It technically meets all the criteria for kashruth certification, but Impossible Foods' new "Impossible Pork" product will not be labeled kosher, JTA reported this week.
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The company's meatless pork substitute is made from plant-based ingredients such as coconut oil, sunflower oil, and soy protein. The resulting quasi-pork product does not include hormones or antibiotics, and is advertised as being low in cholesterol.
The US Orthodox Union, however, has withheld kosher certification – not because the product is not kosher, explained OU head Rabbi Menachem Genack, but because of the need to take "consumer sensitivities" into account."
According to Genack, observant Jewish customers would find it "difficult" to accept even a meatless "pork" product being labeled kosher.
"We're still getting calls about a previous attempt to certify a meat similar to bacon. Customers simply don't accept it, and are uncomfortable with it," the rabbi explained.
Genack pointed out that the OU's decision did not pertain to all offerings from Impossible Foods, and had certified the company's version of a hamburger, which was a commercial success.
Impossible Foods said it planned to market the new product, with or without a stamp of kashruth.
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