Never before have adult shops stocked a product with a hechsher. But now, for the first time, sexual lubricants are available with rabbinic supervision.
The American-made Wet range of sexual lubricants - available in some adult shops in the UK - now has eight lines that have been certified kosher by the Rabbinical Council of California.
Ernie Johnson, Vice President for Operations at Trigg Labs which makes the products, said that the supervision was not just a formality — gallons of lubricant had to be emptied from “use tanks” so that they could be filled with boiling water by inspectors.
He added: “The rabbi witnessed the process at every point and gave his approval. What took the longest was his review of ingredients. Each one had to be acceptable to the Rabbinical Council of California. After 2 years, it was formalised.”
Jennifer Martsolf, vice president for marketing, commented: “All people are sexual, and this was a way to reach out to the kosher market.” She said that it could help its planned entrance to the Israeli market, and said that it was the brainchild of Sean Smith, president of Trigg Labs, who has converted to Judaism as he married a Jewish-Israeli woman.
As Jewish religious requirements are similar to requirements for Muslim laws, the company may consider seeking Halal approval, she added.
Neither Trigg Labs nor the kashrut organisation are commenting on precisely why consumers would want kosher lube, but as products only need to be kosher if they pass the lips, it appears to be for the benefit of Orthodox Jews who practice oral sex as part of their sexual repertoire.
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