Israel - The Proof is in the Product, Not the Label

A product that was labeled as having shrimp but was actually kosher is part of a growing problem in Israel of manufacturers trying to save costs on reprinting labels for exports.

Importers who distribute foods from Europe and the US routinely retain the original label and simply add a sticker with information in Hebrew. This can be problematic since the foods may not be kosher in the host country but made specifically kosher for export.
In the shrimp case, a couple who bought a red curry dish at the Blue Square branch of the Ayalon Mall in Ramat Gan in Israel noticed that the kosher product included shrimp paste on the ingredient list. The packaging of the dish, imported from Thailand by Oriental Food Imports Ltd., noted that the product was Kosher Pareve and certified for use by Badatz.

In fact, according to the importer, the product sold in Israel only includes vegetarian ingredients. Said Oriental: "As part of the research and development process, the company launched an experimental kosher curry dish in 2005. Our curry dishes were produced under the strictest production processes and rabbinate supervision.” The company spokesman added that all the ingredients are indeed vegetarian, and should the company continue marketing the product it promises to change the labels.

Labeling is an issue with many imports but that Israeli consumers “take it for granted that the Hebrew stickers override the foreign language product information.” They promised to further look into the problem.