Shailah of the Week by Rabbi Zvi Nussbaum,
Rabbinic Coordinator, Kosher Hotline Administrator for the Orthodox Union
The summer season is upon us and your child may ask you for a Slurpee at a 7-Eleven store. The OU certifies a number of Coca-Cola syrups that are used in Slurpees. To purchase Slurpees, it is necessary to verify two things: Is the syrup made by Coca-Cola, and is the specific syrup OU certified?
Irrespective of store claims, one can only be certain that a Coca-Cola syrup is used by checking the label on the syrup box. However, the Coca-Cola labels on syrup boxes do not bear an OU symbol. One can check the list of all OU-certified Fountain Frozen Syrups on the OU website.
If uncertain about a particular Coca-Cola syrup, one can verify its certification status by calling the OU Kosher office at 212-613-8241, emailing kosherq@ou.org or by checking special tags that are sometimes displayed on the Slurpee machine that display the Coca-Cola logo and an OU.
Enjoy your Kosher Slurpee.
