The following kashrus regulations, where applicable, are currently enforced in all VHQ certified establishments. They are reviewed and updated periodically. The owners of each establishment must review and sign the kashrus regulations yearly.
5) Shabbos & Holidays
A. It is understood that the establishment is to be Shomer Shabbos, and that the store must close at least two hours before the onset of Shabbos and Jewish holidays, and must remain closed until one hour past the conclusion of the Shabbos and Jewish holidays. A calendar of opening and closing times will be made available by the Vaad.
B. It is understood that the establishment will be strictly off limits from 9:00AM Erev Pesach (the eve of Passover) until 12AM the evening after the eighth day of Pesach. The establishment may not open for retail until the morning after the eighth day of Pesach. Additionally, the owners agree to sell their chometz through the office of the Vaad. If the establishment is to be made kosher for Pesach, it must be done so under Vaad supervision. In the event that the establishment is made kosher for Pesach, the establishment will be permitted to remain open until two hours before the onset of Yom Tov on Erev Pesach and may open for business during the intermediate days of Pesach. Nonetheless, the establishment must not open for retail on the evening after the eighth day of Pesach as detailed above. The establishment will close by 3:00PM on the eve of Yom Kippur and on Purim day. Catering, restaurant and bakery establishments must close Tisha B'av Eve and remain closed until 1PM on the ninth day of Av when they may open for business. Restaurants must operate as "Take Out Only" until the end of the fast. Grocery stores must close on Tisha B'av Eve as well. They may open at 10:30AM on the ninth day of Av. Any exception to the above must be approved by the Vaad in writing.
10) Special Clauses
Supervision
A. The Vaad shall have full discretion to determine whether there shall be a permanent Mashgiach on a constant basis in addition to a Mashgiach of the Vaad who shall make periodic visits to the Company in order to ascertain that Vaad's standards are being maintained. The Company shall pay all permanent Mashgichim. The mashgiach's pay, hours and conditions of employment must be approved by the Vaad.
B. At the time of this agreement it is determined by the Vaad that Yankel's Fresh Meats and Take Out Store is to have constant supervision (Hashgacha Temidis).
C. The establishment must be locked whenever the mashgiach is not present. An emergency key sealed in a tamper evident envelope or combination lock box will be accessible to management at all times.
D. The mashgiach will oversee the cracking of eggs and the separation of challah.
E. The Company affirms and agrees that there will be two shifts of one mashgiach each, employed to cover the restaurant the entire day. The mashgichim will be compensated in a manner commensurate with the going rate for Vaad mashgichim. The Company agrees to employ an approved Shomer Shabbos in the kitchen during the hours that the morning mashgiach is occupied with Nikkur and salting.
F. The mashgiach will be entitled to be paid for all Jewish holidays and secular holidays on which the restaurant is closed.
G. The mashgiach's responsibility will be limited to all kosher-related duties. These may include ordering of food, maintenance of inventory, and working along with the chef in planning menus. The Vaad office must approve any other duties that the company wishes the mashgiach to do. The mashgiach may not serve as a cashier.
H. The morning mashgiach will be a certified Menaker. He will be provided the tools and assistance required to complete his preparation of each delivery within 72 hours of the time of slaughter. We will not permit meat to be washed so as to postpone salting beyond the 72 hour deadline.
I. Only the mashgiach will be permitted to kasher livers.
J. The Company affirms and agrees that in case of the need to dismiss the Vaad designated mashgiach, prior approval from the Vaad office will be necessary.
K. The Company affirms and agrees that the regular full time mashgiach will be entitled to one weeks paid vacation each year. The Vaad will be responsible for finding a replacement mashgiach for this period of time. The Company will be required to pay the salary of that individual as agreed upon by the Company, the Vaad and the mashgiach.
L. The Company affirms and agrees that the regular full time mashgiach will be allowed three paid sick days annually.
Cooking
A. All stoves, ovens and other cooking equipment must have a functioning pilot light. Any equipment, which does not have a pilot light, must be approved in writing by the Vaad office before being put into operation. Those pieces of equipment shall have a
clearly visible sign stating, "Fires are to be lit by the Mashgiach or authorized individual only".
B. Any broken or non-functioning pilot light must be fixed within 48 hours of the time the mashgiach notifies the owner.
C. All fires must be lit by the mashgiach or authorized individual at the beginning of the day. No fire may be lit by any non-Jewish staffers throughout the entire day. Only lowering and raising the fire may be done by the non-Jewish staff. Very clear signs must be posted delineating this policy. The sign must be written in English and in the language most commonly used by the kitchen staff. Authorized individuals will be designated by the Vaad.
Outgoing orders
A. The Company affirms and agrees that if it sends any food out of the premises, for delivery or setup of an affair, each packaged shall be sealed with tape bearing the restaurant's name and the Vaad symbol.
Fruits and Vegetables
A. The Company must comply with all Vaad standards of vegetable and fruit inspection. This function must be performed by a mashgiach or Vaad designated individual.
B. When so determined by the Vaad, a special vegetable prep area will be designated within the kitchen, equipped with a power hose and light box, to process the vegetables and fruits according to Vaad standards.
C. In the event that the Vaad determines that the mashgiach or designated individual cannot adequately manage the volume of vegetable checking, the Vaad reserves the right to hire a trained individual who will be exclusively designated to check vegetables.
D. The Vaad reserves the right to limit the use of certain varieties of produce during certain seasons due to outbreaks of infestation.
Fish and Meat
A. Fish may not be prepared with the same utensils as meat or poultry under any circumstances.
B. A cutting board, knife and any other necessary utensils must be designated for fish use. An area in the kitchen should also be set aside for the processing of fish.
C. A separate grill must be designated for fish only. Fish and meat may not be in the oven together at the same time. If grilled or fried vegetables will be served as an accompaniment to both fish and meat, these vegetables must be prepared in "vegetable only" utensils.
D. If breadcrumbs or other spices or coatings are used in the preparation of poultry/meat, care must be taken to ensure that a separate container of crumbs and spices are used when
preparing fish.
Equipment
A. Any equipment purchased must meet the approval of the mashgiach or Vaad office. This also includes utensils, or serving pieces. This is necessary in order to determine
the necessity to kasher or toivel.
B. No equipment may be rented or borrowed without receiving authorization from the Vaad office.
C. No utensils or other equipment may be removed from the certified facility by any worker or guest without the authorization of the Vaad.
Display Case
A. Care must be taken to arrange the various foods within the display case in a manner that will minimize the possibility of fish dripping into meat or vice versa. Separate inserts and utensils must be designated for fish.
B. Where applicable, completely separate display cases must be maintained for meat and dairy prepared foods. These cases must be separated by a partition. If they are to be manned by one employee, that individual must be an approved shomer shabbos who will be instructed to wash hands and change gloves/ apron when moving from counter to counter. A notice on Vaad stationery will indicate which products are Cholov Yisroel. The company must inform the Vaad in advance of any changes that would affect the Cholov Yisroel status of its products.
C. In the raw meats display case, care must be taken to label each item accurately (we must ensure that a chicken labeled Vineland is not actually from Galil etc.).
D. Raw livers must be labeled - "Livers must be koshered - instructions available at the checkout counter". The Vaad will provide an instruction sheet for proper koshering of liver. Copies must be made available for customers who request them.
E. With the exception of liver, only soaked and salted meats may be sold.
F. Raw livers may not be packaged together with raw chicken for sale.
Baked Goods
A. Only pareve items may be sold at the bakery counter.
Outside Food
A. No workers will be allowed to bring in any outside food whatsoever. A one hundred dollar fine will be levied upon the establishment if this rule, as so determined solely by the Vaad, is violated.
Atmosphere
A. Dress Code: The waitress' attire will conform with the basic guidelines of Jewish modesty; i.e., no cut out or sleeveless blouses will be accepted.
B. Any form of entertainment, when the restaurant is open to the public, must receive prior written approval from our office. For private parties, when the restaurant is closed to the public, there is no need for such approval.
C. An acceptable standard of cleanliness must be maintained in the kitchen and in all areas where foodstuffs are stored.
Miscellaneous
A. Peeled eggs, peeled onion and peeled garlic must not be left overnight unless it is mixed with other ingredients. Alternatively, a bit of the eggshell, onion peel and garlic peel must be left attached.
B. All Jewish individuals who will be handling food will be encouraged to wash Nagel Vasser each morning.
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