04 Jun KASHRUS QUESTIONS & ANSWERS WITH RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT

Can I drink coffee
at a restaurant?
It is not possible to
make one universal
statement about the
kashrus of coffee prepared in a non-certified
restaurant because each establishment
is unique. Investigation has shown that
theoretically, coffee served in a restaurant
may be kosher even if the equipment used to
prepare the coffee is washed in a sink together
with other non-kosher items. However, there
are numerous variables which impact the
halachic status, such as the introduction of
soap, the temperature of the water, the method
of washing (kli rishon versus kli shaini) etc.
Due to the uncertainty and ambiguity of

each situation, as a general rule, the OU does
not recommend the consumption of coffee
prepared in a non-kosher restaurant.
Coffee at Convenience Stores,
Rest Stops, and Kiosks
Can I drink coffee while on the road? In
contrast to the response given regarding coffee
prepared in a non-certified restaurant, it would
be permissible to purchase a cup of coffee from
a convenience store, rest stop or kiosk. This is
due to the fact that the kashrus concerns noted
for the restaurants are not applicable to an
establishment that does not make its own food
or use industrial cleaning devices which tend
to reach very high temperatures.
What is the OU’s Opinion on Dairy
Breads and English Muffins?
Dairy bread was prohibited for consumption
by a Rabbinic injunction enacted over 2000
years ago. The Rabbis feared that since most
bread is parve, a person might mistakenly
eat dairy bread with meat products without
realizing the dairy status of the bread. (Meat
bread is also restricted because it may
accidentally be consumed with dairy items.)
There are two exceptions to this rule:

Dairy bread that has a unique shape is
permissible because the shape will serve
as a reminder that the bread is not parve.
One may bake a small portion of bread
which will be consumed in one meal,
as it is assumed one will remember the
meat status without difficulty.
There are several brands of English
muffins labeled OUD because they
contain dairy ingredients. How does the
OU justify the certification of a dairy
bread item?
At one time it was argued that English
Muffins have a unique shape and
therefore the first leniency applies. While
this explanation may have been true at one
time, the OU no longer considers this valid.
At the present, both dairy and parve English
Muffins are commercially available. As such,
the unique shape of an English Muffin does
not currently alert one to the dairy status.
Others have suggested that a single muffin is
generally eaten in one sitting, and the second
leniency above applies. This reasoning has
been rejected as well because muffins are
typically sold in packages which should be
viewed as one unit. A package of muffins is
certainly more than one serving.

Currently, the primary justification to
certify dairy English Muffins is that the
dairy component is less than one part in
60 which is halachically insignificant (bitul
bishishim). Ordinarily, the OU does not
certify a product that contains a non-kosher
ingredient, even if used in small proportions
because, halachically, we are not permitted to
intentionally nullify a non-kosher entity. (This
is known as bitul issusr lichatchila.) Dairy
English Muffins are not comparable because
the milk component in of itself is permissible,
and when it is mixed in the batter at low levels,
the milk does not attain a prohibited status. As
such, preparation of dairy English Muffins is
justifiable.