February 24, 2011 | 2:50 pm

Junior Mints and Tootsie Pops Go Kosher

Posted by Julie Gruenbaum Fax

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Just in case anyone was still under the illusion that kosher equals healthy, the OU recently burst that (Blow Pop) bubble with its announcement that Tootsie Roll Industries has added Junior Mints, Blow Pops, Tootsie Roll Pops, Caramel Apple Pops, Charms, Sugar Daddy and Sugar Babies to its list of OU certified kosher products.

In the fall of 2009 Tootsie Roll announced that Tootsie Rolls, Tootsie Fruit Rolls, Frooties and DOTS had garnered kosher certification. Much of the candy at the checkout line is kosher, including most Hershey, Nestle, Mars, Jelly Belly and Ferrara Pan products, in addition to kosher pareve versions of popular candies by Jewish brands such as Blooms and Paskesz.

Consumers who adhere strictly to kosher laws require that each ingredient be kosher and each stage of production be monitored by a certified mashgiach, kashrut supervisor.
The Orthodox Union, the largest kashrut supervisor in the world, certifies more than 500,000 products in 90 countries.

“We are very pleased that Tootsie Roll Industries went the extra mile in having these additional candies certified.  It was gratifying for OU to again guide Tootsie Roll through the certification process and bring these famous candies to the growing kosher market place,” said Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, OU Kosher’s Vice President of Communications and Marketing.

Other OU certified candy includes Charleston Chew, Cella’s chocolate covered cherries, Andes, Razzles, Fluffy Stuff, Dubble Bubble, and Nik-L-Nip.