Industrial Kosher Articles
Ask the Rabbi
Dear Rabbi:
Our plant processes and cans fruits and vegetables. The raw fruits and vegetables are of course all kosher. Why would I need to receive OU kosher certification; wouldn’t everyone know that my products are kosher? Can you explain what would be involved in attaining kosher certification for my plant?
Answer by Rabbi Leonard Steinberg
The Kosher Side of Private Labels
If you read industry reports, you have surely realized that private labeling is the way of the future. Gone are the days when the term “private label” conjured up images of plain labels affixed to a bottle of watered down ketchup and oily potato chips in huge bags. As quality has increased exponentially, the number of private label products is growing unabashedly up and down each aisle of your local supermarket. While this growth may be bad news for the “name brands” that stand to lose market-share, clearly it is good news for manufacturers and consumers alike.
Tulkoff Food Products: 4 Generations of Food Products and Co-Packing Services
Tulkoff Food Products is a 4th generation family firm which began in Baltimore, Maryland in the early 1930s. Brothers Phil, Alec and Michael Tulkoff are 3rd generation. Their grandparents Harry and Lena Tulkoff began with a small grocery in Baltimore, Maryland before specializing in horseradish and then sauces. In 1959, Horseradish, was their first product certified by OU Kosher. Their father, the late Marty Tulkoff, expanded the firm in the late […]
Kosher Certification & Controlled Environment Agriculture
Kosher Certification Evolves With the Continuous Technological Changes in Food Production Since the OU’s first product certification of Heinz vegetarian baked beans in 1923, the OU’s processes for certification evolved with food production technology. A deep understanding of food production, technology and science have made it possible to meet our customers where they are. The […]
India and the OU Kosher Connection
According to the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, U.S. total imports of agricultural products from India totaled $2.6 billion in 2019. Leading categories include spices ($271 million), rice ($230 million), essential oils ($184 million), processed fruit & vegetables ($142 million), and other vegetable oils ($133 million). OU Kosher has been active in India for […]
Add Your Product to the OU Kosher Approved Ingredients Universal Database
One of OUDirect’s most popular features is the search for Kosher approved raw materials, powered by the Universal Kosher Database (UKD). Hundreds of searches are done daily by OU clients looking for ingredients. But companies need to include their products in the database search results. Products are not included by default for privacy reasons. So when manufacturers opt–in, a link to their website can be included that can introduce potential customers to all products on their website. When any OU customer logs in […]
How OU Kosher Certified Companies are Coping Despite COVID-19
With the challenges of COVID still with us, the cold reality is that many food industry manufacturers have had to strengthen their stamina and creativity to survive. Since the beginning of the pandemic, OU Kosher has been here for our customers to provide you with our team of experts and business tools to help you make it through these […]
Rabbi Daniel Sharratt Answers Questions on Certifying Companies
There are many certifications you may want to feature on your product, depending on what’s appropriate like Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, nut-free and more. But a food certification that’s been around longer than any of these is the Kosher one. Rabbi Daniel Sharratt, Rabbinic coordinator for Orthodox Union, a Kosher certification agency based in New York whose […]
The Very Rapidly Evolving Kosher Beverage Industry
Companies all over the United States have been seeking kosher certification to provide kosher certified non-carbonated beverages to the large growing market of consumers who have asked for them. The growth of kosher certification for the beverage industry has provided a unique challenge to kashrus agencies, because beverage companies require a significant amount of involvement and scrutiny. Kashering demands a level of cooperation between the company, its workers and the kosher supervising staff because of an ongoing necessity to kasher between kosher and non-kosher products.
OU Kosher Symbols Explained
A complete list of all of the OU Symbols and their meaning.