Articles
Pesach Q&A With OU Kosher
OU Kosher Rabbanim Field Thousands of Consumer Pesach-Related Shaylos NEW YORK (Press release) — On any given day, Rabbi Zvi Nussbaum, the rabbinic coordinator responsible for managing OU Kosher’s year-round consumer hotline, fields about 150 kashrus-related phone calls. With less than a month until Pesach — OU Kosher’s busiest season — that number will double […]
The End of Self-Affirmed GRAS: What Food Manufacturers Need to Know Now
What Is GRAS — and Why Is It Changing? At the center of the change is the GRAS framework — short for Generally Recognized as Safe. GRAS is the regulatory pathway that allows food ingredients with a long history of safe use, or sufficient scientific backing, to be used in products without going through FDA’s […]
Meeting the growing demand for animal-free medicines
The steadily rising proportion of Americans who devote heightened attention to their dietary intake – whether by observing vegetarian or vegan regimens, managing food allergies, or complying with religious dietary stricture – are increasingly scrutinising not just the meals they consume, but also the medicines they ingest. Americans are particularly concerned with avoiding animal products. Indeed, a […]
New ‘no-animal’ Milk Has Kosher Foodies Salivating
Cow-free beverage made from lab-engineered dairy protein is now sold in supermarkets across Israel. At least one restaurateur is setting his table for old-fashioned Southern fried chicken. Tel Aviv’s Bodega Burger is already known for pushing the envelope on kosher food, with a pioneering (beef) bacon (vegan) cheese burger as its signature dish since it […]
What is Yoshon?
The source for the laws pertaining to Yoshon are found in Vayikra (23:9-14). These laws are applicable to the Chamishas HaMinim of barley, oats, rye, spelt and wheat.
These grains are Yoshon if they took root prior to Pesach. If the grains did not take root prior to Pesach then they are chadash until the subsequent Pesach. There is a halachic dispute if the hashrashah (grain taking root) must be 3 days or two weeks prior to Pesach. The laws of chadash do not apply to other grains such as rice, corn and buckwheat.
Hiland Global Consulting: Pioneers of Full-Circle Certification Management
Hiland Global Consulting has long been a premier partner for food manufacturers, serving as a bridge between companies and certifying bodies for Kosher, Organic, Non-GMO, and Gluten-Free standards. While they’ve built a reputation as the “fixers” for complex regulatory challenges, 2025 marks a strategic shift for the firm. We recently caught up with Chad Lewis, Hiland Global’s Chief Operating […]
Is Kosher Cleaning Taking Too Much Production Time?
3 Ways to Reduce Downtime During Kosher Changeovers For many plant managers, the word “Kosherization” (the process of cleaning to make equipment Kosher) can mean lost production time. While strict cleaning is required for certification, the amount of downtime can often be managed more efficiently. By making small changes to your processes and working with […]
OU Beer Policy for Food Service – Effective January 1, 2026
OU Kosher is updating its beer policy for all OU establishments and certified events. Beginning January 1, 2026, only beers with reliable kosher certification may be served, due to the growth of craft beers, flavored varieties, and shared equipment that can affect kosher status. The OU is joined by the OK and Star-K, along with […]
Automation at Scale, Assurance by Design: How OU Kosher Aligns Digital Production with Verified Compliance
Major manufacturers are pouring multi-billion-dollar budgets into digital production and logistics Major manufacturers are pouring multi-billion-dollar budgets into digital production and logistics—including OU Kosher certified brands and companies such as Oreo (Mondelez), Kellogg’s, Chobani, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo. As plants add sensors, data historians, and automated workflows, OU Kosher is evolving with them. In many cases, […]
FSMA 204 Is the Story: How Retailers and OU Direct Are Raising the Traceability Bar
FSMA 204 (food traceability rule) is accelerating traceability requirements for high-risk foods. While the FDA has proposed extending compliance to July 2028, major retailers like Walmart, Kroger, and Target—together representing over 10,000 OU kosher-certified products—are already demanding strict compliance with electronic record keeping. These retailers are leading the charge in raising traceability standards ahead of […]
