Malmo, Sweden
Malmo, SwedeniStock

The Jewish community in Malmo, Sweden, which numbers roughly 500, is facing a shortage of kosher meat during the holidays, following a visit by health ministry officials at a local shop.

During a routine check by the health ministry, it was discovered that the shop's kosher food section mislabeled administrative information to import food.

Health ministry officials ordered that all of the food in the section be removed from the shelves until authorization is obtained. The order has made it difficult for local Jews to obtain kosher meat, since kosher shechita (slaughter) is forbidden in Sweden by law, a law which was passed during the period of Nazi legislation in the 1930s.

Rabbi Moshe David Hacohen, the rabbi of the Jewish community in the city, said that since the closure order, the community has been in close contact with local authorities.