The Passover holiday begins at sundown on Friday, April 3.
“Kosher foods, and especially kosher-for-Passover foods, are prepared with labor-intensive sanitary procedures that lead to more expensive products,” Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. “New Jersey is the state with the second-largest percentage of Jewish residents. Our laws require honesty in the sale of products that are represented as kosher, pareve, or related designations.”
Division of Consumer Affairs Acting Director Steve Lee said, “Other states have pointed to New Jersey’s kosher enforcement as a model because we protect consumers without crossing the church-state divide. We simply require transparency from businesses that offer kosher foods, thereby allowing consumers to make informed decisions.”
Because kosher is a religious designation with standards that differ between congregations, the State of New Jersey does not attempt to define “kosher” by statute or regulation. But New Jersey’s Consumer Fraud Act requires businesses to live up to the promises and representations they make when selling merchandise, including food, to the public.
In addition, New Jersey’s Kosher Food Protection Law and Kosher Food Regulations further protect the kosher-buying public by requiring kosher food sellers to disclose important information to the public. For example:
The Division works year-round to inspect businesses that purport to sell kosher foods, and take enforcement action when necessary.
In June 2014, Wakefern Food Corp. agreed to pay the Division an enhanced penalty of $35,000 for violations related to the use of kosher symbols on more than 1,000 Wakefern Private Label coffee bags at 12 ShopRite supermarkets in New Jersey. Between October 2012 and May 2013, the stores possessed bags that bore the symbol of a kosher certifying authority, without approval from that authority. Wakefern had previously paid a civil penalty in 2009 for violating the same provision with regard to a different brand of coffee bags.
The Division’s Office of Consumer Protection has performed approximately 500 on-site kosher inspections since August 2013. The vast majority of those businesses passed inspection, with 16 receiving warnings or citations for failing to maintain required information. In order to ensure that businesses are fully informed of the law, the Division sent mailings to more than 800 kosher establishments in June and July 2014.
Investigator Mitchell Bomrind, assigned to the Office of Consumer Protection within the Division of Consumer Affairs, leads the Division’s kosher investigation and enforcement efforts.
Information for for Consumers and Kosher Establishments:
Consumers, and establishments that sell kosher foods, can find additional information at the Division of Consumer Affairs’ website:
Consumers who believe they have been cheated or scammed by a business, or suspect any other form of consumer abuse, can file a complaint with the State Division of Consumer Affairs by visiting its website or by calling 1-800-242-5846 (toll free within New Jersey) or 973-504-6200.
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