Q. The bop (bureau of prisons) does not serve fresh vegetables to Jewish inmates. You get a microwaved meal and sometimes sealed tuna or sardines. It is called common fare. However, the non Jews get fresh salad from a salad bar, like cut lettuce, cut coleslaw etc. Can a Jewish inmate eat from that? We were told that the silverware and utensils that they make the salads are only used for salad?

Sincerely,
A concerned prisoner

A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit”a opinion is that if in fact the utensils used for preparing the salad are dedicated for that purpose only and they are clean and used cold, you can eat the salad in your particular situation. However great care should be taken to inspect the salad leafs to see that they don’t have any insects, (you may want to wash those leaves well). You have to avoid salads that contain dressings, as they require kosher certification. Coleslaw may not meet these requirements.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller Shlit”a