An inside video look at the Streit's matzo factory.
Banned by the Vaads of Queens and the 5 Towns because the supervision – Rabbi Ahron Soleveitchik's son Rabbi Moshe Soleveitchik – is not a "national" hashgacha, kosher supervision.
I can also confirm that Streit's, the last family-owned and operated matza factory in America, was listed as "not under national hashgacha" by Minnesota Kosher in its Passover guide. I'm told this was done by one individual acting without wider permission. Speculation is this individual got his information from friends in the NYC area. The reason given when asked is that "national hashgachos don't accept Streit's." But this is both clearly false and defamatory.
Streit's can and should take these irresponsible rabbis to beit din, religious court. The problem is finding a truly impartial beit din with no financial or other ties to big kashrut – something very difficult to do.
It could also get a heter, rabbinical permission, to sue in secular court, and should consider this option, as well.
(Most likely Streit's will simply knuckle under and get a "national" hashgacha added to its products – or replace Rabbi Soleveitchik entirely. This would be a shame for many reasons, not the least of which is that Moshe Soleveitchik is a very nice man and doesn't deserve to be treated this way.)
But here is what I suggest we do.
Buy some Streit's matza, even if you don't eat machine matza on Passover. Buy it now anyway, and make a point of telling store managers that you like the Streit's brand and hope they keep carrying it, both for Passover and year round. Do this and get your friends and family to do it, as well.
Please don't let the kosher mafia win this one.
[Hat Tip: FGBA.]