Does it need checking? Two kinds of onion are rated for each country. In the USA, one kind is sometimes infested and the other is mostly infested. In Israel, one kind is not commonly infested and the other is mostly infested. (Rav Moshe Vaya)
Rav Vaya’s rating
| USA | ★ ★★ | two kinds (e.g. wild vs. cultivated, local vs. imported): ★ sometimes infested / ★★ mostly infested |
| Israel | ✓ ★★ | two kinds (e.g. wild vs. cultivated, local vs. imported): ✓ not commonly infested / ★★ mostly infested |
Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, Degree of Infestation chart, p. 936 (Onion)
Which bugs
- OU Kosher’s chart names them: thrips, at the onion tips or in the outer layers. OU describes thrips as tiny, thin, black or grayish insects.
Sources
- Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, Degree of Infestation chart, p. 936 (rating).
- Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha: summary sheet “Washing Fruits and Vegetables” (published by Machon Aliya).
- OU Kosher: thrips, at the tips or in the outer layers. Cut off the onion tips, peel off the inedible and loose layers of skin, and wash thoroughly. (Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Chart)
- cRc: fresh onions, all varieties: cut off both ends. If the layers are tightly packed, peel the first layer or wash well. If the layers are loose, wash each layer. (Fruits & Vegetables Checking Guide)
Related
References: OU Kosher — Fruit and Vegetable Inspection Chart (PDF) · cRc — Fruits & Vegetables Checking Guide · Rav Moshe Vaya — “Washing Fruits and Vegetables” (Machon Aliya, Hebrew)
Source: Rav Moshe Vaya, Bedikat HaMazon K’Halacha, p. 936
