Flaum Appetizing In the Press
Kosher Food Manufacturer Implements Futuristic Food Safety System
As seen in The Jewish Press
Space-age technology designed to keep food safe in outer space may soon become standard her on Earth, the FDA writes in a consumer report on food safety.
The traditional method of food safety testing is not foolproof, as anyone who's experienced the discomfort of food poisoning knows. That's why the FDA designed a new program, the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP), which aims to identify and prevent hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses.
Complying with the strict guidelines of HACCP, Flaum's Appetizing Company recently built a state-of-the-art food manufacturing plant where the focus on safety is closely followed by a commitment to quality, freshness, and great taste. Flaum's doesn't cut corners and uses only the best ingredients. As Mr. Herman, production manager at Flaum's notes, "You can't produce a Grade A product using Grade B ingredients."
At the Kosher World Conference and Expo in mid-February, 2005, Flaum's great taste received further approbation by way of winning the Best of Show Award for the appetizer category in a competition judged by an impartial panel with varying backgrounds.
Famous for their pickles, sold in better delicatessens, Flaum's has been around since 1918 and their standards of quality and kashrus remain unwaveringly high. Certified by the OU and the CRC (Hisachdus Rabbanim of the U.S. and Canada), they also have a full line of kosher for Pesach products, including herring and of course, pickles.
In keeping with their approach to embrace change when it benefits their customers, Flaum's products now sport a brighter and more attractive label with an eye pleasing scenic landscape in the background. Additionally, recipes are continually tested and improvements, however minor, are promptly implemented, spurring constant positive feedback form satisfied loyal customer.
Kosher food consumers, always on the lookout for more options in prepared foods, will be pleased to learn that in the near future, Flaum's will introduce a new line of frozen entrees and meals, as well as additional appetizing products.
Flaum's drivers deliver products twice a week to ensure more frequent product rotation, with the goal of eliminating those infamously memorable experiences of dipping into a newly opened container and finding out that it expired two weeks ago. Consumers will value the certainty when opening something bearing the Flaum's label that freshness is guaranteed.
The Flaum's product line includes pickles, herring, spreads, salads, blintzes, and much more, and can be found in the refrigerator section of your local grocery or supermarket.
Flaum Appetizing
***In A Pickle***
By: Chaya Sara Schlussel, Country Yossi Family Magazine
When you have a sudden craving for herring and lox, one name immediately comes to mind. A name that has proudly borne great pickling-prestige since 1918: Flaums.
Right after WWI, Joe and Sonny Flaum left Poland, carrying with them a list of tantalizing recipes. They settled in East New York. With the blessing of the Stitchiner Rebbe they opened two appetizing stores, one of which was located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. That landmark Lee Avenue store drew customers from miles around, who came to taste the incomparable flavor of their famous pickles. On Friday morning, Flaums was the most prominent place to purchase crispy, savory pickles for Shabbos.
In 1987, Flaums expanded to a full line of wholesale products, which were distributed to caterers, restaurants and food services industries such as schools and institutions. Needless to say, their pickling products, appetizers, smokes and dips were quickly swept up by supermarkets and corner groceries around the country - making Flaums a household name in Jewish communities across North America. Today, Flaums continues to expand its customer base internationally, and will soon sell their tasty tidbits throughout Israel as well.
While the taste of Flaums is legendary, few people are aware of all that goes into creating a Flaums product. The daily process is carried out just as it has been since this prominent establishment was founded. Everything is 100% natural, and the water is filtered for Kashrus. There are regular trips to Holland, where the herring is caught, to ensure that only select fish are sold to Flaums customers. The fish need to be logged every step of the way, to retain a superior degree of freshness. When blintzes are made, every egg is carefully examined. All pickles are barrel cured and all products contain only top-of-the-line components. Strict supervision is provided by both the OU and CRC (Hisachdus Rabbanim of the U.S. and Canada). Mr. Chezkel Herman is Production Manager at Flaums, and he does an extraordinary job of overseeing every provision from the moment it arrives, to the moment it gets shipped off the premises. He is quoted as saying, "You can't produce a Grade A product using Grade B ingredients."
And now, for those of you who are getting hungry, I've come to the best part of the Flaums story: Before Shavuos, Flaums will be introducing a new line of frozen entrees and meals! As an ardent Flaums fan, that news made my digestive system dance for joy. Their palate-pleasing choices will range from 8 different kinds of blintzes (think caramel, chocolate and blueberry cheese), to baked ziti, lasagna, parmesan and more - a total of 15 new items worth oohing and aahing about!
The entrees will include both dairy and pareve menus, such as chulent and spaghetti fish. For those of you devoted Flaums patrons who are zealously watching your weight, they even have delectable dietetic meals: Try their Diet Cheese Blintzes, made with Splenda and lowfat cheese, or their Diet Eggplant Parmesan, which they've baked instead of frying. So there's no excuse for denying yourself the taste of Flaums!
Unsurprisingly, at the Kosher World Conference and Expo in February 2005, Flaums won the Best of Show Award - determined by an impartial panel of judges as winners in the appetizer category. But even more importantly, they are regularly chosen as winners by their favorite, most discerning judges of all: their loyal customers. Flaums works tirelessly toward customer satisfaction, delivering their products twice a week for steady product rotation - to prevent spoilage and maintain a high quality standard.
Before writing this article, I had the privilege of touring the Flaums wholesale plant, where all their mouth-watering delicacies are produced, cured and packaged on location. Nobody warned me not to visit on an empty stomach. I was duly impressed by their dedication to kashrus, quality control, and freshness. The utensils sparkled with cleanliness - and no wonder, since every pot, pan and mixing bowl gets continually sprayed by two gigantic hoses. One hose contains water, the other chlorine, to kill any bacteria on contact. After everything is cooked, the finished fare gets blended by state-of-the-art equipment, container-filled and labeled for shipment. The appetizers are then stocked in cartons in a refrigerated storeroom.
I saw one room in which women stood making delicate crepes for blintzes, one room in which tremendous bowls of herring were carefully ladled into plastic receptacles. But without a doubt, my favorite room was the one that held hundreds of great big barrels of crunchy, fermenting pickles!
When asked if I was looking forward to the new line of Flaums frozen entrees, my stomach just grumbled in response.
