The Kashrut Department of Israel’s haredi-controlled
state-funded-and-sanctioned Chief Rabbinate announced new regulations
governing the shape of bourekas, a filled pastry sold across the country
to all different ethnic and religious groups.
Rabbis Bar-Giora, left, and Sabag, right, carefully examine the shapes of baked goods in February
Chief Rabbis Mandate Pastry Shapes
Shmarya Rosenberg • FailedMessiah.com
The plan was leaked in February and the new regulations were formally announced earlier this week.
The Kashrut Department of Israel’s haredi-controlled state-funded-and-sanctioned Chief Rabbinate announced new regulations governing the shape of bourekas, a filled pastry sold across the country to all different ethnic and religious groups, Ha’aretz reported.
The new regulations mandate what shapes of these pastries will indicate dairy pastries and what shapes will indicate parve.
Bakers who don't follow the new rules after they take effect on August 7 will lose their kosher certification.
Bakeries were already required to bake parve bourekas in square shapes and dairy bourekas in triangles.
Under the new rules, bakers will need to bake parve bourekas made with filo pastry in a triangle or spiral shape.
Filo bourekas with dairy filling will have to be circular or finger-shaped.
Parve croissants and rugelach rectangular. Dairy versions will have to be shaped like a crescent.
The Chief Rabbinate said it decided to expand the pastry shape regulations after receiving a large number of complaints from Israelis claiming that they had mistaken dairy pastries for parve pastries and eaten them at a meat meal or immediately after one.
Commercial bakeries were originally opposed to the Chief Rabbinate's new proposed shape regulations because of the cost of replacing pans and modifying ovens.
However, Ha'aretz reports that most commercial bakeries have signed on to the new regulations anyway.
Related Post: Israel’s Haredi-Controlled Chief Rabbinate Wants To Regulate Shape And Size Of Baked Goods.