Business That’s Not Very “Kosher” – Aronberg & Aronberg

If something doesn’t seem “kosher,” according to the colloquial understanding of the word, the implication is that it seems as though something isn’t “right” or “okay.” For example, it wouldn’t be “kosher” for someone to forge a check with someone else’s name on it, or to bribe a politician or for someone to lie to their spouse. Now, the high standards associated with the commonly used word “kosher” stem from the Jewish meaning of the word “kosher,” originating from the word “kashrut” which is dietary law that is dictated through the Jewish bible and which has stood the test of thousands of years.

It’s because of the high standards of “kosher” food that Hebrew National hot dogs have implied (and advertised) their connection to Hebrew (Jewish) food regulations. Their famous tagline reads, “We Answer to a Higher Authority,” the implication being, of course, that the company answers to G-d. Such a tagline, and brand name, obviously calls for strict adherence to the guidelines of kashrut. However, as 11 lawsuits now allege, Hebrew National may not adhere to the true guidelines associated with producing kosher food.

The civil suits allege that Hebrew National hot dogs are actually not made from 100% kosher meat. The allegation insinuates or implies that other, non-Kosher meat is being mixed in with kosher meat, thereby “tainting” the “kashrut” of the meat. In addition to the mixing of the non-kosher meat with the kosher meat, the lawsuits allege that the food processing plants that Hebrew National uses do not fully adhere to the procedures that are truly necessary to meet the definition of “kosher” which Hebrew National lists on all of its hot dog packages.

Hebrew National’s advertising of its products as “100% kosher” might be truly deceptive and negligent should it be discovered that their practices aren’t exactly “kosher,” so to speak. Hebrew National boasts its kosher products in an effort to lure customers to the hotdog aisles and encourage them to pay the high prices of Hebrew National hotdogs. Businesses (like Hebrew National) should be a held to a high standard of excellence. Businesses advertise their products to customers and expect their customers to buy the products. Likewise, customers should be able to expect that the advertisements they see are truthful, rather than deceptive (and, in this case, potentially offensive).

We, as consumers, are often at the mercy of businesses that take advantage of airwaves, print ads, and word-of-mouth recommendations in order to market what they are selling. Business is fine. Profit is fine. A problem arises, however, when businesses take to negligently marketing their products defectively and recklessly.

If you feel that you have been duped by the marketing schemes of a business—and the result has led to a monetary (or other type of) loss—please contact the Law Offices of Aronberg & Aronberg at 561-266-9191 or email us at daronberg@build.simple.biz.

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