Osem Passover Matzah
Question
I just purchased OSEM Passover Matzahs.
I found the following words on the package,
which I had never heard before.
Regular Matzah MEHUDAR
It appears Mehudar means “halachically superior”,
“above and beyond what is strictly required”.
That sounds good. Is it correct?
YASHAN Flour
“Yashan means that the flour used in this baked item came from
wheat that took root in the ground before the PREVIOUS 17th of Nissan.”
Yashan also means “OLD”, because the flour is one year old.
“The matzah you purchased is probably perfectly fresh.”
That does not sound so good.
How is this flour kept fresh for one year? Is it really safe to eat?
Happy Passover in advance.
Answers
As you write, Mehudar products are a higher level of Kashrut than regular Kosher products. For Matzot that is a wonderful thing as it means that the Matzot you have bought have been made with certain stringencies and are of a higher standard then the regular Matzot.
Yes, it absolutely safe to eat! The word Yashan in context with Kashrut does not have any bearing on the age of the product. It is refers to when in the year the wheat was planted and it is a Halachic reference. However, in all events, please rest assured as flour that is stored properly can have a shelf life of five years.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team