From the Guide to Chodosh-Y. Herman
Chodosh telephone Hot Line 718-305-5133, email yherman@earthlink.net
General Cautions
Malt Problems: The Guide stated that malt or barley malt is probably Yoshon up to the purchase date of March 15. Therefore, we urge caution on items purchased after March 15. (Note that the Guide lists some hashgochos that do not check for the Yoshon status of malt in products under their hashgocho. This is based on their estimate that malt is likely to be Yoshon until pesach of each year. Also note that we have been told by some poskim that malt in baking flour is not a problem of Chodosh. The problem is only in other products such as cereals, candies, etc.)
Items produced out of the USA.
The general guidelines mentioned in the Guide to Chodosh apply only to products manufactured in the USA or other specified countries. They do not necessarily apply to items produced elsewhere such as China. Examples are that winter wheat and spelt are always Yoshon, or the general cutoff dates given in the Guide may not be applicable in these other counties.
Caution on hashgochos:
Some companies produce many items that are Yoshon. Also, many mashgichim provide hashgocho for many items that are Yoshon. That does not mean that ALL items from that company or mashgiach are Yoshon.
Section 4.1 Cakes, cookies and crackers
Kemach oatmeal cookies have a Chodosh code of 12 10 14.
Schwartz’s cookies are NOT certified Yoshon and are not recommended as Yoshon by the Guide.
Gedilla Crackers and Cookies have a Chodosh code of August 18, 2013, 081813 or 3230 (3=year, 230=day of the year) depending on the specific product.
Section 5.1 Noodles and Pasta
Gefen noodle and pasta products are Yoshon under the hashgocho of the O-U only for those packages where there is both an O-U hashgocho and a Yoshon label on the package. So far as we know, the Yoshon status of the other products, which do not have the O-U and are claimed to be Yoshon, have been checked only by the company and not by an outside hashgocho authority.
Kemach pasta. The Chodosh dates given in the Guide only apply if there is no Yoshon label on the package. If there is a Yoshon label, then the items are Yoshon even after the cutoff date in the Guide.
Weinstock Noodles and Pasta are Yoshon with a Yoshon label only, under the Hashgocho of Rabbi Yishai Lieberman.
Section 6.1 All-purpose white flour
Kansas Diamond Flour: White and whole wheat have a Chodosh code of 3230 (3=year, 230=day of year).
Section 6.3 High gluten or bread flour
Gold Medal Flour: Gold Medal Better for Bread Flour in 5 pound bags sold in groceries, with the letters “KC” next to the date printed on the package, is from winter wheat.
Section 8.1 Beakfast Cereals
General Mills cereals including all Cheerios, made in the USA under the O-U hashgocho, all wheat ingredients are Yoshon, with the possible exception of WHEAT GERM. The Chodosh package date for items containing wheat germ in the ingredients is Aug 18, package date of Aug 25 14. For items that do not contain wheat germ, but do contain oats or barley (grain not barley malt) the Chodosh packing date is Sept 18, package date of Sept 25 14. In particular, the O-U has singled out that this Chodosh date applies to the following: Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Multigrain Cheerios (even though this contains barley grain), Honey Nut Cheerios, and Fiber One.
Kemach Cereals: All cereals containing oats have a Chodosh Code of October 1, 2014 such as Toasted Oats, Honey Nut Toasted Oats, Bunch O’ Krunch, Honey Crunch, Fruit Whirls, and Corn Crisp. Please note that Toasted Oats and Honey Nut Toasted Oats have the same Chodosh date. Sugar Puffed Wheat has a code of November 17 2014. Malt in Kemach cereals: The malt in any cereal with a date on the box of November 2014 or earlier is definitely Yoshon. Malt in cereals with dates in December 2014 may be a miut (minority) Chodosh. Any items dated January 1 2015 or later have malt that is probably all Chodosh. Please consult your own posek about how to treat cereal with a December date. (Malt is used as a sweetening agent.)
Norman yoghurts with granola or other cereals added cannot be recommended as Yoshon. The dating codes on the packages refer to the date that the yoghurt is made. The granola may be Chodosh.
Paskesz Cereals. Cereals marked Yoshon on the box are Yoshon under the Hashgocho of Rabbi Binyomin Gruber. If the box is not marked Yoshon the cereals may be Chodosh.
Quaker oats packed on Aug 21 or later may be Chodosh. The table on page 38 has an error. Oats and 540 days should have a package Chodosh date of Feb 12 ‘15. In addition, the wheat date in that table for 540 days should be Feb 9 ’15.
Section 9.1 Frozen and other packaged products
Wholly and Wholesome pie shells (sold in Israel and England) are Yoshon under the O-U, with a Yoshon label only.
Section 9.6 Baby Food
Beechnut Baby Food clarification: Look at the first 4 digits on the box or jar. For oats the code is 3901 (3=2013, 9=Sept, and 01= day of month.) Wheat and barley have a code of 3818. The month is represented by the second digit where January is 1, February is 2,… September is 9, October is a capital O, November is Y and December is Z.
Section 9.3 Soups and Soup Mixes
Liebers soups in cups the Chodosh code should be 19013 not 18913.
Section 9.5.1 Beer
The guidelines in the Guide to Chodosh and the dates only apply to conventional beer made from barley malt. Some beers that are made from wheat or other possibly Chodosh grains may have an earlier Chodosh date.
Section 9.7 Candies
Darell Lee licorice made in Australia. The Chodosh date is Oct 1 14 (1 year after packing).
Section 12.1.3 Retail bakeries, New York City
Weiss Bakery in Brooklyn is listed in the “aleph” section of the Guide, but it was left out of the index at the end of the Guide.
Section 12.1.7 Riverdale
Grandma’s Pizza. Muffins are not Yoshon. Other items are the same.
Section 12.4 New Jersey-Lakewood
Lakewood Shoprite Kosher Experience there is no Yoshon supervision at this location by the O-U.
Section 13.1 Baltimore
Goldberg’s New York Kosher Bagels has two locations. The store in Pikesville has many Yoshon items under the Star-K. The store in Timonium is NOT Yoshon.
Section 15.5 Australia
The wheat in Australia is planted after pesach from May to June of each year. The harvest of the wheat is in the October-December period. Therefore wheat products produced in Australia from October to pesach may be Chodosh.