St. Paul, MN – Lawsuit Claiming Hebrew National Not Kosher Dismissed

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    St. Paul, MN – ConAgra Foods Inc has won the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by consumers claiming the company’s Hebrew National hot dogs and other products are not kosher.

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    U.S. District Judge Donovan Frank in St. Paul federal court ruled on Thursday that he does not have jurisdiction over a dispute that he described as “intrinsically religious in nature.”

    Eleven consumers filed the lawsuit last May, asserting that ConAgra misled customers into believing that its products were kosher according to “the most stringent” Orthodox Jewish standards by including a symbol on its packaging.

    The lawsuit alleged that ConAgra’s contractors, meat processor AER Services Inc and kosher supervisor Triangle K, failed to follow proper religious procedures. The plaintiffs sought unspecified damages and an injunction against the labels as well as class-action status for consumers who have bought Hebrew National products since 2008.

    But Frank said he was constrained by clear Supreme Court precedent barring civil judges from resolving faith-based disputes.

    “Any judicial inquiry as to whether defendant misrepresented that its Hebrew National products are “100% kosher” (when Triangle K, an undisputedly religious entity, certified them as such) would necessarily intrude upon rabbinical religious autonomy,” Frank wrote.

    He noted that ConAgra, the only named defendant in the lawsuit, is a secular entity, while the plaintiffs chose to leave Triangle K and AER out of the lawsuit.

    “It is Triangle K and its Orthodox rabbis who make such determinations,” Frank said. “Naturally, therefore, this court cannot determine whether defendant’s Hebrew National products are in fact kosher without delving into questions of religious doctrine.”

    Calls for comment to a ConAgra spokeswoman and Hart Robinovitch, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, were not immediately returned on Thursday evening.


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    16 Comments
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    REALIST
    REALIST
    11 years ago

    Maybe it’s time they meet their Higher Authority already?

    FinVeeNemtMenSeichel
    FinVeeNemtMenSeichel
    11 years ago

    Please say it isn’t only I who noticed the judge’s last name

    yaakov doe
    Member
    yaakov doe
    11 years ago

    If I remember correctly the suit was started by disgrunteled former employees. The products are kosher,but not glatt and not intended for heimish consumers. A big improvement in the kashrus from that of the former supervision.

    PaulinSaudi
    PaulinSaudi
    11 years ago

    I can only imagine the confusion a civil judge would feel if asked to rule on a matter of religious law. The government ought to have nothing much to do with defining kosher.

    formercrownheightser
    formercrownheightser
    11 years ago

    Frankly, #2 , I, too, noticed his name.

    REALIST
    REALIST
    11 years ago

    FVNMS, Very good! Can’t believe I missed that!!

    Materetsky
    Materetsky
    11 years ago

    I wish HN had a good hecksher but don’t see why the gov. should be involved! That is a major slippery slope.

    Michel
    Michel
    11 years ago

    If this had gone forward we would have the government deciding what is kosher?Soon we would have all the different flavors of kashrus as Israel has. This judge was wise to avoid this pitfall.HN should sue the lawyers who brought the suit for bringing a frivolous lawsuit.

    DavidCohen
    DavidCohen
    11 years ago

    This is the right decision. In no way should the legal system be deciding what is kosher and what is not.

    alter
    alter
    11 years ago

    I once heard that the baal hamchshir (I think its Ralba”g) says that the shoctim are not allowed to eat Hebrew national…

    my4amos
    my4amos
    11 years ago

    Of course the judge doesn’t have any jurisdiction over religious matters. Only Bloomberg does.

    And what is the point of this lawsuit? Whoever would confuse triangle K for something kosher?

    El-Haq
    El-Haq
    11 years ago

    Hebrew National is 100% kosher.

    It is not glatt kosher.

    My grandfather while learning in Slobodka who was a chabrusa of R Rudderman the founder of Ner Yisroel had no problem with non glatt meat.

    Europe did not have enough cows to provide glatt meat to Jews who kep kosher.

    Just because it is not to your standard does not mean it is not kosher.

    Grow up folks. Your killing yiddishkeit.

    They cover up and protect sex offenders,but their meat is glatt!!