New York - Kosher Establishments Ignore State Disclosure Laws

New York - Kosher establishments are largely ignoring the requirement of the New York State Kosher Law Protection Act of 2004 to post their kosher certification, leading an official of the New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets, Division of Kosher Law Enforcement to promise increased enforcement in the coming days.  

The law requires food establishments, restaurants and caterers that sell kosher food to file the information on their kosher certifier and to post a “Kosher Certification Form in their establishment in a location readily visible to consumers.” However, some spot checks of several such establishments revealed that the forms were not being posted and in one case the information was outdated as the certification had changed months ago.  

Rabbi Luzer Weiss, who heads the kosher law enforcement agency, promised stepped up enforcement, which could lead to stiff fines. Rabbi Weiss said that his inspectors would be instructed to issue fines for non-compliance.  
Rabbi Weiss and others are particularly sensitive to the non-compliance in the aftermath of the Monsey scandal where a prominent Orthodox butcher was found to sell non-kosher poultry. “The state law enables consumers to find out who the certifying rabbi is at point of purchase,” said Rabbi Weiss.