Email From Kuwait: Is Snapple Kosher?
 
4/5/03 - Captain Goldstrom has asked about Snapple juices produced in the United States but with Arabic labels (not kosher).
 

An extraordinary email conversation has been taking place between a US Army Chaplain in Kuwait -- an Orthodox Rabbi holding the rank of Captain -- and a kosher specialist in New York, on defining what foods being made available to servicemen serving in operation Iraq Freedom are deemed kosher.

Rabbi (Captain) David Goldstrom, of the III Corps 4th Infantry Division, based in Fort Hood, Texas, needed information on a variety of foods being provided to the armed forces serving in Iraq and neighboring countries.

Captain Goldstrom directed his messages to Rabbi Yosef Grossman, a New York Rabbi experienced in matters of kosher certification.

Just as non-kosher troops receive MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat), those who keep kosher eat My Own Meals, which have certification from a rabbi in Chicago. Nevertheless, the military is attempting to supplement the soldiers’ diet with food obtained from the United States, Europe and local vendors. These items do not have a kosher hechsher (or certification), resulting in the chaplain’s questions.

Captain Goldstrom has asked about Snapple juices produced in the United States but with Arabic labels (not kosher); milk in cardboard containers produced in Kuwait (not kosher because of the possibility of camel’s milk being added); fruit juices from concentrate produced in the Gulf States and packaged in small cardboard box containers (some are kosher, some aren’t); Kelloggs’ cereals from Germany (kosher) and Lays potato chips produced and packaged in the Middle East (still being investigated), among other products.

The exchange of messages moved Captain Goldstrom to write, “I have always appreciated how much expertise you and others in the Kosher industry must have in order to deal with modern food production methods, but now as I wrestle with being in the Gulf under wartime conditions, I really appreciate it.”