New twist on old flour

First ever yoshon flour storage facility opens

By Tova Ross Issue of August 21, 2009 / 1 Elul 5769 In yet another sign of how important the kosher market segment is becoming, ConAgra Foods, in a joint venture with Kof-K, is designating an entire facility for the production of yoshon flour. For those unfamiliar with the concept of yoshon, it literally means “old,” and refers to grains that took root prior to the first day of Passover. Halacha states that those older grains are the only that may be eaten in the current year. Grains that took root after the second day of the holiday were to be stored until the next year’s grain offering was brought; only then could they be used. Until now, yoshon flour was available only as frozen stock or for bulk purchase and was notoriously difficult to obtain. Observing the halacha of yoshon in the US was a strenuous endeavor, according to  Rabbi Dovid Gorelik, a yoshon expert at the Orthodox Union, “If both cholov yisroel and yoshon products are not readily available in a community, an individual committed to observing both stringencies can afford to eliminate dairy from his diet,” Rabbi Gorelik maintained. “However, grains are a major food component and encompass many products, such as bread, pasta, pizza, and cake. What will this person do for Shabbos challah?” The relative dearth of yoshon products in the US is easy to explain given the intricacies of kashrut law and the effort needed to produce yoshon flour, all for a market that is relatively small. Though no hard numbers exist of how many Jews in the U.S. keep yoshon, it is an acknowledged minority. Coupled with the very real threat of insect infestation, which has the potential to wipe out stockpiled frozen flour, mills could not be guaranteed any significant return on their investments. The new supply of yoshon flour is the brainchild of Rabbi Michoel Brukman of the Kof-K, who decided to make yoshon his cause celebre after witnessing families struggling to keep the halacha. “Families were buying up thirty, forty boxes of yoshon cereal to tide them over the season,” recalled Rabbi Brukman about a recent Pesach in Brooklyn. Rabbi Brukman met with ConAgra officials last November to make the case for the large-scale distributor to devote time and resources towards producing yoshon flour. Met with skepticism, Rabbi Brukman continued with several other projects, and in the midst of a business visit to China, received a call from a ConAgra official giving the go-ahead for the project. In the interim, ConAgra initiated an intensive marketing campaign among kosher consumers to determine whether yoshon products were marketable. Peter Bisaccia, ConAgra’s director of sales, was surprised by the reaction in the Jewish community. “The customers we polled were very receptive to the idea of having fresh yoshon flour more widely available, so the company decided it was a viable option for us to pursue,” he said. “Since we began shipping yoshon flour on august 10, people have been so positive in their response I’m getting a bit nervous we might run out of supplies this year.” Right now, all shipped flour travels to ConAgra’s bulk transfer terminal in the Bronx, but due to the overwhelmingly response, Bisaccia said there are plans to ship flour to ConAgra’s facility in Martins Creek, PA, which it will package the bulk product into 50 lb. bags available for truckload purchase. The sack flour will be available after September 1. Keeping with the strict kashruth laws, ConAgra’s milling and storage plant in Denver will have a kashruth supervisor on-site to ensure the milling and storing the flour is done correctly according to Jewish law. The trucks used for delivering the flour to the Bronx are also regularly checked for cleanliness by another kashrut supervisor, and they are sealed after each cleaning until they reach the purchasing bakeries. As the flour is fresh each week, the question of infestation is severely limited. Rabbi Gorelik believes that this new initiative will have a snowball effect in the Jewish community. “Yoshon is like anything else,” said Rabbi Gorelik. “When it becomes easier, more people are likely to fulfill it.” Related story: The internet goes kosher Other top stories: Tuition or mortgage: choosing public school over homelessness No frills, no problem Editorial: Even Bernie couldn’t do this alone

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