Shechita chief: ‘Jews will adapt’ to new rules on pre-koshered liver
Head of the London Board of Shechita waves away concern raised by consumers, saying 'people adapt'
The head of the London Board of Shechita has said “people will adapt” to new rules requiring livers to be koshered before sale.
Mark Goldwater made the comments in a letter to a Jewish consumer who had raised the problems associated with pre-koshered liver.
Until the start of the year, meat including beef, lamb and poultry needed to be sold pre-koshered but liver did not, as consumers say this “ruins the flavour”.
Goldwater, who is chief executive of the London Board for Shechita, said the policy change came from the London Board’s Rabbinical Authority, consisting of the UK’s three most senior Dayanim.
“The decision to implement the policy was taken by them after weighing most carefully all the potential issues including their knowledge that the majority of customers who frequent our licensed butchers may not be otherwise fully observant Jews,” he said.
“They are the Rabbinical heads of ‘mainstream’ Jewry in the UK and are fully familiar with the challenges facing the community and essentially what makes them tick.”
Chefs and caterers had already adapted to the change, he said, because “for many years” liver supplied to them has been pro-koshered.
“We are confident therefore that in time, consumers will adapt and achieve the finished article they require.”
Koshering is a process involving washing, draining, salting and drying, which is much quicker for liver than for meat and fowl. Until this year, consumers have been koshering the liver themselves at home, but now kosher butchers are having to explain to customers about the change.
“I am confused as to why this has been deemed necessary,” said Toni Honickberg, a Jewish consumer who lives near Edgware.
“Most of the cooks and chefs I have come across like to kosher liver themselves, for convenience and freshness. Selling it already koshered ruins the whole flavour, texture and cooking process as it dries out too quickly. Who on earth decided that selling pre-koshered liver was best for the customer?”
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
