Chazaka in Kashrus: 7/11 Slurpees, Starbucks coffee & public hot water machine
Question:
1) Is it permissible to have ‘Kosher’ Slurpees from ‘7-11’, not knowing if they exchange flavors frequently?
A) Will the utensil be considered non-Kosher מצד כבוש of a non-Kosher flavor, or כבוש doesn’t apply to a slurpee machine being that the liquid is constantly moving and refilled as customers purchase slurpees?
B) Will it be considered מבליע into the ‘Kosher’ slurpees, for the same reasoning?
C) Can we assume that they cleaned the machine well when exchanging flavors?
Answer:
Depending on the details, it would likely be permitted based on the rule of nullification in sixty times of the non-kosher.
Kavush wouldn’t be a problem as the kosher Slurpee’s would only absorb the taste of the Keli after 24 hours, in which case it would be Pagum.
שו״ע אדה״ז תמז, כח.
This question should be addressed to the certifying Hechsher, if there is one, or the agencies which produce lists of kosher Slurpee’s.
Of course, it’s always best to use Slurpee’s from a kosher certified location
From what I’ve read, but haven’t verified it myself:
99.9% of Slurpee flavors are kosher pareve. The Slurpee machine operates at 28°F, too cold for there to be any blios flavor. There are also no issues of kavush because of the high turnover of product. The flavors don’t usually sit in the machines for 24 hours. The compartment in the machine is so small that the Slurpee flavor is replaced after filling a few cups.
However, Slurpee is a registered trademark sold only at 7-Eleven stores. Other gas stations or convenience stores sell similar products but more caution is needed when purchasing from them. While 7-Eleven stores mostly use the main brands which are more likely to be kosher certified, other stores may use generic-brands that are not necessarily kosher certified. If the dispenser is shared among more than one flavor, and you cannot confirm that they are all kosher, it is recommended to run the machine until there is no residue of the previous flavor before filling your cup.
2) Is a ‘Kosher’ coffee by Starbucks permissible?
Please see here:
Is it permitted to drink plain coffee (or tea with a hechsher) at a Starbucks and the like?
3) Hot water from a public hot water machine, should I worry that someone might have used the ‘hot water faucet’ straight onto non-Kosher items?
Please see here:
#21003
#22726
