Salmon from Costco?

amother

Sat, Sep 21 2013, 10:37 pm

What's the deal with the kashrus of salmon from Costco? Is it okay to buy the fresh fish, or only the frozen ones? I noticed that it was almost $4 (!) a pound cheaper in Costco than in the supermarket where I currently buy.

momX4

Sat, Sep 21 2013, 10:52 pm

Check the package, I think in the back, there is a hechsher there. I used to buy salmon on special occasions and now its BH a Shabbos staple in my house.

edited - I was talking about the frozen ones. Sorry don't know about the fresh.

Last edited by momX4 on Sat, Sep 21 2013, 10:58 pm; edited 1 time in total

momX4

Sat, Sep 21 2013, 11:00 pm

bamamama wrote:

I don't understand why salmon needs a hechsher. It's very easy to recognize. We have always bought it at the grocery store fish counter.

They can use the same knife to clean the salmon and lobster. I know people will buy a whole salmon and bring their own knife/cutting board for the counter person to cut and clean the fish.

bamamama

Sat, Sep 21 2013, 11:06 pm

momX4 wrote:

bamamama wrote:

I don't understand why salmon mneeds a hechsher. It's very easy to recognize. We have always bought it at the grocery store fish counter.

They can use the same knife to clean the salmon and lobster. I know people will buy a whole salmon and bring their own knife/cutting board for the counter person to cut and clean the fish.

ok. Per food safety rules they can't do it without cleaning the knife in between. We always just rinse our fillets in cold water when we get home.

Reality

Sat, Sep 21 2013, 11:45 pm

I remember reading an article saying that many times fish are sold as one type but are really another. You never had to worry about that for salmon because of its distinctive color. Nowadays, the coloring/additives are added to the farmed salmon so it has the pink color we expect. The wild salmon is that color from what they eat in a natural environment. If the coloring wasn't added to the farmed salmon the flesh would be grey. So the thinking is that if the farmed salmon is colored etc.. anyway than another kind of fish can be substituted.

Everything nowadays is complicated because man keeps on messing with nature. But from a kashrus point of view, I think it is best to buy salmon with a hechsher.

bamamama

Sat, Sep 21 2013, 11:57 pm

Reality wrote:

Ah well, you do it your way and I'll do it mine. There are pretty strict laws here and we buy from a reputable grocery chain who wouldn't want their reputation tarnished.

Chana Miriam S

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 12:02 am

The majothashgacha organizations I deal with all agree that there are no unkosher salmonic fishes. They do not need a Hechsher. Even without skin. Inn addition because any issues with a knife would be batik, there is no real issue there. When I buy fish that I don't know where it was processed, I run the dull edge of a knife over it and take off a layer of surface guck. I do this knowing it isn't strictly necessary.

In addition, salmon farms don't catch lobster. Most fish are filleted by specialized machines used only for salmon. In addition at our local costco some of the suppliers do have hechshers.

Be your ownashgiach. Learn what you need to know and do what you need to do.

The principle you are working on with regard. To scraping is re wet foods if anyone wants to look it up.

Lady Godiva

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 12:53 am

bamamama wrote:

momX4 wrote:

bamamama wrote:

I don't understand why salmon mneeds a hechsher. It's very easy to recognize. We have always bought it at the grocery store fish counter.

They can use the same knife to clean the salmon and lobster. I know people will buy a whole salmon and bring their own knife/cutting board for the counter person to cut and clean the fish.

ok. Per food safety rules they can't do it without cleaning the knife in between. We always just rinse our fillets in cold water when we get home.

I was told that's not the issue with buying fish without kosher certification, as the fish is cold and raw, so you can just rinse the fish and it's okay. However, according to the Rabbi who said that, there is an issue with buying fish that is not whole, since you don't really know what type of fish it is, so we don't buy the salmon from Costco (which sucks because it's so much cheaper than the fish we do buy!).

Lady Godiva

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 1:20 am

amother wrote:

Costco has fresh salmon with a hechsher. They also have frozen with a hechsher.

You mean, the Costco you shop at has that. Not all Costcos have that.

bamamama

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 2:57 am

Lady Godiva wrote:

bamamama wrote:

momX4 wrote:

bamamama wrote:

I don't understand why salmon mneeds a hechsher. It's very easy to recognize. We have always bought it at the grocery store fish counter.

They can use the same knife to clean the salmon and lobster. I know people will buy a whole salmon and bring their own knife/cutting board for the counter person to cut and clean the fish.

ok. Per food safety rules they can't do it without cleaning the knife in between. We always just rinse our fillets in cold water when we get home.

Meh. I'm inclined to trust that salmon is salmon. Wink

Rodent

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 4:13 am

ANY fish can be bought from anywhere if the skin is attached and you can see that it had scales. And as far as I know any salmon can be bought even without skin because of its distinctive colour. Just wash in cold water before cooking. There is no need to pay extra for supervision unless it is a white fish without skin or minced etc.

Mrs Bissli

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 8:55 am

Lady Godiva wrote:

FYI, London Beth Din holds that there are no non-kosher species that share the distinctive orange/pink colour flesh.

Chana Miriam S

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 9:51 am

amother wrote:

Thank you for all the answer. I will take a closer look at the fish in the store to see which ones have the hechsher and which ones don't.

They repackage it in store. The cases of fifty pounds that they pack from May or May not have hechshers. The individual trays do not.

Maya

Sun, Sep 22 2013, 11:53 am

Mrs Bissli wrote:

Lady Godiva wrote:

FYI, London Beth Din holds that there are no non-kosher species that share the distinctive orange/pink colour flesh.

Also, if the sign says that it's salmon, we can trust that it is, no?