Checking for insects on hydroponically-grown lettuce
Question
I'm a teacher at a girl's high school, and as part of agricultural studies, we grow lettuce hydroponically in a greenhouse. Do we still need to inspect the lettuce for insects?
Answer
Rabbi Ehud Achituv
Greenhouse-grown lettuce has considerably less insects than lettuce growing in open fields, and it stands to reason that hydroponically-grown lettuce is even less infested. Nevertheless, there is still a possibility that there are insects on the lettuce leaves, so the leaves must be inspected according to the halachic guidelines.