NOOOOOOOO!!!! Trader Joe's Chips Going Dairy

friedmana1

Wed, May 16 2012, 2:42 pm

NOOOOOOOOO!! !!!!!!!

I have very bad news! According to the OK, the Trader Joe's Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips are now going to be OK-D.

Please tell Trader Joe's what you think! They respond to customer demand and inquiries, and if enough of the kosher and dairy-free customers make a big deal of this, they will listen!

http://www.traderjoes.com/abou.....m.asp is the link for their customer feedback page. Tell them how this will affect their business!

bigsis144

Wed, May 16 2012, 2:46 pm

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!

I just emailed them:

Quote:

To Whom it May Concern:

I just found out that the Trader Joe's brand of semisweet chocolate chips is going to become dairy.

PLEASE don't do that!!

As a religious Jew who keeps the laws of kashruth, including the prohibition of eating or serving meat and milk products together, I've found the Trader Joe's chocolate chips to be the BEST non-dairy chocolate chips ANYWHERE. In fact, the best chocolate chips I've ever had.

Growing up in California where Trader Joe's are on every block, I practically lived at Trader Joe's. When I was away at college, my mom would include bags of chocolate chips in care packages. Now I live 45 minutes away from a Trader Joe's, and every time I go I stock up with a dozen bags of chocolate chips (among other things. I love you guys!).

Please, please, please reconsider your decision to make them dairy. I'm sure many kosher and dairy-free customers would appreciate it.

Thank you,
-----[bigsis144], Brooklyn

Rubber Ducky

Wed, May 16 2012, 4:40 pm

Really bad news. TJ's chocolate chips are so good for baking and as a dipping chocolate. I just got back from their Pikesville MD store where I bought a year's supply -- and other people there were also stocking up.

I called their customer service line: National Headquarters:626-599-3700 and will send in the form you linked to.

Tova

Wed, May 16 2012, 4:49 pm

For accuracy's sake, they are actually not becoming dairy (ie - ingredient formula won't change) but the production will be run on dairy equipment instead of a special dairy-free line. Practically it may still mean that you can't use them for your Shabbos desserts, but it's probably good idea to address this in correspondence w/ the company.

Raisin

Wed, May 16 2012, 5:15 pm

Tova wrote:

people who eat only cy cannot use them at all now.

MaBelleVie

Wed, May 16 2012, 5:22 pm

Raisin wrote:

Tova wrote:

people who eat only cy cannot use them at all now.

Many people who eat cy will eat pareve food made on dairy non cy equipment.

Tova

Wed, May 16 2012, 5:22 pm

Raisin wrote:

Tova wrote:

people who eat only cy cannot use them at all now.

Honestly not growing up keeping CY I didn't think of that (my husband keeps CY and I mostly do except for specific yogurt I need but we are not as makpid for the kids...but I would never buy a dairy designated cracker or cereal or chocolate chips) but good point. I bet there are some people that keep CY that would eat DE, but I understand not everyone would, especially if marked Dairy (as not all kashrus agencies recognize a DE designation).

imasinger

Wed, May 16 2012, 6:17 pm

NONONONONONONONONO!!!

My go-to Shabbos/YT dessert is chocolate chip cookies. And they have the best pareve chocolate chips ever.

I am emailing them right now.

Here is what I am saying:

Quote:

I understand that you may be changing your production to run these chocolate chips on a machine that also processes dairy items. For me, as for many customers that keep kosher, this will severely impact how frequently we can buy these chips (and I buy about 1 bag every week or two; I cook with them all the time). Please reconsider this decision, and keep them running on non-dairy equipment. Thank you!

miami85

Wed, May 16 2012, 7:01 pm

Btw are you sure about the dairy equipment? Ok usually designates DE when it just dairy equip. OU does not and many of their products w/ D are not actually dairy--like oreos. If it is just dairy equipment you may still be able to use in desserts b/c when do you eat dessert with you chicken/cholent? We had a fleishig meal once for supper then went out and bought a bag of oreo for dessert-- felt SO treif. But it wad fine. We also try to be makpid on cy when we can

Chana Miriam S

Wed, May 16 2012, 7:15 pm

I spoke to the ok today. there is NO DE designation. they consider the product fully dairy because the line is not even necessarily getting cleaned in between runs. they in no way endorse using them for when you need pareve.

Chana Miriam S

Wed, May 16 2012, 7:21 pm

apparently the ok is also getting rid of it's de designation altogether. there are a few products remaining but after the packaging for those is gone, so is the designation.

ceo

Wed, May 16 2012, 7:34 pm

I just got off the phone with TJ customer service. The rep I spoke to, Nicky, told me basically like this: (paraphrased)

"We didn't change anything from our end. Our supplier has not changed anything within the past few years. This is a decision from the Rabbi at the supervising agency. because we didn't know about it until he announced it, we didn't get a chance to implement a solution. Now that we know about it, we are trying to work something out. This only happened this morning, and we have not changed our packaging yet. As of now, all chips in the stores and in our warehouses are still certified Pareve. "

She did mention that 2 years ago the supplier changed to a "dry cleaning process" which is better for chocolate....but that was 2 years ago.

ceo

Wed, May 16 2012, 7:39 pm

miami85 wrote:

. If it is just dairy equipment you may still be able to use in desserts b/c when do you eat dessert with you chicken/cholent? We had a fleishig meal once for supper then went out and bought a bag of oreo for dessert-- felt SO treif. But it wad fine. We also try to be makpid on cy when we can

I think eating oreos after your dinner ( a different seuda)is differnent than baking with them on your baking sheets, eating the dessert on your shabbos china, on your fleishig tablecloth, and eating these cookies at the same seudah as your fleishics.

TranquilityAndPeace

Wed, May 16 2012, 8:11 pm

This calls for intervention. My father worked at the OK for years and currently works at the OU. I'll see what I can find out!

P.S. On the other hand, it might be a great time to open a pareve-chocolate-chip-store (import from Elite in Israel?) in your basement!