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The Rise of Califia Farms
Califia Farms, founded in 2010 by beverage visionary and Odwalla founder Greg Steltenpohl, is on a mission to offer healthier, plant-based options to the masses. The company manufactures 100% plant-based, non-GMO, carrageenan-free, gluten-free, and vegan probiotic yogurts, creamers, cold brew coffee, and juices. They also manufacture three varieties of USDA certified-organic homestyle nut milks in three varieties—almond, cashew, and coconut—made with only four ingredients (organic nuts, water, oat fiber, and a dash of sea salt).
The Role of the OU
During the company’s impressive growth phase, the emerging beverage company partnered with OU—the world’s largest and most widely recognized kosher certification agency—to add its kosher symbols to all products.
Of this partnership, the CEO of Califia told KosherEye: We want our products to be a part of as many people’s lives as possible, so it made sense to get our products certified so shoppers choosing Kosher would have an easy decision.
Companies Like Califia Farms Recognize the Kosher Advantage
“Often labels will sport an ‘O’ with a ‘U’ inside. This is the stamp of approval of the largest kosher-certification body, and basically means there’s no need to read the label….” — Wall Street Journal
Over $150 billion in kosher certified products are consumed annually, and the OU kosher symbol appears on close to 70% of America’s most popular kosher-certified foods, from Chobani to Coca-Cola. Why?
Busy shoppers don’t have time to stop and read labels. They will choose the products that have a clear kosher certification. Because of this, a product with a prominent OU symbol is more likely to make it into a shopper’s cart.
OU Provides the Competitive Edge
There is clear evidence that kosher symbols boost market share and win more highly coveted shelf space—a kosher product will outperform a non-Kosher product by 20%.
Califia Farms knows this—they recognize the kosher logo as an extremely important tool to enhance their products’ marketability. They know that because products with the OU symbol sell faster, supermarkets favor OU certified products and give them the best shelf space. Ultimately, this generates more sales, and leads to an increase in business.
OU Signifies Quality
Smart brands, like Califia Farms, know consistency builds brand loyalty. And because the OU carefully reviews all ingredients and production practices before granting its seal, consumers trust the OU seal.
OU certification is a widely recognized symbol of quality by food industry personnel, kosher inspectors, and shoppers. When brands like Califia Farms work with OU, their products become an easy first choice, particularly for the kosher consumer.
Nearly a Decade Later
Today Califia Farms is one of the fastest growing natural beverage companies in the U.S. The company has the best-selling cold brew coffee brand in the natural channel and, in 2015, In 2015, Califia Farms was named “Brand of the Year” by BevNet as well as a “Breakout Brand” by Beverage World.
