The complicated issue of kashrut certification for restaurants and food vendors in Israel, has prompted the government to spearhead an initiative to set up a new government entity to issue kashrut certification - a certification meant to assure patrons the food is compliant with Jewish dietary laws.
Traditionally, the certification has been the purview of kashrut inspectors who are paid directly by business owners to provide paperwork confirming that all their food and food preparation methods are kosher. The government hopes that by bringing the system of inspection under its wing, crises such as allegations of corruption or strikes by inspectors can be avoided.
Israel Hayom reported last week that the Chief Rabbinate Council had approved a provision that would address the inherent conflict of interest resulting from the fact that inspectors are paid by the businesses under inspection.
Deputy Defense Minister Eli Ben-Dahan says that a model similar to what the government is proposing has already been successfully tested in the city of Petach Tikva, east of Tel Aviv, which is home to a large Orthodox population.
Ben-Dahan's proposal, which will soon be presented to the cabinet, calls on the relevant ministries – particularly the Religious Services Ministry – to work together with the Chief Rabbinate to devise a number of options to separate owners of restaurants, cafes, pubs, and supermarkets from the inspectors by ensuring that the inspectors are employed directly by their local kashrut supervisory bodies or a municipal kashrut certification entity.
However, it appears that it might be more practical for the government to establish a non-profit entity for kashrut certification that would hire and pay the inspectors and provide oversight on their work.
Business owners seeking a kashrut certificate would pay a fee to the new company. The new system is expected to reduce the cost of kashrut certification for business owners.
"The religious services minister and the Chief Rabbinate must be given 60 days to come up with a draft bill to establish the new kashrut certification adopted by the Chief Rabbinate Council," wrote Ben-Dahan in his proposal.
"The various government ministries must be instructed to examine ways of reducing the effect on kashrut supervisors' employment," the proposal states.
