עברית
Halachot and Customs
What is the hechsher - a circle with the letter u inside it and is it permissible to eat it?
Question
Hello, esteemed Rabbi, I purchased a dairy cereal snack that is marked kosher with a u inside a circle, and endorsed by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. I wanted to know what this symbol means, does it really count as kosher? And is it permissible to eat? Thank you and happy holiday!
Answer
Hello and greetings,
O.U. is an American kosher certification that is equivalent to regular kosher certification here and does not indicate Mehadrin kashrut. For example, a dairy snack certified by the O.U. that does not indicate it is "Chalav Yisrael" means it is likely Chalav Akum.
You can contact the O.U. offices in the U.S. to get information about any of their products and whether they are just regular kosher or Mehadrin kosher.
Best regards,
Benjamin Shmueli
