Bug off!!

Posted by Y.O. contributor, Chief of Staff:cRc Web:

Now it's official! As per the cRc, The Star K has officially removed it's Kashruth Certification from ALL varieties of Romaine, spring mix and baby spinach of Fresh Express, Dole, River Ranch and Taylor Farms, MD. This is do to the large amounts of bugs that have been found in the "Bug - Free" packages of vegetables.

Yated on-line:

This call, signed by some 30 rabbonim in America (Click here to view letter) including many who are very involved in kashrus matters, applies to pre- washed vegetables prepared and sold in America, and not to Israeli washed and hothouse vegetables grown with special precautions.
It says that insects have been found consistently green leafy vegetables, even those with kashrus supervision including pre- washed romaine lettuce, romaine hearts and romaine mixes, for example, European, Italian, and greener selection; and fresh leafy salads, including spring mix and baby spinach — of all companies, even those packaged and sealed with hechsherim by individual rabbis or kashrus organizations, WITHOUT EXCEPTION. Therefore such vegetables should not be eaten or served without each leaf being individually checked.
This does not apply to pre-washed iceberg lettuce and cabbage.
It also does not apply to vegetables grown in special greenhouses with a quality hechsher and the guidance of expert rabbonim.

In a related item:

In this short note issued last week (Click here) , HaRav Moshe Vaye, noted insect expert, said that he personally visited many vegetable washing plants in America and he found that the methods used are not effective in removing all the bugs from romaine lettuce, spinach, parsley and the like — and therefore they should not be eaten. He stressed to Yated that this does not apply to Israeli vegetables grown in special conditions. He also told Yated that proper washing can be effective for cabbage and iceberg lettuce.

Is Bodek next??