We’re here to help with any questions you have about My Own Meal® kosher prepared meals. Below are the answers to commonly asked questions about our meals, including information about ingredients, purchase, storage, shelf life, and religious preparation.
If you don’t find the answer to your question, please contact us and we will get to you back as soon as possible. Email is the best way: sales@myownmeals.com This was a process that was both business and personal. When we first entered the kosher market, we needed not only a reputable kashruth agency, but also individual(s) willing to provide guidance and education so that we could do it right. In the early 1990s, Mary Anne Jackson met with Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik, ztl, to interview with him and to explain her vision for the business. As a credible religious leader and scholar, he did not lend his family’s name to products other than to Streit’s at the time. Jackson sought to add her My Own Meal® brand to the list. At that meeting, Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik, ztl, decided that our proposed product line was important to the Jewish community and wanted to see it succeed for that reason alone. His son, Rabbi Moshe Soloveichik, would administer and supervise the day-to-day operations of the Organization of Orthodox Kashruth Supervision under the Soloveichik name. He was to follow his father’s chalachic standards, and include other respected rabbis in the agency. We were to work with the other major kashruth agencies and include ingredients certified by them and approved by him in our My Own Meal® recipes, as well as products certified by them in our MREs. Jews in the military, institutions, at camp and traveling were to have an option never before available. Jackson worked with the Jewish community and appreciates many individuals who helped her gain a proper education, including Kedem managers and their wives, chaplains and rabbis throughout the country, and several US Military Chaplains, Jewish and non-Jewish. Chaplain (Col) Jacob Goldstein Our meals and the Company became a part of the community. All Jackson was asked in return for her education was to learn, do it right, and not quit. And that she did and continues to do it today. Yes. Yes. We use only glatt certified beef from reputable suppliers and certifiers. While our chicken is OU certified glatt, our certifying agency follows the traditional use of glatt being limited to beef and lamb, so we do not put the word glatt on the packaging for chicken meals. Yes. No. No. The purpose of double wrapping is to prevent non-kosher food from entering the meal and “contaminating” it with non-kosher food. Two layers are used “in case” something gets through the first layer. The accepted procedure by the Kosher community, including most kosher certifying bodies and chaplains, follows. This is applicable only to the stand-up plastic pouches, not the foil pouches. Wipe out any noticeable spills in the microwave. Vent the stand-up, plastic pouch by pulling the corner back slightly at the tear notch and stand it on a paper plate. Place a simple covering over the pouch using, for example, an upside-down plastic or paper bag, or plastic wrap. Put the meal in the microwave and warm for one (1) minute. (NOTE: Even though the time depends on power settings & altitude, one (1) minute is usually long enough in most microwaves.) The outer covering or bag becomes one of the two layers of double wrapping and the slightly vented plastic pouch is the second layer. Since steam is going out of the vented corner as the meal warms, the rabbis have determined that the opening for venting does not negate the double wrapping requirement. The consumer could always put another paper plate, paper towel or napkin under and above the pouch for further protection if they feel more comfortable for any reason. Every case of My Own Meal® kosher certified rations and meal kits has two codes printed on the side of the Master Case. We maintain our inventory to assure our state of readiness to meet surges in unexpected demand and/or emergencies. We recommend that you inquire as to the current “Best By” date of the inventory at the time of your order if remaining shelf life is important to your purchase decision. We ship on a FIFO basis. On the back of every pouch you will see “BEST BY:” followed by a date written as MM/YYYY, meaning the two digit month followed by the four digit year. The Best By date indicates a date by which the meal is the most flavorful. Meals can be consumed after that date, but the taste may not be as flavorful or the color as vibrant. We ship to customers on a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) basis. Yes. The Best By date is printed on the back of each pouch. This is the recommended date to serve the meal for maximum texture, flavor and freshness. No. TSA requirements today limit the amount of liquid you can carry on-board. TSA uses the total weight of the package as the determining weight, no matter how much liquid is in the container. Pack them carefully in your checked bags to avoid puncturing the lid or pouch. We sell our meals in cases of six (6) meals of the same variety and do not offer or sell individual varieties. They are available via our web distributors and in some grocery stores. Contact us for help finding a convenient way to buy them individually. My Own Meal® (MOM™) plastic, stand-up pouches have a two and half (2.5) year shelf life from the date of manufacture if they are consistently stored between 50F (10C) and 80F (26C). My Own Meal® foil pouches carry a six (6) year shelf life from the date of manufacture if they are consistently stored between 50F (10C) and 80F (26C). Our meals are designed for ambient storage conditions, not too hot and not too cold! Either freezing or storage at high temperatures could damage the quality of the meals. To assure shelf-life integrity, store unopened pouches of My Own Meal® meals in the pantry, in your office, or in dry storage. Once the meal is heated, it should be consumed and not be returned to the shelf for storage. If the meal is opened, it should be put into a storage container and promptly refrigerated as all prepared food items are handled. Meals are not shelf stable once opened. No. Our meals should be protected from freezing because they are designed for ambient storage conditions. Refrigeration is NOT required and they should never be stored in the freezer. Freezing may damage the quality of the meals. Long-term storage consistently between 50°F (10°C) and 80°F (26°C) assures optimal shelf life integrity. Yes. They are perfectly safe and delicious to eat as is, especially in emergency situations where heating is not an option. We ship Monday through Thursday. My Own Meal® brand kosher meals usually ship on the next shipping day via UPS. Depending upon where we are shipping, UPS takes between 2 to 6 business days after we ship your order. Full pallet orders are shipped LTL and delivery is usually between 2 to 14 business days. We added a handling charge to cover the cost of processing smaller orders. We have kept pricing stable for years. To continue to do this, we added a charge to cover some of the cost of processing credit cards. We accept US-based Visa and Master Card. We do not process credit cards on this site. However, you can download the order form fill it out, and then fax the form to us at 847-948-0468, or email it to sales@myownmeals.com. Please remember to include a contact telephone number so that we can obtain your credit card information to process the order. Or call the information in to our office at (847) 948-1118. Send us an inquiry via email to sales@myownmeals.com We work with many who are concerned about specific food allergies and diets. See Special Diets. We do not use artificial flavors, colors or MSG. We use only healthful ingredients. No. The processing and the packaging preserve the meals. Yes. Vegetarian Stew. Three of our meals are vegetarian. Five of our meals are perfect for people avoiding gluten. You do not have to be Jewish to enjoy delicious My Own Meal® kosher meals! Each meal is:
I have questions about the meals, who can I contact?
How did you select your rabbinical supervising agency?
Are My Own Meal® kosher meals produced under the on-site supervision of a mashgiach timidi?
Are the meats used in My Own Meal® stand-up pouch meals glatt kosher?
Do the grains used in My Own Meal® products follow the laws of chodosh?
Are My Own Meal® dairy meals cholov yisrael?
Are any My Own Meal® varieties Kosher for Passover?
How can we double wrap meat meals to warm them in a non-rabbi-supervised microwave?
How do I read a lot code on the Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), Rations and Meal Kits – Best By Date?
How do I read the Best By Date for the POUCH meals?
Do your meals show BEST BY dates?
Can I Pack My Own Meal® tray or pouch meals in my carry-on luggage?
I want fewer than six (6) of the same meal variety. How can I order them?
What is the shelf-life of My Own Meal® pouches?
How should the meals be stored?
Should I freeze the meals?
Can My Own Meal® kosher meals be eaten unheated?
The meals are delicious as is, but for more flavor, warm them when possible.How long does it take to get the meals after I order?
Why is there a $60.00 fixed handling charge on smaller orders, but not on orders of 44 or more cases?
What is the credit card processing fee charge?
What credit cards do you accept?
How do I purchase My Own Meal® kosher Meals?
Where can I find nutritional labeling information?
What if I have food allergies or food sensitivities?
Do your meals have artificial flavors, colors, or MSG?
Do you use preservatives in your meals?
Are any of your meals Vegan?
Are any of your meals vegetarian?
Are any of your meals gluten-free?
Who orders My Own Meal® kosher meals?
I am not Jewish so why should I buy My Own Meal® kosher Meals?