The Torah defines three classifications of forbidden insects: flying insects, water-based insects, and land-based insects. All flying insects are forbidden (except for certain communities which have a Mesorah/tradition as to which grasshoppers are permitted), but water-based and land-based insects are only forbidden if they meet certain criteria. Water-based insects are only forbidden if they were either (a) born in a lake or river, or (b) born in a “container” and left that container. This theoretical leniency to allow the eating of certain water-based insects, became more well known when some Rabbis suggested that it might be the reason why it is permitted to consume copepods founds in New York City drinking water. [A full discussion on the copepod question is well beyond our scope.]
On a more practical level, there are insects found in the “water” which are permitted, and those are the Anisakis worms commonly found in certain fish. These worms can be 3-4 inches long, are commonly coiled up in the fish’s flesh, and can easily be detected by placing a fillet onto a light box. [If you’ve never been shown how to find them, ask Rabbi Eisenbach or Rabbi Katz for a demonstration.] Although there are Poskim in Eretz Yisroel and the United States who forbid the consumption of those worms, the cRc and most American hashgachos follow the simple reading of the Gemara and Shulchan Aruch which permit those worms as long as they remain in the fish-flesh.
The most common insects which we deal with are the land-based ones, and for those the rule is that they are only forbidden if they were either born on a plant that was still attached to the ground or (were born on food that is unattached to the ground but) left their original habitat. The thrips, aphids, flies, and other insects which are commonly found in lettuce, and other vegetables, are assumed to have been born while the vegetable was attached to the ground, and therefore they are all forbidden, but as we will see in a coming post, there are exceptions.
The Drosophila fly which is sometimes found in raisins, is born after the grape is detached from the ground. That is to say that the female Drosophila lays its eggs in grapes that are (broken open and) drying out on the ground (i.e., off the vine), and eventually those eggs hatch into small Drosophila. Since these insects were born when the fruit was not attached to the ground, the Taz tells us that the raisins may be eaten even if they may be infested. Flour, beans, and barley are another type of food where the infestation we typically see, occurs after the grains are cut from the ground. In this case, the insects are forbidden, because we assume that they have crawled out of their original habitat (onto other grains or onto the inside of the bag).
A forbidden insect which dries out for 12 months becomes permitted because it is “like dirt”. It is generally accepted that the same leniency applies if an insect is mechanically dried out in an oven. In fact, that is exactly how most (dried) herbs and spices are created; the herbs are laid on a tray and pass through an oven until they are sufficiently dried out. As a result, any insects which are on the herbs are no longer forbidden, and this is why there is no halachic concern of “infestation” in dried herbs. The same is also true of freeze-dried herbs; the freeze-drying process dries out any insects and therefore one may use those herbs without concern for infestation. [That said, all freeze-dried products (other than coffee) require hashgachah because the freeze-drying equipment might also be used for shrimp and other non-kosher items.] In contrast to dried and freeze-dried herbs, fresh and frozen herbs are often infested and they must be checked and/or cleaned before use.
Cochineal insects (a type of small beetle) are dried and then ground to produce the red, orange, and purple carmine dyes. Some suggest that since the carmine is made from dried insects it is permitted, but it is generally accepted that they remain forbidden because these dried-out insects retain the properties of the original insect in a way that most dried-out insects do not. [Shellac is also made from the excretion of an insect (Kerria lacca); most American hashgachos consider shellac to be kosher based to a great extent on the more lenient halachos which apply to an insect-excretion as opposed to carmine which is made by crushing the actual insect.]
The Torah only forbids insects which visible to the naked eye. There is debate as to how to define “visible” and (accordingly) what type of training is appropriate for people who will be checking vegetables. This week’s posts on that topic are based on extensive conversations with the cRc Beis Din, and the ones presented as questions and answers are direct quotes from their decisions on the matter.
The sizes of small insects can be divided into 5 classes, of which two are forbidden and the other three are permitted. The forbidden ones include [1] those which anyone can identify (i.e., recognize as a living organism as opposed to being an unidentifiable spec), and [2] those which are only identifiable after one has seen that same species alive. These two classes include small ants, adult aphids, and just about any insect which is currently moving. These are the insects which we attempt to find and remove when inspecting vegetables.
The three classes of insects which are so small that they are permitted, are [3] those which are not recognizable to average people, and can only be identified (with the naked eye) by people who been previously trained using magnification, [4] ones which are visible with the naked eye, but are not recognizable as being “insects” without magnification, and [5] those where one cannot even see an individual organism unless it is magnified. Classes #3-4 includes baby aphids, citrus scale, and certain other very small insects, and Class #5 includes acetobacter found in vinegar, and the yeast microorganism. These three classes of insects are permitted, and there is no need to remove them before eating vegetables.
As noted, cRc permits insects which are in Class #3-4, but others forbid insects of that size. This is the reason why, for example, cRc permits strawberries after (cutting off the green part and) gently rubbing them while rinsing under a strong stream of water, but other require a more vigorous washing with soapy water. The cRc’s method is sufficient to remove the insects which are in Classes #1-2, while others who even forbid insects in Classes #3-4 require more aggressive means to remove those very tiny insects. This difference of opinion as to which insects are forbidden, is also the basis for other vegetables where the cRc’s recommendations differ from that of certain other agencies.
Whose vision is used in determining whether an insect is visible? Should we base this on people with the greatest, average, or weakest eyesight?
Average
A person requires glasses in order to restore his eyesight to the standard 20/20. Is he allowed, required, or forbidden from wearing those glasses when checking vegetables for infestation?
Required to use or not use glasses, whichever makes him see better
How much training, if any, is required before a person is qualified to check vegetables for infestation?
As much time as it takes to (a) provide the trainee with experience seeing living examples of the common insects (thrips, aphids, spiders, flies) so that he will then recognize other insects even when they are no longer alive, (b) teach commonly accepted checking procedures (e.g. the “shmattah” method), and (c) familiarize the trainee with a wide range of vegetables used and which method is appropriate for each.
Is there some level or type of training which should be avoided because it causes the trainee to develop above-average eyesight? If yes, how can one identify the correct level of training without “overdoing” it?
No loops or magnification should be used in training
An insect that was once identifiable was subsequently crushed or killed such that it is no longer identifiable. Is that insect permitted or forbidden?
Permitted
What type of lighting should be present in a room where one performs vegetable inspection?
Strong lighting
The method of checking which we recommend for most lettuces and herbs, involves three steps: [A] wash, [B] inspect, and [C] check. [A] Wash – Separate vegetables into individual leaves by removing them from the head or untying the bunches. Place ambient temperature water and vegetable wash into a clear bowl at a ratio of approximately 1-ounce vegetable wash (or dishwashing detergent equivalent to the size of a nickel) per gallon of water. The bowl should not be completely filled with water. Place vegetables into the water and agitate for 30-60 seconds, after which the vegetables should be removed from the water and put on the side, leaving the relatively clear water in the original bowl. [Continued in coming post].
[Continued from previous post]. [B] Inspect – Pour wash-water through a very fine-mesh cloth (a.k.a. shmattah), and place the cloth over a light box. [Cloths and light-boxes are available from the cRc office.] Carefully inspect the residue found on the cloth for any insects. [C] Check – Make a visual inspection of an appropriate sample of vegetables, looking for insects. The sample size should be 3-5 large leaves per head or 8-10 sprigs of herbs per bunch. If any insects are found in Step B or Step C, redo the procedure starting with Step A until no insects are found.
Strawberries, celery, and leek are washed and checked in a similar manner. First remove (and discard) the areas which are most prone to infestation: for strawberries, this means you should cut off the green leafy top, and for celery remove the leafy portions. The celery and leek should also be separated into individual stalks. Then, hold the produce under a stream of flowing water and clean thoroughly. Lastly, visually check all surfaces to be sure they are free of insects.
The following fruits and vegetables can be used without any inspection or washing. [Of course, if one notices some sign of rotting or infestation, they should investigate further.] Alfalfa sprouts, barley, bean sprouts, beans, beet, blueberry, broccoli slaw, bagged, carrot, corn on the cob, cucumber, fig, flour, garlic clove, grains, kohlrabi, nuts, okra, onion, parsnip, peas, pepper, potato, pumpkin, radish, raisin, rice, rutabaga, shallot, squash, tomato, turnip, and zucchini.
It is impractical to practically wash and/or inspect artichoke hearts, blackberries, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and raspberries, and therefore those items are not recommended unless they are available with a reliable hashgachah. There are specialized methods of checking or inspecting asparagus, cauliflower, Portobello mushrooms, scallions, and certain other items; those are beyond the scope of these posts, and anyone wishing to use them should be in contact with Rabbi Eisenbach or Rabbi Katz.
Washing and checking vegetables on Shabbos raises a number of halachic questions. Although, under certain circumstances, there may be halachic justification for checking, as a matter of policy all vegetables must be washed, checked, and ready to serve before Shabbos.