#BaguetteGate: Half-Baked in Montreal

A notable Kashrus controversy has emerged out of Montreal, as the MK removed their supervision from BENNY & FILS citing “violation of kashrus standards.”

The announcement promptly drew a response from the owner’s son, who posted a video vehemently denying any wrongdoing. In the video, he stated that if any violation had occurred, it stemmed from their use of par-baked baguettes that were under the MK Supervision. By finishing the baking process, BENNY & FILS make it Pas Yisroel, in their view. 

For context for those who don’t know, Pas Yisroel is bread that has a Jew involved in the baking process, whether by turning on the oven, actually baking it, etc. 

BENNY & FILS subsequently released a statement elaborating on their position, explaining that they had received notice from the Kashrus agency instructing them to discontinue use of the baguettes they had relied on for 20 years, on the grounds that the product was not Pas Yisroel. The restaurant countered that, given the baguettes were par-baked and carried MK certification, they considered them to be Pas Yisroel l’halacha.

The MK then issued a clarifying statement regarding the Bridor baguettes used by BENNY & FILS. According to the agency, when Bridor initially received its certification, the products were not edible as-is and required additional baking by the consumer, a process that rendered them Pas Yisroel. However, as the product currently stands, fully baked and edible when received, any further baking by the consumer does not confer Pas Yisroel status.

The sequence of events makes clear why the certification was ultimately withdrawn when the restaurant declined to switch products. BENNY & FILS has since moved on, and is now operating under the supervision of the KSR.