Do Raisins Require Checking?

This shailah was already discussed by the Taz Y.D. 84:12. He writes that even when it is common to find infestation in raisins, they do not require checking. The reason provided is because it is uncommon to find infestation in grapes at the time that they are harvested. Infestation that develops occurs primarily in storage. As such, when considering the status of raisins, there is what is known as a sfek sfeikah, a double doubt: Insects might not be present in this batch of raisins, and even if they are, they may be permitted if they were never shoretz al ha’aretz, literally “crawl on the ground”. (Infestation that develops on fruits after they are harvested is not forbidden until the insects leave the fruit.) However, if one notices that the raisins in question are infested, they may not be eaten, since there is no longer a double doubt.

The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt”l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.