More than 41% of U.S. food processors and manufacturers rely on kosher certification to help them reach a wider audience of consumers, reaching far beyond followers of observant Judaism.
Research shows that manufacturers whose products carry a kosher supervision symbol obtain more favorable shelf space in supermarkets and outsell non-certified items of the same type by 20%. In short, manufacturers find it easier to get wholesalers and distributors to carry their products, while retailers find it easier to sell them.
Tens of millions of American consumers – most of whom are not Jewish – see unique value in kosher-certified food products, making kosher certification one of the most successful marketing programs around.
It’s estimated that approximately 70% of all food products on store shelves today have kosher certification.
Many of those products sport the famous “OU” symbol of the New York-based Orthodox Union, the world’s largest kosher certification agency. That number continues to grow. The benefits – increased shelf space, higher sales, positive customer awareness – have been consistent for decades, and are set to grow amid current consumer trends.
There are still many products that could be eligible for kosher certification, but for various reasons their makers have not applied for it. What many manufacturers and retailers may not realize is that going kosher doesn’t have to be complicated.
Attaining Certification
There is a plethora of certification organizations that actively help companies make their products kosher, streamlining and digitizing the process – enabling companies to put the kosher symbol on packages, even if the production and packaging of the products is done abroad.
For those with less cursory familiarity with them, the rules for kosher certification may seem complicated – but for many manufacturers, getting certified is likely not much more than a matter of filling out some forms.
Assuming that a product does not contain outright non-kosher ingredients, such as pork, shellfish, non-ritually slaughtered beef or chicken, or non-kosher-certified cheeses, certification is likely to be just a matter of engaging with a certification agency’s supervisors, who will review ingredient lists and manufacturing processes.
With over a million kosher certified raw ingredients on the market – from oils to stabilizers to colorings to everything in between – the chances are high that a product is already “kosher-ready,” with the certification process simply a verification of the ingredients, process, and factory location. With such a wide variety of certified raw ingredients, manufacturers should have no problem finding an equal or even superior certified ingredient of the same type to replace an uncertified one.
Expanding Consumer Base
Besides kosher-keeping consumers, and consumers seeking higher-quality manufactured food products, kosher certification appeals to a large subset of Americans with specialized diets – vegan consumers, religious consumers of several faiths, including Muslims and Seventh-Day Adventists, lactose-intolerant consumers, and those seeking gluten-free products.
Vegans know that a product labeled “kosher pareve” will contain no meat or dairy products (except, possibly, eggs) so it’s safe for them to buy. The same goes for lactose-intolerant consumers, who are assured that the pareve label guarantees that no milk or milk-based ingredients are present.
Many large institutions, like schools and hospitals, rely on pareve kosher certification to provide safe choices to those with milk allergies.
Those seeking gluten-free products will find a plethora of them in certified kosher products around Passover time, when the holiday’s prohibition on eating leavened grains prompt production of many items that do not contain any wheat, with ingredients like almond flour or potato starch substituting for the usual wheat flour in products like cereal, pasta, and even baked goods that look like bread.
Manufacturers seeking to reach all these consumers will be able to do so more easily – while enjoying the other attendant benefits of certification.
The food sector is extremely competitive, with producers of all kinds competing for shelf space, and spending billions annually on advertising, marketing, discounting, and other programs – all designed to get more consumers to adopt their product. Kosher certification isn’t as flashy as lavishly-produced TV or social media ads – but it is trusted by a growing number of consumers and is a proven way to increase business.
About the author: Rabbi Moshe Elefant serves as the Chief Operating Officer of OU Kosher. As an industry expert, Rabbi Elefant oversees the certification and monthly inspection of 13,000 plants in 105 countries.
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