By Rabbi Moshe Elefant

Can you eat a kosher meal heated in a non- kosher airplane oven?

Yes, provided the meal is properly double-wrapped and sealed.

Before the meal is heated in a non-kosher airplane oven, it must be sealed in two layers of wrapping.

The wrapping may consist of materials such as: • Plastic • Aluminum foil • Cardboard The meal must remain double-wrapped and sealed until it is served to you.

If a flight attendant brings you a meal that has already been opened, it may no longer meet the requirements of double wrapping. Without the required protection, the meal should not be eaten.

What if there are holes in the wrapping?

Small holes may be present to allow steam to escape during heating. Rav Belsky, zt”l, held that such holes are permitted because they prevent the package from bursting. The wrapping can still be considered sealed and double-wrapped despite these small openings.

What about rolls, pastries and drinks served with the meal?

Any accompanying food or drinks must have appropriate kosher certification and be served in sealed packaging. This includes rolls, pastries and other items provided with the meal.

Mushrooms: What is the kosher status and its bracha? Since mushrooms are fungi, they are not the seed-bearing plants the Torah allows man to eat. If so, how can they be kosher?

The bracha of a mushroom is shehakol because it does not grow from the ground. Mushrooms are exposed to nutrients that make them grow, They do not grow from the ground and they do not grow on wheat. One of the questions concerning mushrooms is about Pesach. One of the nutrients used to grow mushrooms is wheat, but that wheat does not make the mushroom chametz. It’s the same as a person eating a piece of bread; you don’t become Chametz, rather the chametz is a nutrient for you. The same is true of a mushroom. What you have to be worried about is the canning.

You have to make sure they’re not being canned in the same equipment that is used for meat or non-Kosher products. Therefore, canned mushrooms should only be purchased with a reliable supervision.