ConAgra Faces Lawsuit Alleging ‘Hebrew National’ Hot Dogs Aren’t Kosher
- Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:03pm by
Erica Ritz
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(Photo: Hebrew National)
A lawsuit has been filed against ConAgra Foods Inc by customers who claim the company’s products — particularly the hot dogs — aren’t kosher as labeled.
The customers contend that the meat processing procedures don’t meet the necessary requirements to label food kosher and thereby violate the religious sensibilities of unwitting customers and thus unjustifiably charge premium prices for the meat.
“Hebrew National products are not made from 100% kosher beef as defined by the most stringent Jews who follow Orthodox Jewish Law,” the lawsuit reportedly reads. “The food processing plants which Defendant purchases their meat from, including those in Dakota County Minnesota, fail to adhere to the kosher standards in numerous respects.”
Reuters has more information:
According to the complaint, Omaha, Nebraska-based ConAgra marks Hebrew National packages with a “Triangle K” symbol, and represents that the contents are kosher “as defined by the most stringent Jews who follow Orthodox Jewish law.”
But the plaintiffs said in the complaint that AER supervisors “did little or nothing” to address employee complaints that the meat processed for ConAgra was non-kosher. They also said Skokie, Illinois-based AER fired or threatened retaliation against those who complained.
ConAgra has long used the phrase “we answer to a higher authority” to assure customers of the quality of its Hebrew National products, Reuters continues, and while reports do not indicate how much the company is being sued for, it is clear that the plaintiffs want an injunction against further mislabeling, if the claims turn out to be accurate.
(Photo: Hebrew National)
On top of that, they also seek class-action status for U.S. purchasers of Hebrew National products over the last four years, claiming the company has been negligent, and in violation of state consumer fraud laws.
“How does a consumer who thinks he is buying kosher meat really know he is buying kosher meat? It’s a very, very difficult thing for a consumer to detect, unless someone investigates,” Hart Robinovitch, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, explained.
Other ConAgra products like Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Peter Pan and Reddi-wip and are not part of the lawsuit, and a ConAgra spokeswoman commented: “While we can’t comment on pending litigation, we stand behind the quality of Hebrew National and its kosher status.”
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Comments (68)
NOBALONEY
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:10pmConagra will “Answer to a Higher authority”?
Report Post »cryinginthedesert
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 5:23pmI thought that was a fantastic slogan. Answering to God because it’s kosher. But I guess no that authority is the US courts
Report Post »BonnieC3
Posted on June 20, 2012 at 10:43amDo a “search” for “kosher slaughter beef” and you will find videos of how cows are slaughtered by modern kosher methods. You will NEVER eat kosher again! Kosher once meant that animals were treated in a humane and dignified way at slaughter. Not now. The cows are squeezed into a machine that turns them upside down. Their throats are then cut open, the trachea is grabbed and pulled out; the cow must die by loss of blood and not suffocation. It is then literally dumped by the machine onto a concrete bleeding floor. They often stand up and try to hide. A man stands by with chain shackles and as soon as the cow slips down, he jumps in and chains it’s hind legs. It is hoisted up, often still conscious to start down the line to have it’s front legs cut off, be skinned and eviscerated. No, I will never eat kosher anything…
Report Post »Leader1776
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:03pmThis happened shortly after Bush took office ……….. his fault.
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:42pmI do not know if I’ve ever seen the term “Kosher” on the package, but I do know they taste damn good!
As to Kosher … if most Jewish people only knew what went on when declaring something “kosher” … at least with some rabbi’s, it’s about money, not about blessing the items. I know for certain that at least some items labeled “kosher” are, in fact, not.
Report Post »JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:05pmKosher meat is from a certain part of the animal, a Rabbi is not involved. Learn the term(oh, that’s right the story explains the term if you would have bothered to read it before you rushed to post). Have a blessed day.
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:54pmThis is not exactly true in a cheese and a milk operation I know about. I never stated a thing about cows other than the hot dogs taste great. Of course, had you read what I posted instead of rushing to try and prove me wrong, you would have known that.
Report Post »ENIGMA28724
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:57pmI agree. I don’t know if they are Kosher or not, but they are the best hot dogs I ever ate.
Report Post »BonnieC3
Posted on June 20, 2012 at 10:47amRabbis ARE involved! Just do a search for “kosher slaughter beef”. The rabbi is the one who cuts the animals throat. Kosher is not just about what parts of an animal are eaten, but the way the animal is slaughtered. It is not stunned in any way before it’s throat is cut. The rabbi reaches into the gaping wound and grabs the trachea, pulling it out as the animal must die from blood loss and not suffocation. I will NEVER eat anything kosher!
Report Post »Abraham Young
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:08pmThey are just bucking for the rabbi union.
I love Hebrew National dogs, kosher or not.
Report Post »mzk1
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:00pmGrowing up, I never trusted Hebrew National; I always found those commercials ironic. Most commited religious Jews would not eat it (nor dring Maniscevitz before they got the OU). in fact the late Rabbi Rubin of the (no longer existing) New York State Kosher Enforcement Bureau had sued them many years ago; it came out a tie.
Report Post »llotus
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:58pmThey are still good. I`m not changing. Lotus.
Report Post »nappy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:44pmkosher smosher.. I could not care less.. They’re friggin hot dogs idiots. HOT DOGS.
Report Post »mzk1
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:06pmI’m lost. It’s my religion, and I prefer not to be defrauded. If you’re not Jewish, eat what you like.
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:20pmIt’s a Jewish thing; you probably would not get it.
Report Post »AmazingGrace8
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:20pmHmmmm. reminds me this administration went after Gibson’s Guitar too…..Hmmmm…Ok, nothing to see here…move along.
Report Post »And the beat goes on.
p.s. for YEARS Americans have eaten hot-dogs….and now……warning placed (I don’t know if this is on all hot-dog products) on the package…..“to keep children safe”…..something about parents should not serve a full-hot-dog to a child because the child might choke-on-a-whole-hot-dog. i don’t mean that is not a good idea, but, come-on……is this why some say, “dumbing-down” of Americans?
Mapache
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:50pmThey’ll only choke if they try to deep throat it as they were taught in the local public school health class.
Report Post »SquidVetOhio
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:18pmThe Gestapo has taken over the Blaze! They keep removing my comments. They weren’t even offensive! I haven’t ever put anything offensive on here.
Report Post »K Chad Roberts
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 6:27pmAny swear words, no matter how casually used, stops your post from being put out. I think it’s quite lame that The Blaze does this. If someone is being overly bullish, we can just report them.
Report Post »SquidVetOhio
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:13pmHey, these guys removed my comments? What is that about?
Report Post »llotus
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:55pmSquid……they let two slip through. They slippin. Lotus.
Report Post »ltdan
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:09pmI agree, who cares, these are the best hot dogs on the market, my kids grew up on them.
Report Post »Toby441103
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:30pmNope, Nathan’s-Kosher or not.
Report Post »mzk1
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:07pmSo let them take the “kosher” label off and sell them on their own merit. We never trusted them – or Nathan’s – anyway.
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:05pmit also says no artificial fillers or flavors yet the ingredients lists MSG. as a jew and someone very careful about what I put in my stomach MSG doesn’t fit it is a flavor enhancing chemical which they use I guess by some far stretch of the imagination as a natural flavor I guess…why because it says sodium in it? not natural not good for you I hope these folks win their lawsuit.
Report Post »jimvet
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:04pmDon’t they “answer to a higher authority ” or is that “Nathans?
Report Post »mzk1
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:04pmI always found those commercials ironic; people commited to religious observance generally didn’t trust them and the late, lamented Rabbi Rubin of the (no longer operating) New York State Kosher Enforcement Bureau has sued them.
On the other hand, anybody keeping Kosher seriously wouldn’t use triangle-K either.
As for the rest of you, it’s a religious thing. Suppose someone misrepresented consecrated wine; wouldn’t that be fraud?
Report Post »LarryofArabia
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:54pmAlice Walker (the color Purple) is an idiot.
Report Post »TheBigMike
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:49pmWhat is AER? This article mentions an entity called AER several times as an important player in this situation, yet The Blaze fails to identify them. Is Glenn Beck sure he wants to become even more closley associated with this amateurish news aggregator?
To mimic a The Blaze editor, this is an EPIC editing error.
By the way, AER is meat processor with whom ConAgra contracts.
Report Post »huey6367
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:36pmAm I the only one that realizes these are hot dogs? Kosher means fit to eat. And a hot dog is fit to eat how? Like SquidVetOhio says – lips and buttholes. Watch a video of hot dogs being made (History Channel – How Things are Made) and you may change your mind about eating them.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:26pmAnd if you ever had a good Windmill dog hot off the grill at the Jersey Shore you wouldn’t care what was in them. Just sayin….
Report Post »mzk1
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:09pmKosher means fit to eat according to Jewish law – for Jews. For non-Jews it is meaningless (even according to Judaism) except that there are more eyes watching things.
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:23pmUh, thats the whole deal my man, they are made different, from different cuts of meat. It’s not just a hot dog, it’s a Kosher hot dog.
Report Post »Oh, and if you find yourself eating a hot dog on Jersey Shore, it’s too late, your dead and have gone to hell.
PROSECUTE_PUBLIC_SERVANTS__FOR_CONSTITUTIONAL_TREASON
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:35pmI am a Royal Priest of a holy nation a select group chosen by God. My kingdom is the Kingdom of God. He will ultimately rule the earth upon His final return. My food is blessed through my priesthood everytime our family prays at the table. Kosher is a fake approach for extorting money from the manufacturer and thereby the consumer. It’s all hocus pokus.
Report Post »My priesthood is real and effective. God blesses my food. You can also be a royal priest. It’s open to everyone.
LaughingAtU
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:15pmAs long as you do not label everything as “food”. Do you eat Kosher, or Biblical? Or neither since you (not G-d) seem to bless everything as “food” as long as you are willing to sink your teeth into it.?? And trust The Word that unclean animals were never considered “food”, nor made “clean”.
Report Post »MRMANN
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:26pmIf this accusation is true, it’s a travesty. There’s no excuse for it.
Report Post »PROSECUTE_PUBLIC_SERVANTS__FOR_CONSTITUTIONAL_TREASON
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:26pmThe real story is your food is controlled along with almost everyone in the world by a British food cartel that controls over 95% of all food materials bought and sold in the world. This cartel is made up of 6 companies. They control the planets food and set the prices. You are at their mercy as the world winds down into revolution. Ask yourself how many grain elevators in America George Soro’s has bought up? DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.
Report Post »macpappy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 3:33pmWow, they do a really good job. I always get what I’m looking for at the grocery store. I wonder if we can get the same group of guys to run our country for a few years, and get running as well as a grocery store.
Report Post »HKS
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:19pmGreat hot dogs.
Report Post »PubliusPencilman
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:18pmNow I assume that you Blazers will be yelling about how these Jews should just “Assimilate” or “Get out of America”–how if they want to eat Kosher foods they should just go to Israel. If they were real Americans, they wouldn’t be whining about needing special treatment, right? I assume that a few of you will volunteer to do rude things to these Jews involving pigs and bacon.
Or perhaps that’s just behavior you all reserve for Muslims.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:25pmNope. We love the Jews. You’re thinking of MoveOn.Org.
Report Post »SocialistSlayer
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:35pmBut we wouldn’t mind you getting out of the US PubicPencilman!
Report Post »T_Tope
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:00pmWhat an asinine comment. Regardless of you belief, the Jewish people do not deserve to be lied to. That would be like putting a USDA Grade A stamp on your spoiled pork with no refund or recourse available.
Report Post »Deceiving anybody with labels is wrong. Religion has nothing to do with it.
May God have mercy on your soul.
vaughan
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:17pmI matters if you are an Orthodox Jew. If its labeled Kosher it should be Kosher and adhere to the laws that define what Kosher should be. Truth in advertising is not just a ‘slogan’.
Report Post »encinom
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 4:03pmThat means market regulations to enforce truth in advertising, which is counter to the teachings of your saint Ayn Rand.
Report Post »jackact
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:15pmFor the ‘enlightened crowd’ that shops at Whole Foods, you might want to check on where your $10.99 a pound ‘free range chicken’ comes from…….
Report Post »HorseCrazy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:03pmyes they should check. also just a tip since I myself am a cattle producer, no matter how good the meat is, it is only as good as the processor from slaughter to table. bad slaughter dirty equipment careless workers equals ruined meat and in this case non kosher meat or not halaal whichever the food standard is. we use a mobile slaughter van for my cows, right in front of us to ensure the best cleanest safest meat.
Report Post »jhrusky
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 5:04pm… especially when you can get true free-range chicken (and other wholesome meat products) for much less and from a better source:
http://tinyurl.com/7dr8z23
DISCLAIMER: I have nothing to do with this operation … I only buy from them and must say their products are 100% and their service is fantastic! I can‘t believe Glenn’s Marketplace has not put them on yet.
Report Post »sWampy
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:10pmWho cares, they are some world class wieners.
Report Post »SREGN
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 1:08pmIt’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you. It’s what comes out.
Report Post »TEARS FOR AMERICA
Posted on June 19, 2012 at 2:16pmSREGN- Amen…
Report Post »