Industrial Kosher Articles

Cold Facts About How to Make Kosher Ice Cream

All across North America this winter students and their teachers in Jewish schools have been entertained and enlightened by OU Kosher’s Kosher Kidz video, which takes them behind the scenes at an ice cream factory to learn what makes a product kosher and to see Jewish law put into practice in the manufacture of every kid’s’ favorite food.

It’s not Greek to Him

It’s Not Greek to Him: An OU RFR Hits the Road to See the Nuances of Olive Production in an Ancient Land

One of the great pleasures of working for the OU is the opportunity to occasionally step away from my desk and travel into the field. While there is always a sense of thrill and adventure involved in seeing the world, these are far from pleasure jaunts. Most importantly, these journeys provide critical insight into the real world workings of kosher. As the saying goes, “Hearing (or reading) is nothing like seeing!”

Flying the Kosher Skies

Flying the Kosher Skies: OU Survey Determines that All Eight Major U.S. Carriers Contacted Provide Kosher Food on Board

Kosher snacks — such as potato chips, pretzels, cookies — and in many cases, meals, are available on eight major United States airlines, and all the kosher-keeping traveler has to do to get them is to ask, the Orthodox Union Kosher Division announced today.

OU Kosher revealed that its survey of eight major United States airlines has made it clear that all eight offer kosher meals and/or snacks on board and that guided by the OU, most of them are eager to expand on their offerings. No longer do those who keep kosher have to be hungry at 35,000 feet – or in many cases have to bring kosher food with them on board.

Tanks for the Memories: OU and transport Companies Work Together to Make Sure that Kosher Products

A few weeks ago I was attending a wedding reception, sitting at a round table with a number of other guests. An older gentleman, an interested kosher consumer but not, himself, involved in the kosher industry, turned to me. He asked me what I do, and I told him I work at the OU.
“Tell me what it is you do at the OU,” he said. I told him that, among some other things, I am involved in making sure that the transport of kosher commodities from one site to the next is on vehicles that are dedicated to kosher products. He seemed uncertain about what I meant.

About The Food Institute: A Brief History

A nonprofit organization founded in 1928, The Food Institute has a single purpose: providing information to the food industry in an unbiased, timely and relevant manner.

The Food Institute was founded by Seattle food broker Gordon C. Corbaley, who decided to put out a semi-regular posting for his principals — mainly canners — and his customers, so they could keep better informed about what was going on in the marketplace. He called his postings The News from Oregon and Washington. The reports were welcomed by the trade; given the poor communications when Calvin Coolidge was President of the United States, a great deal of business was still being done by poorly informed (at times actually misinformed) buyers and sellers.

The Food Institute Works with OU Kosher to Help Consumers Get the Most Bang for the Buck on Food Purchases

For the first time since 1990, prices for food-at-home rose over four percent last year and could very likely do so again in 2008, with projections from the United States government suggesting an increase of as much as 4.5 percent. Many consumers, as well as many food manufacturers and retailers, are finding this to be unfamiliar turf and are looking for ways to deal with the higher prices.

Passover 2008: A Blend of the Old and the New

When Jews sit down to the seder on April 19 and 20, chances are that the set table will have a very traditional look. There will be the seder plates, the cups for the wine, the elegant flatware and dishes and so forth. But when the meal begins, the foods that are served may be reflecting some of the new products that have been introduced in recent years. For example, even the Kedem grape juice could be a dietetic version that has far less sugar than the traditional grape juice. The matzos may be spelt or whole wheat, the gefilte fish without sugar, and, of course, Diet Coke.

Certification of Vodka

Dear Rabbi,
What is involved in the OU certification of vodka?

The Orthodox Union receives many inquiries about certification of vodka. This is a typical response, as written by Rabbi Nahum Rabinowitz, Senior Rabbinic Coordinator.

The Power of Imagination Brings Inspirational and Healthy Eating to Passover

No question – food has always played an essential role in the celebration of Jewish holidays. But when it comes to Passover, it takes an extra dose of vigilance and knowledge to keep all the season’s meticulous kosher laws properly. Those companies involved in the production of kosher-for-Passover products have learned that, in order to keep the eight days of highly restrictive eating interesting, they’ve had to crank up their creativity. Thanks to modern-day food technology, the past decade of Passover offerings have been plentiful – and innovative.

Editor’s Letter (BTUS Spring 2008)

The Hebrew language name for the holiday of Passover – Pesach — conveys conversation, with “Pe” meaning mouth and “sach” connoting speaking or conversing.
The matzah referred to as lechem oni, poor man’s bread, is seen not simply as a food consumed when hastily leaving Egypt, but as a medium for discussion and elaboration on countless Passover themes. The Bible instructs that we verbally communicate to our children on Passover night and tell them about the most consequential event in the annals of Jewish history. An actual and active dialogue must be at the core of the Passover experience, with the children as the focus of that life experience. The Haggadah text was specifically created as the vehicle through which all can be told and explained. There is no genuine Passover experience without adequate and meaningful conversation, discussion, analysis and talking. On Passover night silence is not a virtue; as a matter of fact, the more prolonged the discussion and conversation is on this night, the greater the reward. In short, on Passover, we talk it up.