Beit Din threatens Wimbledon ban

Kedassia, one of the UK kashrut authorities (of course there couldn't be just one body) has decided that the way in which strawberries have been cleaned for hundreds of years doesn't actually get rid of all the "hidden bugs" that they contain. As a result, they have banned the eating of strawberries until such a time as a solution can be found.

Of course there is disagreement in the community:

"Sources within both the London and Federation Beth Dins said their rabbis are
allowing people to continue to eat strawberries, as long as they are carefully
checked and washed."

Well thank goodness that this is the major challenge facing the Jewish community in the UK today. Clearly trying to out-frum one another by finding more things that are unfit to eat (where are these bugs hiding for goodness sake?) is more important than dealing with intermarriage, antisemitism and engaging the wider community in some sort of meaningful relationship with Judaism?

Fruit salads will be carefully scrutinized in Hendon and Golders Green to make sure that no offending fruits are present - and if the ban applies to strawberries then I'm sure that there are those who'll extend it to blackberries and raspberries just to be on the safe side (kal v'homer, building a fence around the Torah etc). If strawberries are less than a sixtieth of the salad, does Bitul Beshishim apply?

I shall look forward to seeing pictures on the front page of the JC of the enterprising Yid who sets up a peaches and cream stall at Wimbledon this summer for those who hold by Kedassia - but presumably the next step is to ban Wimbledon as Wimbledon leads to strawberries......

I do sometimes get the feeling that we're living in Chelm,

Gilly