The word kosher means proper or acceptable and it has informally entered the English language with that meaning. Kosher foods are those that conform to the rules of Jewish religion. These rules form the main aspect of kashrut, Jewish dietary laws.
Reasons for food being non-kosher include the presence of ingredients derived from non-kosher animals or from kosher animals that were not properly slaughtered, a mixture of meat and milk, wine or grape juice (or their derivatives) produced without supervision, the use of produce from Israel that has not been tithed or even the use of cooking utensils and machinery which had previously been used for non-kosher food.
Facts
The word “kosher” can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use. Though Jewish dietary law is very complex, we have given below some general simplified guidelines:-
Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
All blood must be drained out from meat and poultry or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
Fruits and vegetables are permitted, but must be inspected for bugs (which cannot be eaten)
Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).
Utensils (including pots and pans and other cooking surfaces) that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.
Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.
Kosher and Non-Kosher Food:
Food is considered kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws and, if not cooked at home in a kosher kitchen, prepared under the supervision of a rabbi. Jewish dietary laws are many and varied; the most familiar are those forbidding consumption of pork and shellfish and the combining of meat and dairy. Whether traditional or otherwise, all foods eaten by observant Jews must follow these laws.
Meat
Beef and lamb are kosher if slaughtered humanely in accordance with kosher law (also known as kashrut), as are goats and deer. Chicken, duck, goose and turkey are also kosher.
Fish
Jewish dietary law permits eating fish with fins and scales–which means salmon, tuna, carp and herring are permitted, but catfish are not. Also, they do not consider fish to be meat and therefore fish products may be consumed with dairy (lox with cream cheese on a bagel is allowed).
Eggs
Eggs, like fish, are considered pareve or neutral (neither flesh nor dairy) and can appear in any kosher dish.
Vegetables
All vegan food is considered kosher; there are no forbidden plant-based foods in Jewish law. Vegetarian food incorporating dairy is kosher as long as the milk comes from a kosher animal such as a cow, sheep, goat or other cloven-hooved animal.
Steps for KOSHER Certification
Details of Products to be certified, Factory address, List of Raw material for each product to be furnished to us
- List of other products being manufactured in your unit other than the Kosher products
- Factory or Premises address proof.
- Undertaking that the factory does not have any animal sources used for manufacturing
- Food sample to be tested from Laboratory-mentioned Food ingedients.
- A factory audit for Kosher requirements will be conducted to review the hygiene practices and process
- Upon receipt and review of Kosher laboratory reports based of report , certification authority after 10 working days, the Kosher certificate will be released
- Certificate validity: 12 months
Benefits
The KOSHER logo has become an increasingly important marketing device, which generates additional revenues by expanding the size of your available market. KOSHER certification gives a product a competitive edge that makes it sell faster, thus causing supermarkets to favor brands with certification. In addition, that means that KOSHER certification can lead to an increase in a company’s private label business.
There is clear evidence that a Kosher symbol boosts market share, that a Kosher product can win more favorable shelf space, and that when positioned next to a competing Non-Kosher brand, a Kosher product will do better by 20%. This data has remained constant even in smaller cities, far from cities with heavy concentrations of Kosher consumers. (Source: Integrated Marketing Communications.)
Over the past Forty years, the demand for Kosher-certified products has increased dramatically and Kosher is currently one of the hottest food trends. Steady and demonstrable growth over the last decade has led to an exponential rise in the numbers of products now available to the Kosher consumer.
Market studies repeatedly indicate that even the non-Jewish consumer, when given the choice, will express a distinct preference for Kosher certified products. They regard the Kosher symbol as a sign of quality- a ‘Good-Housekeeping Seal’.
Developing a Kosher program is an investment your company makes in order to increase market reach and share. We are ready to support you in any way we can to achieve your goals.