1 February 2005 (Tuesday)
say what?
Two interesting articles from today's New York Times Science section. First, we apparently are studying a language in its infancy: a sign language developed by an isolated Beduoin clan. The members of the clan are all descendants of one couple (about sesventy years back, if I'm reading this correctly) who had five children, two of whom were deaf. Intermarriage and cultural cross-pollination will probably spell destruction for this language, but its fascinating nonetheless.
The other article that caught my eye was headlined: Cough Syrup Receives Kosher Seal of Approval. The following quoates are from that article:
All eight varieties of the liquid decongestant for children now bear the Orthodox Union's trademark label - the initial U inside an O - making Triaminic the first over-the-counter medicine to be certified as kosher.
Oh, so my Lactaid, which is also certified by the OU, doesn't count? And before you make the distinction between an OTC medicine and a "supplement," allow me to point at that Maalox (liquid antacid) is discussed at another point in the article, and the contextual implication there is that it is also an OTC medicine. If someone can explain the medicine/supplement distinction there, I would greatly appreciate it.
...an array of kosher-certified supplements has been on the market for several years through Freeda Vitamins, a kosher purveyor based in New York, and the national VitaminShoppe chain, which has a large vegetarian clientele. But an over-the-counter medicine that is kosher certified is entirely new, Rabbi Safran and others said.
Hmph. Maybe the reporter should have done slightly better research...or am I to believe that those Kof-K Solgar vitamins sitting in my bathroom are treif? I thought journalistic integrity required some measure of due diligence in background research. See also discussion regarding Lactaid, supra (pointing out that Lactaid, which is either an OTC medicine or a supplement available from a source other than Freeda or VitaminShoppe, is currently certified as kosher).
The flavorings used to make liquid medicine more pleasant tasting also complicate matters because, in the eyes of Orthodox rabbis, they make medicinal products more like food. So kosher law applies, and any ingredient bearing animal derivatives renders a product unacceptable.
Back to the Lactaid...it's dairy. OU-D. It and many, many other supplemetns and medications contain lactose derivatives. Lactose comes from milk. Milk comes from cows. I expect that the vegans and dairy-allergic among us who choose to rely on kosher certification in their quest to avoid milk derivatives are well-educated enough to know this. Still, that is no excuse for promulgating misinformation about what kashrut is in the first place!
I would write a letter to the editor (it appears that I almost already have), but I don't have the energy to edit this down appropriately.
I could never shake the feeling that lactaid was a medication and thus should not be taken on Shabbos. But everyone I asked insisted it was in the food, not medicine, category. Of course none of the people I asked were actual poskim :) , but I'm wondering if the distinction came from the rabbi quoted, rather than the reporter.
As for "animal derivatives" automatically rendering something treif, that would be false even if it only referred to meat, right? Because, obviously, meat derivatives ARE kosher if the animal they came from was. Yoy.
No, please do! It'll take less energy than it would take someone else to first write from scrath what you've written already...
My letter was never posted (to the best of my knowledge). Here is what I submitted:
-=-
To the Editor:
Yesterday's article regarding OU certification of Triaminic cough syrup—which stated that this is the first over-the-counter medication to be certified kosher, and implied that the only sources of kosher vitamins and supplements are Freeda and VitaminShoppe— contained several inaccuracies. Lactaid brand lactase tablets, which could be classified as either supplements or over-the-counter medication, are currently certified by the OU as kosher and are widely available in drugstores. Furthermore, many Solgar vitamins, which are also available in a variety of stores, are certified by the Kof-K, another widely recognized kashrut agency.
Finally, the article repeats the misconception that kosher products are free of animal products and are therefore acceptable for vegans or people with severe milk allergies. Lactaid, which is kosher, contains milk derivatives and is classified as "dairy." Other animal derivatives (including those from eggs or fish), and products containing them, could also potentially be kosher.
Sincerely, etc.
oh my, at first i was going to say how wrong you were. then i actually clicked on the nyt link. i researched nsl... as in nicaraguan sign language... and that afaik was the big "genesis of a sl"... please go see prof ann senghas here. hmm. cool. now to find the full article as it's been archived from nyt. thanks shanna!
