Articles
How the OU Is Helping in Ukraine
When the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in late February, OU Kosher, in close contact with the Jewish community there, began coordinating relief efforts. Over the past month, food shipments and fundraising efforts have helped provide the Jewish people of Ukraine with food, transportation and evacuation, hotels and shelters, medical supplies, resettlement and more. […]
Why Vegan Certification Standards Matter
While there is a general agreement about what makes something vegan, there are currently no regulations governing the claim that a product is Vegan within North America or Europe. Vegan claims are not regulated by the FDA or the EU which means that a manufacturer of the broad range of products that vegan can […]
Going for the Goji
Around 10 years ago, then an electrical and general contractor, Tibor Fischl designed a retractable greenhouse and agricultural growing system. Figuring he had to put something into it to show how it would work, he looked for nutritious plants and came upon the goji berry. Originally brought to the United States in the 19th century […]
Eat The Change: Snack to the Future
Eat the Change creates healthy chef-crafted snacks, including its latest offering, OU Kosher-certified Cosmic Carrot Chews. Co-founder Seth Goldman who also co-founded Honest Tea wanted kosher certification to expand the product’s reach. “What we eat has the single biggest impact on the planet of any of our daily actions,” says Seth Goldman, co-founder and CEO […]
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 […]