US Drives Global Kosher Ingredient Need
31/07/2007 – The growing kosher market is prompting manufacturers in countries without much local demand to gain certification so they can export to the high-potential US, and some are exporing continuous kosher production to keep down costs.
OU’s (Growing) Continental Connection
It looks like our neighbors across the Atlantic are catching onto the power of going kosher. U.S. food companies have long understood that it’s consumer demand that drives the market. They’ve also understood that kosher certification tops most consumers’ lists of demands. “If a European company wants to sell a product to the United States, whether it’s ingredients to be used by manufacturers or finished goods which are going to be used by the kosher-conscious American consumer, it’s has to be kosher,” says Rabbi Nahum Rabinowitz, OU Kosher Senior Rabbinic Coordinator, who heads the European desk. “With the OU’s worldwide recognition, it is in the best position to open markets for these companies.” Based on the current rate European companies are seeking OU certification, the trend to go kosher is in full swing.
Survey finds OU the Clear Leader in Kosher Certification
Consumers Trust OU to Ensure Highest Standards of Kosher, Food Safety and Cleanliness
Brandy is Dandy, but Needs Special Attention to be Kosher as Well
Brandy is short for brandywine and is derived from the Dutch brandewijn, meaning burnt, or distilled, wine. The alcohol for brandy is produced by fermenting fruits to produce wine. Because fermentation is a result of the action of microbes in yeast, there is a natural limit to the alcohol content of the fermented material. When the alcohol concentration reaches a level of about 12 percent, fermentation stops. The reason is that the alcohol kills any remaining yeast so that no more alcohol is produced; the limit of alcohol content in wine, therefore, is around 12 percent. There is, however, a type of bacteria, called acetobacter, which thrives on alcohol, turning it into vinegar, thereby souring the wine. Thus, wine is ordinarily subject to two drawbacks in quality: The one is a limit to its strength, the other, a limit to its shelf life.
Anuga: A Trade Show Lover’s Dream
Everyone close to me knows that I love trade shows. Having been a show director, exhibitor and attendee, and having visited every food industry trade event imaginable, I’ve seen them all. From specialty foods, ethnic events, ingredients, nutraceuticals and candy, just to mention a few, nothing prepared me for the enormity, scope and venue of […]
Second Annual Essay Contest for Grades 4-12
It’s baaaaaak! The Second Annual OU Kosher Essay Contest for Grades 4-12, building upon the success of the First Annual Event, is now open for entries from students across North America, with the deadline for submissions being March 7, 2008.
Profile: Meeting the Demands of Shemittah
Israeli Farmer Ariel Porat Speaks with Journalist Michael Freund
It’s that time of year again in the Jewish State. An entire industry has shut down, workers are refraining from taking up their posts, and their tools and machinery lie about idly gathering dust.
Shemittah for the Clueless
“And the land shall rest” (Vayikra 25:1-7).
Every seventh year, residents of the land of Israel are reminded that the land that flows with milk and honey is God’s property and domain. He grants the bounty of the six “regular” years and He commands that the land lie fallow during the seventh year, the shemittah year. During this period, landowners are required to relinquish ownership of their produce–whatever grows on their property must be made accessible to all. In this way, shemittah also serves as an antidote to greed and stinginess. Special halachot regarding the sanctity of the produce also prohibit their disposal as well as their profitable sale.
Sales and Marketing Expert Anthony Chan Joins OU KOSHER as Asian Sales Representative
Anthony Chan of ACESAP Marketing Services of Singapore has joined the Orthodox Union as an Asian Sales Representative, Rabbi Eliyahu Safran, Vice President of Communications and Marketing for the Orthodox Union Kosher Division, announced today
“But Rabbi, What are You Going to Eat???”
Have Tuna Will Travel: How OU Rabbis on the Road Survive without Kosher Restaurants