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.

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 […]

Expo East

Every year in downtown Baltimore, just off of the harbor, executives and marketers from across the natural food industry gather their organic cotton bags and pack quinoa-kale lunches for two days of health food nirvana. Expo East brings together food and health product companies who line up in hundreds of booths, creating an opportunity for […]

OUDirect Update

OUDirect continues to support the operations of the 5500+ certified companies in our family with its newly updated customer platform. OUDirect’s fresh look offers innovative features that simplify your day to day Kosher certification operations. With increased efficiency and greater customization, OUDirect provides 24-hour access to your OU Kosher program in a secure online environment. […]

Textures Trending in Food Products

The other night I was craving pasta. It was like an obsession had hijacked my brain and I couldn’t focus on anything else. If I didn’t have pasta I felt as if I’d go insane. Crazy, but I know you know that feeling, when you desire a specific food, not because you’re hungry, but because […]

Kosherfest, Still Amazing 30 Years Later: OU Kosher’s Marketing Director Looks Back on the Growth of a Show and an Industry

Thirty years ago, when I was a much younger version of myself, I remember sitting in a staff meeting at Lubicom Marketing Consulting, discussing Menachem Lubinsky’s vision for a kosher food tradeshow. In 1988 I was the Show Coordinator for the International Jewish Life Expo for which Lubicom provided public relations and advertising services. The […]

OUKosher Visits the Thaifex World of Food Show 2018

For the last 15 years, the Thaifex World of Food show in Bangkok has been the ultimate food show for innovation. Vendors and visitors travel from across the globe to show off their food and beverage products or to sample some of the products that may not have even hit the market. Some of the […]