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Ahead of Pesach, the Vaad Hakashrus of Crown Heights issued the following update as to the availability of meat and poultry under the CHK Hechsher:

We are happy to announce the launch of 770 Glatt, a new brand of quality American beef with the highest standard of Kashrus in the market, which began to appear in Kosher supermarkets and butchers across the United States over the past two weeks.

The 770 brand is produced by Solomons, the premiere producer of Angus beef at their state-of-the-art plant in Nebraska, and under the supervision of CHK, the Kashrus arm of Crown Heights Beis Din. This brand guarantees 100% Lubavitch shechita, with exclusively Lubavitcher shochtim employed under its label. The unique hiddur (stringency) of this plant in general is described in more detail below.

With the newest Shechita this week, packages will also bear the “Garelik” hechsher, founded by Rabbi Gershon Mendel Garelik, Z”L and now continued by his son, Rabbi Yossi Garelik, Rabbi of the Anshei Lubavitch shul of Crown Heights. Rabbi Garelik explained: “The Rebbe directed my father with a very unique hora’ah that he should give hechsherim.  As per my father’s instructions, I’m grateful to be able to continue this directive and am privileged to support the Beis Din and partner with the prestigious hechsher of the CHK.”

Much of the “American Beef” available with the CHK logo in local Crown Heights butcher stores, such as Market Place, Empire Kosher and House of Glatt is now being produced at the Solomons plant. CH Butcher has its own meat supply.

The 770 Glatt brand is now also available pre-packaged at supermarkets across the country for the benefit of the shluchim and members of Anash communities out of New York. If your supermarket does not carry the product, please connect them with the local distributor for your region as listed below.

Consumers should be aware that only the butcher stores in Crown Heights are under the CHK. Local butcher stores in other neighborhoods may be repackaging CHK meat, but the hechsher of the local stores is responsible for ensuring that the meat is in fact from a CHK source. There have unfortunately been incidents in some stores where non CHK meat was repackaged with a CHK. Please check with your local Rov.

The CHK is also thankful to the Fink family and David Elliot Poultry for stepping up with additional supplies of CHK supervised chicken. David Elliot is currently the only poultry brand under the CHK. We are expecting to have news about additional products coming onto the market, including deli meat and poultry products, after Pesach.

CHK supervised meat is also produced by CH Butcher in Crown Heights and by Stonehill Group in South America. (Tevya’s Ranch and other brands).

Unfortunately, efforts to restart the CHK supervision at Agristar were unsuccessful, as the plant was not able to guarantee the full independence of CHK to set their own Kashrus standards. Unfortunately, some packages have been shipped from Agristar with other kashrus labels stuck over the printed CHK mark on the package. Consumers should be careful when purchasing remaining stock of the Shor Habor brand, to make sure that there was not a sticker of another hechsher stuck over the CHK, that had been removed or had fallen off after leaving the plant.

Local distribution of the 770 Glatt meat is available through Springfield distributors and Reb Sholom Minkowitz [email protected]. California distribution is through Western Kosher and Reb Dovid Kagan [email protected].  Chicago area distribution is handled by Sam Wasserman (773) 454-0912. For Texas, Israel Rubinstein (954) 505-4692 and Florida, Chaim Ben Levi (954) 638-3520.

Rabbi Avrohom Leib Greenberg, an independent kashrus consultant who coordinates shechita supervision for the CHK was present at the first Shechita and described the extreme level of hiddur and care at the Solomons plant.

“In our initial visit, the owner of the plant, Fischel Ziegelheim, made it clear that they were willing to accommodate without question whatever requirements the Beis Din may have. Indeed, we made several suggestions that were immediately implemented throughout the plant, which produces meat under the esteemed New Square Hechsher under the guidance of Rabbi Aharon Goldmunzer Shlita, dean of the rabbinical board. Rabbi Goldmunzer is recognized as one of the most reliable kosher supervisions and their meat is highly sought after by people who are meticulous about Kashrus.

On the day of Shechita, the unique availability of two separate inspectors (bodek sakinim) supporting the Shochtim and making sure their knives are perfect at all times, allows a much faster production rate, ensuring that we can have only Lubavitcher shochtim on our production runs. The Rabbonim  (bodkim) who perform the inspection of the animals after shechita are world-renowned for their expertise and for their Yiras Shamayim and expertise. They operate in a uniquely calm environment where they are able to complete their work thoroughly without pressure.

The Solomons plant is unique in that it has a computerized tracking system that ensures that, if an animal is declared to be unfit anywhere in the process, all parts of that animal can be removed from the Kosher line. This system also allows for the most secure labeling of the parts (simanim). The plant is also superior in that the Kosher line is completely separate and is used only for the Kosher meat, without there ever being a need for kashering. Because the plant has a strong market for non-Kosher and non-Glatt meat, there is never a need to compromise or allow through something which is questionable.”

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