop as there can be many There are many reasons that a salad is not kosher. problems with oils, animal fat, food coloring and Some examples are the oil or vinegar in the dressing, preservatives. non kosher cheese and even plain leaves are sometimes infested with flies when the KLBD has done random checks on them. Kosher supermarkets like B Kosher (hendon, Borehamwood, Golders Green), Mendy’s (Edgware), Kosher alert! Kosher Kingdom (Golders Green) and Tapuach (Hendon) will have ready made kosher salads available for sale. You can even buy a caterlink salad and bring it to the packed lunch room. Kosher alert! Shop bought sandwiches: Please do not bring in any sandwiches from a supermarket unless it has a hechsher. Jacobs Mini Cheddars: Like salads above, there are many reasons why These biscuits are not they would be deemed not kosher and just being kosher as they contain vegetarian does not make salads or sandwiches cheese that has not been Kosher. supervised by the KLBD. Kosher supermarkets, as listed above, will have ready Jacobs plain cream crackers made kosher sandwiches available for sale. You can are kosher according to the even buy a caterlink sandwich or wrap and bring it to Beth Din list. the packed lunch room. Couscous Salad Potato Salad http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/452668/ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/ Easy-couscous-salad recipes/75604/classic-potato-salad Not all stock cubes are kosher: Kosher Checklist: Can use some Knorr products Mayonnaise (Beth Din Guide p81), (Beth Din Guide p92). pickles and vinegar (p79). Kosher alert! Kosher alert! Courgetti with Pesto Salad http:// Greek Salad www.olivemagazine.com/recipes/courget- http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/12227/ ti-with-pesto-and-balsamic-tomatoes/4361.html greek-salad Kosher Checklist: Kosher Checklist: Pesto - cheese (Beth Din Guide p11 & Cheese (Beth Din Guide p11 & p34), p34), Balsamic vinegar (p102). Olives (p78). Kosher alert! Kosher alert! Pasta Salad Broad Bean Salad http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/140034/ http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3077685/ cheesy-pasta-salad broad-bean-barley-and-mint-salad Kosher Checklist: Kosher Checklist: Pasta (Beth Din Guide p78), cheese (p11, Cheese (Beth Din Guide p11 & p34), Red p34, p105) and ketchup (p83). wine vinegar (p102) and oil (p83). Kosher alert! Kosher alert! Green Bean Salad http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/ recipes/green-beans-tomato-feta Kosher Checklist: Cheese (Beth Din Guide p11 & p34), oil Salad Ideas (p83).