“Kosher” is a term used to describe food that complies with the strict dietary standards of traditional Jewish law. The Hebrew word Kasher (kosher) literally means fit or proper for consumption – the Jewish people have applied these guidelines to their daily diet for millennia.
For many Jews, kosher is more than just health or food safety. It is about reverence and adherence to their religious tradition. In fact, the regulations that provide the base for a kosher diet are found within the Torah, the Jewish book of sacred texts.
In order to sell food and drink products to the kosher market, the items need to be certified. But there is a mistaken belief that certified kosher goods are just "blessed" by a rabbi. In reality, a kosher certification refers to the process by which rabbinical experts verify that products are made in accordance with kosher law.
So, how can you certify your products as kosher?
The Kosher Certification process involves an examination of all ingredients as well as the production and preparation processes. Kosher foods are generally divided into three main categories: Meat, Dairy, and Pareve (neutral and may be eaten with either meat or dairy dishes).
Here is step by step how to get certified.
1) Initial assessment
It's important to have very clear in mind what you would like to produce as manufacturers have their own specialisations. Keeping this in mind, information about raw materials, ingredients, and labels are vital for the rabbi, so you need to get them ready
2) Replacement of the ingredients
If the raw ingredients are not compliant with the guidelines, they need to be replaced with kosher certified ones and be sent to an expert to check that they are suitable. Once the ingredients are correct, the necessary laboratory tests need to be carried out.
At this point, the factory needs to prepare all the documentation for the government of Israel.
3) Visit to the factory
The rabbi must visit the facility and prepare all the necessary plans and procedures to create and maintain a kosher setup for the production. The staff will be trained to facilitate the upkeep of the “kosher program” too.
4) Product label review
The Rabbi gives the trademark and the text to be added onto the products' labels.
All labels for finished products must match the kosher certificates issued for accuracy and clarity to the consumer.
Do you need help?
Here at whatever brands, we are familiar with this process as we have created several Kosher certified products for our clients, starting with the creation of the formula and ending with the finished designed packaged product.