02 Jul Kashruth Questions of the Week

Is there such a thing as a mezonos bagel?

The OU as a matter of policy does not believe that there is such a thing.

Rabbi Belskey zt”l was very sensitive to mezonos bagels and he told us many times that Halachically there is no such thing as a mezonos bagel because A) people still eat it as a meal and B) if it looks like a bagel and tastes like a bagel, it’s a bagel, no matter what juice was used. So we do not certify anything as a mezonos bagel.

Does Pepto Bismol or Alka Seltzer need a hechsher?

When we talk about medicine the rules are as follows: A) If someone is a chole sh’yesh bo sakanah, just take your medicine and don’t ask Shailos. This means that he/she has a chronic condition. This doesn’t mean that they’re in the hospital; they can be walking and talking like the rest of us, but they’re a diabetic, high blood-pressure, cardiac, cancer, etc. patient. B) If it’s not a chronic condition, then the best thing to do is to take a pill that you don’t chew and taste. If it’s not possible, then the chewable is your second best choice. The third best is liquid and it should not be taken unless you’re really sick.