Industrial Kosher Articles
Olestra
A history of the fat substitute Olestra and its Kosher status.
Vanilla
An exploration of the vanilla industry and its implications for Kosher.
OU Kosher Symbols Explained
A complete list of all of the OU Symbols and their meaning.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Most of us (with the possible exception of some of our more junior associates) did not, as children, have high fructose corn syrup in our foods. But as frequent visitors to food production plants around the country it has been hard not to notice that high fructose corn syrup has quickly become the primary sweetener […]
Peanut Butter I
A exploration of peanut butter and its (sticky) Kosher concerns
Peanut Butter II: Standard Of Identity
For Part 1 click here In the early 1920’s a young American entrepreneur named James Rosefield, seeking to overcome the troubling problem of oil separation in peanut butter, took advantage of a new development in oil chemistry, called hydrogenation, in which he squeezed a fraction of peanut oil out of peanuts, hydrogenated the oil, and […]
The Kosher Advantage
Background It’s one of those classic radio and television ads. A group of sheepish executives are huddled around a large corporate table. The CEO storms into the room and pounds on the table. “Sales are down, and we’re on the verge of bankruptcy. Can’t go on like this much longer. Jim, Nancy, Bill, Theresa…we need […]
Food for Thought: Fat For Thought
What are the implications of fat substitutes in food?
Sweet-Talk: Inside The Kosher Bakery
Certificating an industrial bakery is a complicated matter. Here are some of the issues involved in making supervising bakeries.