The Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv has begun to issue kashrut certificates
to restaurants with QR codes printed on them. Smartphone users can scan
the QR code to determine whether the restaurant complies with the
level of kosher observance they want.
Updated 12:26 am CDT 5-5-2013
Tel Aviv Rabbis Issue Smart Phone App And QR Codes To Check Restaurants’ Kosher Status
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv has begun to issue kashrut certificates to restaurants with QR codes printed on them. Smartphone users can scan the QR code to determine whether the restaurant complies with the level of kosher observance they want.
According to Ha’aretz, the scans will show the restaurant’s name and address, if it is regular kosher or the more strict mehadrin (glatt), and the meat, dairy or parve status of the restaurant, along with the date the kashrut certificate was granted and when it expires. It will also display a phone number of the restaurant’s rav hamachshir or mashgiach (kashrut supervisor).
The Chief Rabbinate of Tel Aviv has also released an app for consumers to use to read the scans called Bodek Kashrut.
Correction: The original version of this post identified the codes as "bar codes." In fact, they are "QR codes." The post has been edited to reflect this fact.