A vegetarian food company owned by Heather Mills has been using the Manchester Beth Din kosher hechsher without consent on its pork-style sausage rolls.
The misuse emerged when the pork-flavoured snacks made by Redwood were photographed on sale in a Holland and Barrett store in Manchester with the MK symbol on their packaging.
Food from Redwood received kosher certification in 2010, but it was agreed with the Beth Din that the company would not use the hechsher on products that mimic pork and seafood.
Ms Mills said at the time: “I didn’t feel it was right to put the kosher stamp on these products out of respect for people who don’t eat those foods for religious reasons.”
The Beth Din’s Dayan Yehuda Osher Steiner did not question the kashrut of the product but noted that labelling pork-style foods as kosher “makes people upset”.
When the Beth Din were alerted to the use of their symbol in breach of their agreement, they contacted Redwood, which said it would remove the symbol. The image of the packaging on Redwood’s website has been changed.
Rabbi Yehuda Brodie of the Beth Din said: “We are satisfied with this undertaking. It is not a kashrut matter but one of sensitivity to consumers.”
A spokesperson for Redwood said: “I can confirm that with immediate effect the kosher approval symbol will be removed from the pork-style sausage rolls, and hope that no offence has been caused.”
