Industrial Kosher Articles

The Beginnings Of OU Kosher

The beginnings of the Orthodox Union’s Kashruth Division and the world famous OU symbol.

Ancient Bowfin Presents New Ich-Theological Conundrum

What is the Kosher status of the bowfin, the notorious freshwater fish?

OU Symbol: More Than Just Food To Eat

An editorial from Behind the Union Symbol, explaining the significance behind Kosher supervision and eating kosher food.

“Korn” Syrup And The Real Thing

The inside story of sugar and other sweeteners from the Kosher perspective.

Making Fruit Jelly Kosher: It’s Easier Than Ever

A discussion of the manufacture of Grape Jelly and how one company has been able to use recent changes to expand their manufacture of Kosher Grape Jelly.

Olestra

A history of the fat substitute Olestra and its Kosher status.

Vanilla

An exploration of the vanilla industry and its implications for Kosher.

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 […]