New Kosher Hechsher?

[jaknny]

I saw what appeared to be a kosher hechsher on America's Choice canned fruit cocktail. I'm not sure if that is what it was but it kind of looked like a funky three lined k and o. Any ideas?

[ferret]

Are you sure it's not the Canadian COR mark? Thy usually have numbers to designate the processor.

[ferret]

Here's a listing of most North American symbols. The COR symbol usually appears with numbers.

http://www.beth-tzedec.org/kosher_sym...

[MartyB]

Check this out as well.

http://www.kosherquest.org/symbols.php

[vallevin]

I am fairly certain you are referring to Sephardic-K out of California, I cannot find an image online, but it is a very stylized "k" with 3 vertical lines forming one part of the "k" and then what looks like a backwards 9, also made of 3 lines forming the other part of the 'k'.

Not new, here is the contact info.

Kelemer and Associates
PO Box 5348
Beverly Hills CA 90209
Rabbi I. Yisroel Kelemer

[latke]

It's not new, as Vallevin mentioned, but I would like to advise you that this product likely contains carmine: A purplish-red pigment, made from dye obtained from the cochineal beetle, which according to most ashkenazim is not acceptable. I am not commenting on the reliability of this hechsher, just advising you on the likelihood of the product containing carmine.

[ganeden]

I think most orthodox Jews, even Sephardim, would not accept carmine. Interesting article about the rabbi, http://www.jewishjournal.com/communit... . Traditional, maybe not orthodox.

[zsero]

From the article, certainly not orthodox. If he uses a microphone on Shabbos, as the article implies, his testimony that something is kosher is not valid, carmine or no carmine.

[jdh11]

Looks like you are right and it is Kelemer and Associates. See an example of their certification letter:
http://images.fsenablers.com/Kosher/1...

This symbol must have been spun off from KOAOA. This certification does allow carmine and cochineal extract as kosher, so if you do not consider those items as kosher you should check the ingredient labels of any products with their kosher symbol.

[jdh11]

I believe it was a spinoff of the half-moon K (Kosher Overseers Associates of America) that followed a standard that allowed "cochineal extract" and/or "carmine" as kosher. Believe it or not, there are legitimate orthodox opinions (Rav Ovadia Yosef, Rabbi Abadi among others), that allow these items as kosher, although it is a minority opinion. Cochineal and Carmine are a red coloring that are from dried insects. You can see the symbol in question at
http://www.kashrusmagazine.com/ksg/Ol... and select California. It's the one just above KSA. I saw it also on a fruit cocktail package just the other day in Walmart. The version I saw at walmart did not have the hebrew writing or the circle around the K but it was the same K with the three lines you described.

[jaknny]

Thank you very much. It is the symbol of Rabbi Kelemer. I always thought that Del Monte fruit cocktail wasn't kosher because of the grapes but I guess it was the cherries after all. Thank you everybody.