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A Complaint to Consumer
Reports about the
Rabbinical Kosher Excise
Tax and How It Affects
Consumers
I sent the following
email to Consumer
Reports Magazine today.
I was only able to
contact them via their
webpage at
www.consumerreports.org.
Why is it that so many
websites seem to go out
of their way to hide
their email contact
information? This one
was the worst I've ever
encountered and it is
ironic coming from an
organization that is
supposed to be looking
out for the consumer. I
thought, however, that
they would be the
perfect organization to
publicly expose the
kosher scam, but I'm not
holding my breath
awaiting a response
given the number of
jewish names listed on
their board of
directors.
Editor, Consumer
Reports:
I have been a long time
reader of Consumer
Reports, and I have
always respected your
integrity and dedication
to reporting the truth
about issues affecting
the consumer. You have
never been afraid to
offend powerful economic
interests whenever you
deemed them detrimental
to the public. You have
taken on the auto
industry over car safety
and the pharmaceutical
industry over price
gouging to name only
only two of the many
controversial issues you
have dealt with over the
years.
With this in mind, there
is one issue I have
never seen discussed in
your magazine. I am
speaking about the
"kosher tax" affecting
at least 90% of the
packaged products sold
in supermarkets
nationwide. Not only is
the ubiquitous "U" or
"K" symbol found on most
food items which don't
contain pork, but it
even appears on such
inedibles as laundry and
dish detergent and
aluminum foil.
Food companies, and
ultimately consumers,
pay a fee for this
Kosher certification,
but I have found that
they are very reluctant
to disclose the actual
amount of this hidden
tax. They will claim it
is "negligible," but it
seems obvious that there
are other costs involved
in ensuring that their
products meet the
standards set by the
rabbinical boards.
Most of the public is
unaware of this "kosher
tax" because the tiny
symbols are very
discreetly placed on the
package labels without
disclosure or
explanation. This
inevitably leads one to
believe that they're
trying to hide
something. Otherwise,
why not print the words
"Kosher Certified"
clearly on the label.
Is it perhaps because
there would be a public
outcry if it were widely
known that a religious
group representing only
2 1/2 percent of the
population can dictate
food processing
standards for the entire
nation and moreover
charge them for the
"privilege"? It becomes
even more outrageous
when it is taken into
consideration that only
a small minority of
American Jews actually
follow the Kosher
dietary laws.
I believe this is an
issue that is long
overdue for Consumer
Reports to
investigate. I eagerly
await your response.
Regards,
Rich Brooks
Ridgecrest, CA
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