Lettuce
LettuceIsrael news photo: Flash 90

The Rabbinate’s division for fighting fraud relating to kosher food has discovered a serious incident of fraud involving green leafy vegetables and herbs.

Products are being sold in bags that indicate that they are guaranteed to be bug-free, when in fact they are not. Jewish law (halakha) prohibits bug consumption for Jews.

Jewish law also requires that a tithe (maaser v'truma) be taken from fruits and vegetables grown by Jews in the land of Israel prior to consumption.

The Ilan Shivuk B’Kirur company is accused of having obtained old bags formerly used by the Y. Yevulei Katif Lemehadrin company, which sells guaranteed-kosher leafy vegetables, and using them to package green leafy vegetables from which no tithe was taken, and which may include bugs.

The packaging indicates that the kosher supervisors including Rabbi Efrati and the Jerusalem Rabbinate guarantee that the product is kosher.

Rabbinate workers noted that real Y. Yevulei Katif Lemehadrin products have been sold in a different package for some time. Products in the new packaging, with different certification, are certified kosher as written, while those in the old packaging are not. The old packaging may also contain products that don't match the level.

Below: in top picture, the new packaging, in others, the old.

האריזות המזוייפות
האריזות המזוייפותcredit: הרבנות הראשית לישראל
האריזות המזוייפות
האריזות המזוייפותcredit: הרבנות הראשית לישראל
האריזות המזוייפות
האריזות המזוייפותcredit: הרבנות הראשית לישראל
האריזות המזוייפות
האריזות המזוייפותcredit: הרבנות הראשית לישראל
האריזה החדשה
האריזה החדשהcredit: הרבנות הראשית לישראל