What is Kosher Certification?

Contrary to popular misconception, rabbis or other officials do not bless food to make it "kosher". Food can be kosher without a rabbi ever becoming involved: the vegetables from your garden are undoubtedly kosher (as long as they do not have any insects).

If that is the case, why do so many foods require kosher supervision and certification?

The answer is that all the ingredients in the preparation of the product must be kosher and the production process must be kosher as well. Unless a person visits every manufacturing plant, the consumer would find it impossible to determine whether or not a given item is kosher. In addition, complex worldwide manufacturing and distribution has brought new pressures in determining whether a given ingredient or manufacturing process is kosher.
With kosher certification, the task of determining if ingredients or products are kosher is greatly simplified. The kosher symbol system helps consumers find kosher products inspected by a reliable kosher certification agency.

Products that have been certified as kosher are labeled with a symbol or mark called a "hecksher" (from the same Hebrew root as the word kosher) that identifies the rabbi or organization that certified the product. Most kosher certification marks are trademarked logos and cannot be used without the permission of the certifying organization. The certifying organization assures you that the product meets their kosher standards.

Kosher Organics' Certification Symbols

The "Green-K" symbol of the Kosher Organics Council is a symbol of integrity in rabbinical food certification on any ingredient or product that is 100% natural or certified organic by the USDA or other certification agencies approved by governmental authorities.

The Kosher Organics Council symbol is a trademarked logo that signifies "kashrut" as defined by stringent orthodox Jewish law. The Kosher Organics Council certification labels products that are dairy with a "D" suffix or the word "Dairy" adjacent to the Green-K symbol. Meat products are labeled with an "M" suffix adjacent to the Green-K symbol, or the word "Meat". An item without a suffix is Pareve, or it may display the word "Pareve" adjacent to the symbol. The "P" suffix is for Passover products only. Additionally products may have adjacent to the Green-K symbol and the Dairy, Meat and Pareve suffix, additional suffixes such as GMO-Free, Glutten-Free, Vegan and others,

The commitment of the Kosher Organics Council is above all rooted in the desire to see an increase of a wide range of organic and all natural food products being certified kosher and made available to consumers, worldwide. To this end our organization works side by side on an individual basis with each of our clients to create reasonable and cost effective certification and supervision programs.

The Process for Certfication:
The reliability of kosher food certification and the organic or natural label on a product has become a key figure in the company's bottom line profit margin and customer satisfaction. If a company that produces certified organic and or 100% natural products wants kosher certified to process works in the following manner:

1. The company must apply to the Kosher Organics Council for kosher certification, by filling out a certification form.
2. The Kosher Organics Council will review the form, and all the products and ingredients involved in the manufacturing or production process.
3. A preliminary fee will be quoted for the certification process, based on the cost to set up a program for kosher certification. A Rabbinical authority will be dispatched to the company's manufacturing facility requesting certification.
4. The Rabbi will coordinate with the plant personnel a program to create a process whereas products may be certified kosher. The process involves examining the ingredients used to make the product, and examining the process and equipment by which the product is prepared.
5. Once the program is established a contract will be signed whereby the company obligates itself to follow the kosher standards specified.
6. The cost of the kosher certification is determined on the cost to set up the company's program for certification, including visits to the processing facilities as necessary, to ensure that the company maintains kosher standards.
7. The Kosher Organics Council works with each client to create reasonable and cost effective fee structures.