New Mehadrin Kashrus Track to Be Established Across Europe
The Rabbinical Centre of Europe is establishing a dedicated Badatz Mehadrin certification track alongside its longstanding EK kashrus system. The new framework will introduce stricter supervision standards for restaurants, factories and food products, under the guidance of a newly appointed committee of prominent Rabbonim and Dayanim • Read More
A new Mehadrin kashrus track is being established to serve kosher consumers throughout Europe, following a special meeting of the leadership of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe and its EK kashrus division, held in Brussels, Belgium.
The meeting was led by Rabbi Menachem Margolin, chairman of the Rabbinical Centre of Europe, and initiated by the organization’s Director-General, Rabbi Aryeh Goldberg. The participants agreed on a broad initiative to expand the organization’s kashrus operations and strengthen supervision of food products, factories and restaurants throughout the continent.
As part of the initiative, a new Badatz will operate alongside the existing EK certification, under the name Badatz Rabbinical Centre of Europe – EK. The new track is intended for consumers seeking a higher and more stringent standard of kashrus, while the existing EK system will continue serving the wider Jewish public and making kosher products accessible throughout Europe.
The new Badatz kashrus committee will include four rabbis and dayanim: Rabbi Eliezer Lieber Schneebalg, Av Beis Din of Edgware, London, and member of the Council of European Rabbis; Rabbi Yaakov David Schmahl, a dayan of the Shomrei Hadat community in Antwerp and member of the Presidency of European Rabbis; Rabbi Yosef Minsky; and Rabbi Menachem Haddad, Chief Rabbi of Brussels.
New Standards for Restaurants
The meeting also established clear criteria for restaurants seeking certification through the new framework.
A restaurant will be required to appoint a local rabbi who will oversee its ongoing kashrus, serve as the organization’s designated supervisor and sign the kashrus certificate. Before certification is granted, a member of the kashrus committee must conduct an initial inspection to verify that the establishment meets all requirements.
Restaurants that receive approval will initially be issued a temporary certificate for a six-month trial period. During that time, they will be subject to regular, periodic inspection visits to ensure that the required standards are maintained.
Technology for Real-Time Oversight
As part of the expanded system, committee members will use the Smart Kosher platform, developed through a significant investment by the Rabbinical Centre of Europe.
The technology enables ongoing, real-time monitoring of new kashrus applications, ingredient checks and approvals of raw materials from anywhere in the world. A dedicated communication channel has also been established among committee members to facilitate quick responses to halachic questions as they arise.
Members of the kashrus committee emphasized that public confidence in the certification depends on full transparency and clear, reliable responses to consumers and businesses seeking information.
At the conclusion of the meeting, the rabbis expressed their appreciation to Rabbi Yosef Minsky for his many years of work in developing and establishing the EK kashrus system, and wished him continued success.
The kashrus committee is expected to convene regularly to establish policy and address ongoing questions and developments in the field.
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