Phyllis Koegel

As the Marketing Director for OU Kosher, the world’s leading Kosher certifying agency, Phyllis is responsible for the marketing and new business development by assisting food producers worldwide obtain OU Kosher certification for their products. Phyllis developed an early passion for consumer behavior and marketing. She joined the Orthodox Union in 2006 after serving as Marketing Manager for Sabra Hummus. At Sabra Hummus, she helped launch the hummus category to the American market. Hummus became a staple in American households and grew to a billion-dollar food category. Sabra Hummus was purchased by Pepsico in 2008 and has grown to over $1 billion in annual sales. Prior to joining Sabra, Phyllis was involved in the development and success of the International Kosherfest Trade show. As Show Director from 1989 – 2002, she worked with thousands of Kosher food manufacturers and oversaw the strategic planning and execution of the show. Phyllis was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y. She obtained an MBA in Marketing from Pace University in 1988. She now lives in Woodmere, N.Y. and has three children and sixteen grandchildren.

What Kosher, Vegan and Plant-Based Label Claims Really Mean

“Dairy-free”, “non-dairy”, “plant-based”, “kosher”, and “Vegan” labeling are all voluntary label claims, and while the FDA has no meaningful regulation for these meaningful marketing claims, OU kosher and BeVeg Vegan certification standards exist to clear consumer confusion.  It would seem that dairy-free and non-dairy, Vegan, and kosher pareve mean a product has no dairy, right? […]

Newly OU Kosher-Certified Bellarise Oil Reducer Helps Cut Baking Costs

Transitory or not, inflation has become the face of supply chain disruption. According to the USDA, the consumer price index rose by 6.8% in November 2021 from November 2020. To help its customers reduce production costs, the Pak Group, owner of the Bellarise brand, launched OU Kosher-certified,  Bellarise oil reducer. This new product is an […]

Kosher Food Takes Center Stage: Recapping Kosherfest 2021

This week, Kosherfest returned after a one-year hiatus and, while there were fewer exhibitors than in years past, the exhibition floor was packed with visitors and industry professionals. Representatives from across the kosher food universe participated – from established companies to kosher startups. Some were looking for distribution of their products, while others had services […]

Report Shows Renewed Investment in Private Brands

The number of OU Kosher certified private brands have grown significantly in the past 5 years. The OU Kosher symbol can be found on the shelves of all major retailers. Walmart, Kroger’s, Trader Joes, Costco and Amazon each have hundreds to thousands of OU Kosher brands. Target alone has over 3,000 OU Kosher-certified products. A […]

OU Kosher Partners with BeVeg to Offer the World’s Only ISO Accredited Vegan Certification

According to a study by Chef’s Pencil, interest in veganism was at an all-time high in 2020.  Analyzing google Trend’s data they looked at popular vegan search terms around the world and in many languages. The data showed that veganism is twice as popular now as it was just five years ago. And according to a report […]

GLK’s OU Kosher Line of Veggie Snacks and Food Service Products Keep Pace With Trends

GLK has consistently innovated and adapted throughout its 4 generations of food production history. It was the first to use stainless steel vats to produce kraut as well as vacuum systems for loading and unloading tanks, high-speed vertical form-fill-seal equipment, and an automated shredding and sorting process using state-of-the-art lasers and optics. They’ve also developed […]

How OU Kosher Certified Companies are Coping Despite COVID-19 

With the challenges of COVID still with us, the cold reality is that many food industry manufacturers have had to strengthen their stamina and creativity to survive.  Since the beginning of the pandemic, OU Kosher has been here for our customers to provide you with our team of experts and business tools to help you make it through these […]

Kosher Food Trends We Will be Seeing in 2021 

COVID-19 has upended almost every aspect of our daily lives, not the least of which includes our eating and food-purchasing habits. Ordering take-out, having groceries delivered and cooking at home are some major lifestyle changes. Newly certified Kosher products are a direct correlation of what’s going on in the world of food. At OU Kosher, we get the chance to forecast […]

Orthodox Union to be the Leading Kosher Supervision in the UAE

When the UAE opened their doors to Israeli tourism, the Orthodox Union was there. Where were we? Where we always are. In the kitchen, ensuring that the Kosher food is held to the highest halachik standards. After seeing the work of the OU in the initial meetings with US and Israeli officials, the UAE requested […]

OU Kosher Certified Products Lead the Kosher Category at 2019 Summer Fancy Food Show

By Phyllis Koegel, Marketing Director, OU Kosher At this year’s 65th annual Summer Fancy Food Show at the Javits center, hundreds of thousands of specialty food and beverage products from all over the world were on display. And amongst those products were over 300 OU Kosher certified companies representing almost all food categories and the […]