Articles
OU Kosher Meets the Challenge of Certifying the Beverage Industry
A discussion of the challenges and opportunities of Kosher Certification within the beverage industry.
A Closer Look at Sugar
One of the tell-tale signs of the winter months is the sweet smells of fresh baked goods wafting through the air, be it sufganiyot, hamentashen or even challah. It prompts us to consider a basic food staple – a food so vital, its absence would render many foods almost inedible. It delights the sophisticated […]
The Life and Times of an Application for OU Kosher Certification
In the beginning – the first step to kosher certification When a new company submits an application for kosher certification it sets a number of people and processes in motion. This article will take you behind the scenes at OU Kosher, from the time an application is received until the letter of kosher certification (LOC) […]
Who’s Who at OU Kosher
Key Administrative Duties and Terms OU Kosher–certified companies have two main contact points at the OU: the RC (Rabbinic Coordinator) and the RFR (Rabbinic Field Representative), who reports directly to the RC. Both can help source ingredients, market products and services, and solve problems. In short, they make the kosher production program as smooth and […]
Kosher Nutraceuticals and Supplements: Principles and Process
Kosher supervision demands that both ingredients and the production process are required to be kosher. The growth of the global ingredients supply chain for nutritional ingredients, and the many manufacturers pursuing kosher certification for those ingredients, has required OU Kosher to apply these principles of kosher law to a variety of production scenarios. Besides the […]
OU Kosher to Certify Shabbos Mode GE Appliances
Transition to OU Kosher Supervision Brings Improvements to Shabbos Mode on “GEA” Division Ovens and Refrigerators OU Kosher is in the process of certifying several GE Appliances (formerly GE) to help observant Jews keep the laws of the Sabbath, or Shabbos. Until recently, Shabbos-compliant ovens were certified by the Star-K agency. As of Jan 2022, some […]
Learning to Do Business in China
Rabbi Luntz lives in Perth, Australia, with his young family and has been an RFR for the OU in China since 2014. Question: When was the first time you went to China? Answer: The first time I went to China was a stopover in Hong Kong, and I spent a Sabbath in Guan Zhou, the next-door city to Hong Kong. That was just a […]
Demystifying OU-D : Why Consumers Care
Knowing that a product may have dairy ingredients can be especially important to allergic individuals, for whom consuming even the smallest dairy ingredient can have dire consequences. In addition, a product’s flavors may contain dairy, even in such small amounts that you won’t see that reflected on the label. Due to the importance of flavor […]
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 […]