Commack Kosher Loses Challenge of Kosher Food Laws

Commack Kosher lost its lawsuit claiming New York State's kosher-labeling laws interfere with freedom of religion on Monday. 

Reuters reports that the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld New York's Kosher Law Protection Act stating it did not interfere with religion in any way and served to prevent from fraud. 

“The labeling law has the secular purpose of protecting against fraud by informing a consumer that a particular seller believes a product is kosher,” the decision released Thursday said, affirming Brooklyn federal court judge Nina Gershon’s 2011 opinion, reports Reuters. 

It is the second time filed a lawsuit stating New York State's Kosher laws interfere with religious freedom. 

Reuters said the first time, in 1996, the court allowed the lawsuit saying kosher laws wrongly stepped into religious matters by defining the word "Kosher." However, since then, New York state passed a revised kosher laws in 2004. 

Under current laws,  food sellers and producers to decide for themselves what kosher practices to follow. It also requires the person who certifies a product as kosher to register with the Agriculture Department. Vendors are responsible for tracking their purchases of kosher and non-kosher meats if they buy both. 

Read Reuter's article for more details on the lawsuit and the labeling of kosher foods in New York.