U behind the nionsymbol - OU Kosher

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IIN 1924 HANOVER FOODS Cor-poration, located in Hanover,Pennsylvania, began growing

and canning locally grown toma-toes, peas and beans. Throughout thenext several decades, Hanover earneda reputation for freshness, consistencyand the highest quality. In the 1950’s,Hanover was one of the first food manu-facturers to develop Individually QuickFrozen (IQF) vegetables in poly bags.

In 1972 Hanover purchased a smallfarming operation in Guatemala in orderto ensure year-round availability of veg-etables like broccoli, cauliflower, okraand sugar snap peas.

Today, Hanover Foods is one of thelargest independently-owned food man-ufacturers in the United States, withannual sales of almost $350 million incanned, frozen, fresh and freeze-driedfoods. Hanover is an active participantin the retail, food service, industrial, pri-vate label and military segments of thefood business.

Hanover’s “seed-to-plate” manage-ment assures our customers of our dedi-cation to quality control, availability andinnovation. Hanover Foods very proudlybears the OU symbol of quality on awide range of our frozen and cannedproducts. The OU symbol, which is oneof the best-known trademarks in theworld, has been part of the Hanover tra-dition for several decades.

OU was chosen after HanoverFoods researched kosher certificationand recognized that the OU symbol hasthe highest recognition and trust in theJewish community as well as for many inthe Islamic communities and for strictvegetarians in our marketing area. Byworking with Rabbi Yaacov Blugrond, atechnical expert from the OU in Ortho-dox Jewish food law, we were able todevelop a system for producing kosherproducts in a plant that routinely pro-duces some products which are notkosher. Indeed, OU has internationalrecognition and allows us to purchasekosher ingredients internationally andfor certification of our frozen vegetableplant in Guatemala.

A combination of hard work, atten-tion to detail, and cooperation betweenplant managers and the rabbis have pro-duced an entire line of OU products thathave earned the critical measure of qual-ity we insist on. For example, the techni-cal experts from the OU brought to ourattention that there are very few frozenvegetables available that bear any koshercertification and that there is a demand

Unionbehind the

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SUMMER 2003

Industry TrendsA Fish Story: OUMeets Challengesof the Sea

Kosher MeetsMoby DickIssues in Kosher Shipping

Always Check the LabelA Review ofSchedule B concerns

16

A P U B L I C A T I O N F O R C E R T I F I E D C O M P A N I E S

Reaching 4,000 Food Executives & Over 2,500 Companies Worldwide

❝ OU was chosenafter Hanover Foodsresearched koshercertification andrecognized that the OU symbol has thehighest recognition and trust in the Jewishcommunity as well as for many in the Islamiccommunities and forstrict vegetarians in our marketing area.❞

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

Spotlight on OUCompanies

IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREENThe Success Story of Hanover Foods

symbolsymbol

HAVING RECENTLY ATTENDED the 2003 “AllCandy Expo” held in Chicago, I was most grati-fied to observe companies both big and small

promoting their sumptuous products to buyers seek-ing “kosher.” Time and again, I heard prospective cus-tomers asking, “Are you kosher?” “Are you OU?”(Unfortunately, many of the companies did not sendalong the “We are proud to be an OU company” signsmade specifically for industry shows, exhibits andconferences, which allow exhibit visitors to immedi-ately identify the company and its attractive productswith the Number One kashrut certification agency.(See our “Marketing Tips” to order your signs.)

It’s apparent that the OUkosher symbol helps indus-try giants, as well as thosejust breaking into the mar-ketplace, to sell more prod-uct and to gain a biggermarket share in an evergrowing kosher market.

While catching up withfriends from a relatively newOU certified Turkish com-pany which joined togetherwith approximately 15 othercompanies to form the firstever Turkish pavilion at theChicago Candy Expo, Icouldn’t help but feel yetagain that pareve has stillnot “made it” in the koshermarket place. Just as thecompany’s president wasrelating with justified prideits tremendous inroads intothe American marketplacewith over $2 million in pri-vate label sales in only oneyear “only because of theOU,” its marketing repre-sentative was furiously seek-ing my attention with hisimmediate need: “Rabbi,can’t we get pareve, can’t weget pareve?” To which Iresponded, “But whypareve? You seem to bedoing just fine with your OU-

D (dairy).”

Somewhat puzzled, he pulls over his Americanexport counterpart demanding that he “tell the rabbiwhy we need pareve.” The response: “Because, in thelast hour we had three inquiries about pareve. Can weget it tomorrow?” he frantically cried out. When thecompany’s OU certification was originally set up andpareve was suggested, it was felt by the company that“we’ll wait.”

There is an untapped hungry pareve market outthere seeking delicious pareve confections, candies,chocolates, ice cream and baked goods containing nodairy ingredients and produced on non-dairy equip-ment. This pareve market exists not only in the ever-growing Orthodox kosher market (for whom pareve isan integral aspect of kosher observance) but in theever-escalating lactose intolerant marketplace esti-mated to number in the tens of millions. It is said thata high percentage of the non-Jewish lactose intolerantconsumers are well aware of the pareve designationand definition (containing no dairy components andproduced on non-dairy equipment). For the kosherconsumer, of course, pareve means that the productcan be consumed and used with either dairy or meat.

Pareve ice cream can be beautifully servedtogether with pareve cookies and enjoyed as a dessertafter a meat dinner, as well as following a dairy lunch.Dairy ice cream, dairy chocolates (even the finestamong them!), dairy confections and snacks cannotbe served with a meat meal, cannot be consumed soonafter a meat meal, nor can they even placed on thesame dinner table.

In trying to promote pareve to companies justbecoming OU certified, I explain how pareve wouldbenefit the kosher consumer and simultaneously cre-ate a larger market share for the company. But I amoften politely told, “OU-D is good enough for us,” or attimes more bluntly, “We really don’t want to bother.”

But many times, there is no big bother. I wasrecently completing the certification process for acompany seeking to produce OU pareve cookies. Asthe Schedule A was reviewed one last time to beabsolutely certain that all ingredients were pareve,there were the raspberry bits (produced by an OUcertified company) staring at me as OU-D. “Butwhat could possibly be dairy about raspberry bits?“I wondered. After inquiries with the Rabbinic Coor-dinator, Rabbinic Field Representative, the com-pany QA and more, I was convinced that my newcompany should not be allowed to give up its questfor the pareve status and market share because ofraspberry bits produced in kettles that infrequentlyalso process dairy caramel and are therefore labeled

2 BEHIND THE UNION SYMBOL SUMMER2003

KASHRUT DIVISIONRABBI MENACHEM GENACKRabbinic Administrator

RABBI MOSHE ELEFANTExecutive Rabbinic CoordinatorDirector, New Company Department

RABBI YAAKOV LUBANExecutive Rabbinic Coordinator

RABBI ELIYAHU SAFRANSenior Rabbinic Coordinator Director, Review and Update Department

RABBI YERACHMIEL MORRISONRABBI ABRAHAM JURAVELIngredient Approval Registry

■ ■ ■

DR. CHAIM WASSERMANChairman, Joint Kashrut Commission

RABBI HOWARD KATZENSTEINDirector, Business Management

ANNA FULDACoordinator, Letters of Certification, Labels, Private Labels

■ ■ ■

RABBI EMANUEL HOLZERChairman, Rabbinic Kashrut Commission

ORTHODOX UNIONHARVEY BLITZPresident

RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREBExecutive Vice President

DAVID OLIVESTONEDirector, Communicatons and Marketing

BEHIND THE UNION SYMBOL

RABBI ELIYAHU SAFRANEditor–in–Chief

STEPHEN STEINEREditor

PAMELA WEIMANGraphic Designer

OrthodoxUnion

From the Editor

CONTINUED ON PAGE 9

www.ou.org 3

HANOVER FOODS CORPORATION begangrowing and processing frozen vegetables inGuatemala in the mid-1970’s. Many prob-

lems had to be overcome to produce vegetables whichmet Hanover’s high quality standards for sale to Ameri-can consumers. A comprehensive Quality Control pro-gram, complete with one of the largest pesticidelaboratories in Central America, was established toassure production of the highest quality vegetables forexport from Guatemala to the United States.

Quality Control begins at Hanover’s “Maya Pak”division in Guatemala with careful selection of vegetablevarieties suitable to the growing region. To assure pesti-cide compliance with United States standards, samplesof soil from the fields, samples of unharvested vegeta-bles, harvested vegetables and frozen vegetables aretested for any pesticide residuals. Quality Control per-sonnel also test vegetables in the field, at harvest, when

received at the plant and after freezing for quality andthe presence of insects.

A comprehensive integrated pest management pro-gram has been adopted for broccoli and cauliflowerthat]\ relies on predatory insects to control aphids andthrips, coupled with bacterial sprays that destroy cater-pillars. By removing insects using natural controls thereare not normally any pesticide residues on these crops.

Within the last year and through expert technicalguidance from Rabbi Yaacov Blugrond of the OU, theprocessing operations for washing, blanching and freez-ing vegetables in the Guatemala plant have been modi-fied to enable production of frozen broccoli andcauliflower to meet the rigid requirements for insect con-trol required for OU certification. Altogether vegetablesmust pass a minimum of eight tests before shipment toHanover, PA. If and when the product does not meet anyof the tests, it is automatically diverted to non-certifiedlabels.

Finally, samples of broccoli and cauliflower are regu-larly examined at the Hanover, PA plant by RabbiRichard Levine and further tested for insects. It is onlyafter passing the final tests by Rabbi Levine that broccoliand cauliflower are approved for packaging and ship-ment to Hanover’s customers with the OU mark ofapproval.

In our continued efforts to better service our companies’needs, the Orthodox Union is now able to incorporateeach plant’s RMCs into the Schedule A. This new andlong-sought feature will make it possible for both plantpersonnel and our Rabbinic Field Representatives toquickly and easily search for any and all raw materials inthe plant. When communicating with our IngredientDepartment or with your RC, we will all instantly knowwhich ingredient is being discussed. Several companiesand plants have already successfully integrated the RMCsinto their Schedules A. If you would like to have yourRMCs integrated, please call your RC who will guide youwith the process.

* Your current schedule A will be emailed to your plant inExcel format. The Excel sheet contains all the informa-tion currently on the Schedule A including group #s,certification information and comments. There is ablank space on the sheet for RMCs, where you will thenenter your RMC. Multiple RMCs can be entered for thesame ingredients and multiple ingredient descriptionsfor the same RMC.

* After filling in all of your RMCs, email the Excel sheetback to your RC who will forward it to our MIS depart-ment where RMCs will be automatically inputted intoyour Schedule A. The Schedule A can now also besorted by RMC.

* The RMC project is on a per plant basis. Companieswith multiple plants may have RMCs that are plant spe-cific. A company may have the same set of RMCsinputted for all plants, provided that there are no co-packers.

* In order to assure the complete accuracy of the RMCsentries, please read the instructions accompanying theExcel sheets and be sure you follow those instructionscarefully.

If you want to have your Schedule A enhanced with thisnew and useful feature, contact your RC or Rabbi Juravelwho will be happy to further assist you with the process.

Rabbi Juravel can be reached at 212.613.8396 or [email protected].

RMC Numbers on Your Schedule A–for Better OU Service

WHAT’S BUGGING YOU?Not Hanover’s Broccoli & Cauliflower

Consequently, the need for fish hascaused a great demand amongkosher consumers. Fish companiesaround the globe have respondedby seeking kosher certification. TheOU certifies numerous fish plantson five continents, thereby main-taining a very strong presenceworldwide. The certification of fishplants, however, has not beenwithout challenges. The OU hasmet these challenges by addressingthe issues at hand and offers a pre-mier level of kosher supervision.

WHAT MAKES A FISH KOSHER?

A kosher fish must posses sev-eral characteristics. All kosher fishmust have fins and scales. Further-more, the scales must be capable ofbeing removed without tearing thefish’s skin. It is not unusual forsome fish to meet the first two cri-teria and not the third. Sturgeon,which is a very common fish, is aprime example. Although sturgeondoes posses fins and scales, thescales are incapable of beingremoved without tearing the skin.

The OU is proud to certify alarge diversity of fish companiesand fish products around theworld. For the purposes of this arti-cle, we will focus on three indus-tries: TUNA FISH, SMOKED FISH AND

HERRING.

THE TUNA INDUSTRY Tuna is a basic staple of the averagediet. Tuna companies worldwidehave made themselves much moremarketable by opting for OUkosher certification.

The OU addressed a number ofissues before granting kosher certi-fication to tuna companies. Oneprimary concern is the by-catchthat will be caught in the nets ofthe fishermen. Absolute assuranceis necessary that non-kosher fishwill not become mixed into thekosher certified product. Afterextensive review, the OU deter-mined that this concern is ade-quately addressed by the standardpractices of the industry itself.Once the tuna is caught, it is handsorted and segregated. Each varietyof tuna (e.g., skipjack, yellow fin,etc.) has its own designated freezeron the boat. In addition, each fishis individually inspected by qualitycontrol once it reaches the shore.The fishermen and companies goto great lengths for their own pur-poses to ensure that there isabsolutely no mixture of tuna andnon-tuna in the manufacturingprocess.

In some instances, tuna plantsmay desire to manufacture othertypes of non-kosher fish in thesame facility. The OU will not grantcertification to plants that alsomanufacture non-kosher fish prod-

ucts, since the processing of non-kosher fish would contaminate theproduction line and render it notkosher. However, some plants man-ufacture other non-kosher prod-ucts (e.g., pet food) in the samefacility. The OU allows for this typeof non-kosher production but goesto great lengths to ensure that thelines are kept separate and that thevarious types of equipment are notcompatible with one another.

Once the frozen tuna arebrought to the factory they areplaced in large metal bins and arethawed in lukewarm water. Afterthawing, the fish are placed onracks for steaming. The fish arethen skinned and de-boned, placedin a broth of hydrolyzed vegetableand soy proteins, then canned.There was a time when companiesused casein in the broth. However,this practice has ceased and soyprotein is presently used. The tunacompanies decided to stop usingcasein for a variety of reasons,including the restrictions placedon the kosher market by labeling aproduct as dairy, requiring the OU-

D symbol. Recently, the OU began to cer-

tify some tuna as kosher forPassover. In order to adhere to astricter standard in anticipation ofthe Passover holiday, all OU-P certi-fied tuna fish is manufacturedunder the constant supervision of

INDUSTRY Trends

A Fish Stoby Rabbi David Bistricer

As long as humanity has sought sustenance, there has been fish to provide it. In our modern world, whether for an informal lunch or an

elaborate dinner, it is inconceivable that a menu would not include fish.


The OU Meets the Challenges of

ory

FROM OUT OF NOWHERE, it seems, but actually from Japan, a newsensation has arrived in the world of kosher food – raw fish. This seem-ingly unappetizing dish takes on a new allure with its Japanese name,

sushi. Restaurants that are supervised by the OU have been steadily addingsushi to their menus, and with excellent results. With Japanese chefs in fullregalia preparing the sushi, the uncooked salmon, tuna or other varietiesof fish are giving longtime menu favorites a run for their money, even indelis, steakhouses, dairy restaurants and other establishments that neverbefore offered recipes from Asia on their menus.

“You have to keep up with the times,” declared Moti Zilber, of Mr.Broadway, a combination deli/Middle Eastern restaurant in Manhattan.“We researched the market to learn what kosher consumers want – andthey want sushi.” Three Japanese sushi chefs have been added to the pay-roll to prepare 103 different dishes – a treat for every palate and for everyphase of the meal.

Appetizers include edamame, or steamed soy bean and usuzukuri orthin sliced fluke on ice. Salads include seaweed – yes, seaweed, salmon skinand black Cajun tuna. There are sushi soups as well.

Fifteen different entrees include chirasha, or mixed fish on a bed ofrice; vegetarian sushi, sushi and sashimi; and a combination of spicy tuna,yellowtail scallion and salmon skin. There are chef special rolls such asgreen dragon, red dragon, fire house, and other delights, straight on downthe menu.

Prime Grill, a steakhouse in Manhattan, put sushi on its menu when itopened its doors two years ago, says Shoshana Mendelouizi, the establish-ment’s special events coordinator. “We decided to have the best sushi any-where,” she says proudly. “We have the freshest fish, the most delicioussauces, and the sushi is always prepared on the premises. We have the rightfish and the right combinations.”

The results: fully 25 percent of the Grill’s orders now are sushi, ratherthan prime beef or similar dishes.

Not long ago, Circa opened a dairy restaurant in lower Manhattan, itsthird establishment, and located near OU headquarters. Sushi, of course, isprominently featured on the menu. “Sushi is one of the fastest growingfood categories in the kosher world,” declares Harry Ashkenazie, the man-ager. “It’s tasty, it’s great. You order it, you have a nice meal, you’re notbloated. You have it as a full meal, or you have it as a sandwich, and as asoup it’s a wonderful addition to a meal.”

Of course, Japanese chefs prepare the sushi, “We have the wholeambiance,” Mr. Ashkenzie says. “These chefs devote their lives to sushi. Youdon’t want some Jewish guy preparing it who just read about it in a book.”

The Fish That Ate Manhattan, or The Fish That Everyone (it Seems)

Is Eating in Manhattan

❝ Sushi...It’s tasty, it’s great. You order it, you have a nice meal, you’re not bloated.❞

an OU field representative. In addi-tion, there are restrictions as towhich ingredients may be used, andthe broth may consist of only oiland water.

THE SMOKED FISH INDUSTRY The OU also certifies many smoke-houses worldwide. Smoked fish is adelicacy which may be often foundat Sabbath and festive meals ofkosher fish eaters. Fish smokehousesthroughout the world are well awareof the demand for kosher certifiedsmoked fish and often opt for theOU certification to appeal to thisdemand.

The fish are often brought intothe plant in a raw and whole state.This allows the Orthodox Unionfield representative to verify thatthe fish is kosher by checking forfins and scales. Fillets may bebrought into the plant if they arepackaged and bear an acceptablekosher symbol. The one exceptionto this rule is salmon. Since salmonhas a very unique pinkish-reddishcolor, it is incompatible with anyother type of fish. The color of theflesh confirms that it is salmon, andkosher, without checking for thepresence of fins and scales.

The fish are brined in what isusually a simple salt-water solution.Nowadays, many smokehouses relyon advanced technology that injectsthe solution into each individualfish, which hastens the productionprocess.

After the brining, the fish issmoked. There are two common

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f the Sea

❝ Captain Goldstromhas an extremelydifficult task,maintaining kosherstandards under the most tryingcircumstances.❞


NO GULF IN KOSHER OBSERVANCE:How an OU Expert Helped the Troops in Iraq Observe the Dietary Laws

ARMIES TRAVEL on theirstomachs, military expertssay, and kosher observant

members of the U.S. fightingforces serving during the war inIraq were assisted in keeping thedietary laws on the battlefield bythe OU. It all happened because aJewish chaplain based in Kuwaitinaugurated an e-mail conversa-tion with one of the OU’s kashrutexperts.

Rabbi (Captain) David Gold-strom, of the III Corps 4th InfantryDivision, based in Fort Hood,Texas, needed some help. Troopswere provided with pre-packagedkosher meals, but the chaplainwanted to supplement their dietwith other delicacies. CaptainGoldstrom remembered that theregistrar of a yeshiva he hadattended in Monsey, NY was thewife of the OU’s Rabbi Yosef Gross-man. He sent Miriam Grossman ane-mail, she put him in touch withRabbi Grossman, and the OUbecame part of the war effort.

Captain Goldstrom askedabout Snapple juices produced inthe United States but with Arabiclabels (they are not kosher); milkin cardboard containers producedin Kuwait (not kosher because ofthe possibility of camel’s milkbeing added); fruit juices fromconcentrate produced in the GulfStates and packaged in small card-

board box containers (some arekosher, some aren’t); and Kelloggs’cereals from Germany (kosher)among other products. RabbiGrossman had to conduct investi-gations to find out the answers.

With Passover approaching,the chaplain also asked additionalquestions about whether itemsthat are kosher year-round arekosher for Passover. For example,in regard to an inquiry fromKuwait about spices, Rabbi Gross-man wrote back that plain spicesare kosher for Passover, but spiceblends are not.

The exchange of messagesmoved Captain Goldstrom towrite, “I have always appreciatedhow much expertise you and oth-ers in the Kashrut industry musthave in order to deal with mod-ern food production methods,but now as I wrestle with being inthe Gulf under wartime condi-tions, I really appreciate it.”

“Captain Goldstrom has anextremely difficult task, maintain-ing kosher standards under themost trying circumstances,” saidthe OU’s Rabbi Grossman. “It is atribute to him and to the troopsthat look to him for guidance thatthey expect the same approach toJewish law while they are fightinga war that they expect at home.The OU is delighted to assist themin achieving this objective.”

“GO SOUTH, YOUNG MAN,” could be theslogan of SeaSpecialties, one of the largestmanufacturers and distributors of smoked

fish and seafood in the country. Founded by theOxenberg brothers, who sold smoked fish frompushcarts on the streets of Brooklyn beginning in1926, the firm followed many of its cus-tomers to Miami, establishing itself anewas Florida Smoked Fish in 1954. Now ledby President and CEO Harvey Oxenberg,the firm is under the management ofthird and fourth generation members of the found-ing family.

Under Harvey’s Oxenberg’s leadership, SeaSpe-cialties has sought to transform itself from a localMiami smoked fish operation into a nationally rec-ognized specialty seafood business. “With lots ofhard work and creative thinking, our business hasgrown and diversified these last 50 years in waysthat were never imagined by my grandfather andgreat-uncle,” Harvey says. In addition to Miami,

the company now operates facilities in nearby Ft.Lauderdale, Philadelphia and New York, and satis-fies its customers from deli counters to five-starrestaurants throughout the western hemisphere.

OU supervision has played a major role in Sea-Specialties’ growth over the past 25 years. “Our cus-

tomers demand OU supervision because it isconsidered to be the highest authority on Jew-

ish dietary laws,” declares Harvey.“The observant Jewish populationrespects the OU and therefore pur-

chases our product over others that do not haveOU certification. The non-Jewish population con-siders kosher products, especially those certifiedkosher by the OU, to be fresh and of high quality.Unquestionably OU certification establishes confi-dence with consumers that the product has passedinspection and meets high quality standards.”

Harvey Oxenberg adds that the firm’s relation-ship with the OU “is cordial, professional and hon-est. We have the utmost integrity, and we sharethat integrity with the OU.”

Rabbi David Bistricer serves as the Orthodox Union’s rabbinic coordinator for SeaSpecialties.

OU COMPANIES Speak

Sea Specialties

KOSHER MEMORABILIASought for Kosherfest 2003Officials planning Kosherfest 2003 in Octoberare seeking any memorabilia that will con-tribute to an exhibition on the history of kosherfood in the U.S. The exhibit will include photo-graphs, packaging, ads, and any other docu-ments or items that will help an expected13,000 visitors appreciate the remarkable his-tory of kosher in America. “We are pleased toinvite kosher food companies as well as indi-viduals to contribute or loan materials to anunprecedented exhibit on the history ofkosher,” said Robert Fettman of IMC, produc-ers of the two-day kosher foods show that willtake place October 28-29, 2003, at the JacobK. Javits Convention Center in New York.

Anyone with items to contribute should contactMr. Fettman at 212-868-2960, ext. 105. Allitems will either be copied for the show orreturned after it.

www.ou.org 7

When attending yourindustry conferences orexhibiting at shows be sure to display your "WeAre Proud to Be an OUCompany" sign. Your marketing people and showorganizers ought to alwayshave the signs in theirshow kits. They are sure to attract the kosher buyersto your booth If you needmore copies of the sign,we will be glad to supplythem. Email [email protected] your copies.

OU COMPANIES Speak


AS WE WELL KNOW, gefiltefish is the prototypical Jew-ish food, occupying a respected

place in Jewish households, particu-larly for Sabbath and holiday meals.Yes, Jewish comics have joked aboutgefilte fish, but seemingly alwayswith warmth, given their recogni-tion that this tasty and much-beloved food has been such animportant part of their diet – andeven their heritage. And of course,they remember their grandmothers slaving overthe stove preparing homemade gefilte fish forthose very special occasions.

Not surprisingly in this era of labor-savingadvances, modern manufacturing has broughtabout mass produced gefilte fish, mainly in cansand jars, but consequently loaded with chemicalsand preservatives. People learned to accept thecompromises in the jarred product.

Not all of them, though. With many con-sumers still unwilling to accept a watered downand less than pure version, and with many othersaccepting it only grudgingly, Abraham Koth andBenjamin Berger, owners of a small fish store inMonsey, New York, saw a great opportunity around1977 and so founded A&B Famous Gefilte Fish.

By processing fresh gefilte fish and freezing thefinished mix, A&B Famous Gefilte Fish was able tomarket a one hundred percent natural product,chemical and preservative free, that was every bitas tasty and fresh as the old fashioned homemadeversion but without all the time and hard workthat was once required to prepare it.

Abraham and Benjamin, starting out in theback room of their little fish store, immediatelycommitted their firm to high standards in the all-important areas of product consistency, freshnessof ingredients and complete adherence to strin-

gent kosher requirements. Asa result, A&B Famous GefilteFish has enjoyed continualgrowth and is today the

biggest manufacturer offrozen gefilte fish worldwide,selling its product through-

out the United States,Israel, Canada, Belgium,

England, Switzerland, Aus-tralia and beyond.

When Abraham and Benjamin started toexplore the marketplace, they found a very strongdemand for strict kosher certification. Furtherresearch revealed the Orthodox Union with itsfamous OU symbol to be the leader in providingthe desired kind of supervision.

Today Abraham and Benjamin say with confi-dence that they made the right choice, becauseOU is still number one in the kosher world. Mar-keting a product that carries the OU symbol makesthat product acceptable almost everywhere. Thereverse is also true: they once tried to import aproduct and didn’t put the OU on it, and weresimply unable to sell it.

Moreover, in today’s modern manufacturingworld, even the simplest ingredients can presentkosher questions. By turning to the OU to solvethis problem, within a day or sometimes even lessthey get a straight answer to whether they can usethat ingredient. And if they cannot use it — as inthe case of a simple sweetener they once consid-ered that even carried a cretin kosher symbol —the OU quickly told them no.

A&B Famous Gefilte Fish owes its success to thevision and foresight of Abraham and Benjamin,but in very great part to the OU as well. OU certifi-cation opens doors in homes to them worldwide —and when your product is gefilte fish, if thosedoors don’t open, you are out of business.

A&B GEFILTE FISH – NO LABOR, NO PRESERVATIVES

❝ Marketing a product that carries the OU symbol makes that product acceptable almost everywhere.❞

THE CLIMATE IS TEMPERATE in Seattle, whereIcicle Seafoods is based, but as an Alaska-char-tered corporation (in 1965),

the company's name is mostappropriate. Icicle is a verti-cally integrated processor anddistributor of salmon as well aspollock, halibut, pacific codand black cod, surimi seafood,smoked seafood and otherproducts.

Over the years Icicle hasbuilt a worldwide reputationand customer base with itsown brands as well as estab-lishing itself as a private labelsupplier to food service andnational brands. Given its entireproduct line, however, salmon remains the big fishat Icicle. As one of the largest salmon canningoperations in the world, Icicle offers a wide selec-tion of products that are sold under the Ship Ahoybrand. Icicle canned salmon is readily found onsupermarket shelves worldwide and is available inpink, red, pink and skinless/boneless varieties.

“Icicle's decision to become kosher certifiedresults from our desire to make our products

attractive in as many ways as possi-ble to as many consumers as pos-sible," explains John Boynton,Director of Canned Sales. "Wemade the decision to become OUcertified because we felt that thesymbol is the most easily recog-nized by the consumer, in a sensegiving the product an additionalquality credential."

Mr. Boynton and his col-leagues are delighted with therelationship, he declares. "Ourexperience in dealing with theOrthodox Union has been posi-

tive from the start. The OU has beenvery cooperative and quick to respond to requestsand issues we raised. In short, we see the relation-ship as beneficial to the growth of our productlines as well as to the growth of our private labeland national brand business."

Rabbi Chaim Goldberg serves as Orthodox Union rabbinic coordinatorfor Icicle Seafood and A&B Gefilte Fish.

Icicle Seafood

OU COMPANIES Speak

OU-D. With superb cooperation from the rasp-berry bits company Rabbinic Coordinator, Rab-binic Field Representative and the company’s fullrealization and understanding that its client com-pany needs 100 percent pareve raspberry bits andnot pareve raspberry bits product processed ondairy equipment, the company agreed to have thekettle in which the raspberry bits are processedkosherized by the OU’s RFR.

The cookie company will have its pareve bitsand the raspberry bits company will retain a client(and very possibly attract many more as word getsout about its pareve capabilities) — all at a cost ofseveral hundred dollars (the kosherization supervi-sory fee) and very little bother, indeed. More com-panies need to better discern the great opportunitiesavailable in the pareve world. Get your marketingpeople involved. They can report back on decisionsthat could ultimately affect millions of dollars of sales.

Speaking of pareve, we are pleased to present anextensive analysis of kosher fish (pareve!) certifica-tion beautifully expounded by Rabbi David Bistricer,as well as an introduction to kosher issues affectingshipping of inherently kosher raw materials acrossthe world’s oceans. Rabbis Goldberg’s and Price’spresentation will hopefully introduce you to anaspect of the kosher certification process that is notalways obvious but is critically important.

Keep in touch.

Rabbi Eliyahu SafranEditor/Senior Rabbinic Coodinator

EDITOR CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

www.ou.org 9

To ensurethat kosher cer-

tified productsmanufactured over-

seas remain kosher duringthe long journey here, the OU

reviews, before dispatch, the sea vesselsdesignated for transport. Monitoring is necessarybecause shipping and storage of kosher materials ofteninvolves issues as sensitive to the kosher status of foodsas the manufacturing process itself. OU companies arefamiliar with the rule that equipment that has been

used for non-kosher material is not suitable to be usedfor kosher material. That rule applies just as muchinside the manufacturing facility as it does outside thefacility. And so when an inherently kosher food leaves afacility in a vessel that has just transported a non-kosherfood, the kosher status of that certified food, in theworst of circumstances, might have been jeopardized.

Liquid products are typically transported in one ofthree ways: in cargo holds, which can carry up to 4,000metric tons of liquid; to ISO-tanks, small, inter-modal

transport tanks that hold between 18-20 metric tons;and in 55-gallon drums.

Cargo ships, enormous and majestic, ply the SevenSeas, dispensing and bringing in product at ports fromall over the globe. Monitoring the kosher integrity ofcertified products would not be possible without thecooperation and commitment from the firms involvedin the handling and logistics of shipping liquid bulkitems.

Stolt-Nielsen, one of the giants in the transportingliquid bulk items, has had an especially close relation-ship with the OU for some time. Many OU companies

receive product that, at one time or another, may havebeen carried on a Stolt-Nielsen carrier.

Not too long ago a contingent of OU rabbis visitedthe Stolt Aquamarine to learn about the operations ofthis mammoth vessel, which is typical of the large fleetof Stolt carriers. We brought with us a former merchantmarine, now an aspiring rabbi, to help guide us on ourtour. Transfer of products from one hold to another, re-use of steam, and the contact between non-kosher prod-uct and kosher product are some of the issues the team

WITH THE GLOBALIZATION ofthe world economy, it’s nosecret that food ingredients

are shipped to food manufacturingfacilities from the four corners of theglobe. Millions of metric tons of palmand coconut derived oils and fattyacids are imported from Malaysia,Indonesia, and the Philippines. Oleo-resins, the basis for the flavors industry,

can come from India and Middle East.Alcohols synthesized from coal tar are

made in South Africa.

❝ The holding tanks of the barges must also meet the necessary requirements for kosher transport.❞

kosher meets


by Rabbis Yosef Goldberg and Gavriel Price, Orthodox Union rabbinic coordinators

HUDSON TANK TERMINALS CORPORATIONis an independent, for-hire,

bulk liquid storage facilitylocated at Berth 14 inPort Newark (Port ofNew York), NJ. A familyowned and operatedbusiness, it is a foodgrade facility which

stores only oils, fats andoleochemicals -- chemicals derived from fats and oils.

Hudson Tank is unique in the bulk liquid food stor-age business in that it employs a full time rabbi toensure that kosher certified products remain kosherduring their storage lives, which can be months at atime. Additionally, the facility is monitored on a dailybasis with oversight by an Orthodox Union certifyingrabbi. The company has enjoyed an extremely closerelationship with the OU for over ten years.

Tank, truck and rail cars are kosher sealed andcertified by a rabbi as part of the daily operations ofthe company. Signed kosher documentation accom-

panies a load to its destination and is maintained atthe facility. Kosher cleaning of equipment and tanks ismonitored by a rabbi and then certified. Extensiverecords are kept of tank and equipment usage toensure kosher status.

The facility is comprised of 160 tanks of varioussizes and can store over 35 million gallons of product.It is capable of loading more than 25 tank trucks atone time and has sidings to accommodate 45 railroadtank cars. Hudson Tank handles approximately 100ocean-going vessels annually. The tank farm is locatedwith immediate access to major highways, Interstates80 and 95, and has service from two major railroadcarriers, CSX and NS.

From the cleaning of equipment and tanks andthe maintenance of extensive records to the develop-ment of inventory management systems and opera-tional guidelines, Hudson Tank offers the highest levelof kosher services.

Rabbi Gavriel Priceserves as the Orthodox Union’s rabbinic coordinator for Hudson Tank Terminals.

TANKS FOR THE MEMORIES –KOSHER STORAGE THE OU WAY

of rabbis discussed with Stolt engi-neers and other personnel.

ISO-tanks are independent hold-ing tanks that can travel both on sea(on a ship) and land (on a truck). Forwarm-water transport or transportduring the summer months, the OUrecommends the use of a productcalled a Flexi-Tank, which is an ISO-tank that contains within it a dispos-able bag. Use of the Flexi-tank avoidsthe problems of inadequate cleaningof previous holds and the excep-

tional documentation associatedwith that.

Finally, many coastal storagefacilities, which conveniently houseproduct at port of discharge untilthey can be dispatched to the end-user, are certified by the OU. Thesefacilities are both here in the Statesas well as in Europe. Barges are oftenused to transfer kosher product froma ship to a storage terminal (andsometimes to another barge). Theholding tanks of the barges must

also meet the necessary require-ments for kosher transport. And itshould be duly noted, as many ofour readers already know, that landtransport should be through certifiedtrailers and railcars.

The logistics of global transportare complex. When contemplating atransatlantic or transpacific transferof product, consult your RC. We’veestablished guidelines that willenable your product to get here askosher as can be.

moby dick

www.ou.org 11

INDUSTRY Trends

types of smoking, cold and hot. Cold smoking does notcook the fish. It is a simple process that involves addingsmoke to the fish, while the smoking oven is at anambient temperature. The cold smoking process iscommon for many types of fish. It is most typical of thesalmon and the final product is commonly known asnova.

The hot smoking process involves cooking the fishin the smoking oven with smoke added to the fish.Often there is a drying cycle in the oven prior to thehot smoke, which makes the fish edible before thecooking. The temperatures of the hot smoke and dura-tion of the cooking cycle often depend upon the typeof fish and the toughness of its skin.

There are two ways that the smoke may be gener-ated. The old-fashioned way to create the smokeinvolves placing wood chips into generators locatedoutside the smoking oven, which burn the chips and

add smoke to the fish. Today many plants spray a liq-uid smoke flavor on the fish inside the oven. It isimportant to note that although woodchips are classi-fied as a group one ingredient and are acceptable fromany source, the liquid smoke must bear a kosher sym-bol and come from an acceptable source.

Other raw materials used at the smokehouses mayinclude wine, spice blends, vinegar, etc. All these ingre-dients are sensitive items and must be pre-approved bythe Orthodox Union for use.

THE HERRING INDUSTRYThe processing of herring is very simple and involvesno heat. Herring fillets are taken from brine, mixedwith sauce, and are jarred. However, there are a num-ber of issues within the industry that the OrthodoxUnion closely monitors.

The herrings in brine are brought into the plantwhile in barrels. The brine contains acetic acid whichcould be vinegar based and would require kosher certi-fication. However, extensive research has shown that

the acid used is glacial acetic acid,which is petroleum based. Thishas allowed the OU to classifythe herrings in brine as agroup one ingredient.

A number of years ago, there was experi-mentation done in Europe with non-kosherenzymes (e.g., pepsin and trypsin) added to the herringbrine as a softening agent. This technology provedcostly and was never accepted, but it was followedclosely by the OU given its careful monitoring of indus-try practices.

Another concern of the OU is the origin of the bar-rels in which the brined herring sit. If a non-kosher fishsoaks in a barrel for a period of twenty-four hours, thebarrel becomes non-kosher. If the herring is brined in anon-kosher barrel for twenty-four hours, the herring isnon-kosher. To address this issue, the OU requires her-

ring companies to insist on receiving her-ring in lined barrels, with the linersserving as protection from the non-kosherfish. Many companies have embraced thistechnique for their own purposes as well,with the liners serving as protection fromwaste and facilitating the cleaningprocess.

It is common for many herring com-panies to manufacture kosher certified dairy and non-dairy products. It is important for there to be anacceptable cleanup system in place to adequatelyaddress any possible cross contamination betweendairy and non-dairy. This is routinely monitoredthrough the field inspection.

Other raw materials also commonly used at herringplants include wine, spice blends, vinegar, and sourcream. Since these ingredients are sensitive items, theymust be always be approved by the Orthodox Unionprior to use.

The proper kosher supervision of fish companieshas proven to be a challenge. The OU has risen to theoccasion by developing a level of expertise whichallows it to service the companies it certifies – and thekosher consumer – by providing an unparalleled levelof supervision.

Rabbi David Bistricer serves as Orthodox Union Rabbinic Coordinator for many OU certified fish companies.

❝ The liquid smoke must bear a kosher symbol and come from an acceptable source.❞


FISH CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

www.ou.org 13

How to Get Kosher CertificationThe process takes time, but the benefits are worth it.

Kosher, the Hebrew word for “proper,” encompasses3000-year-old biblical laws concerning food consump-tion. The kosher market has grown tremendously in the last 10 years, and it is estimated that $150 billion of kosher-certified products are consumed annually.

Kosher certification requires strict adherence to a series of guidelinesgoverning the usage, production, packaging, and labeling of food

products. The rules are complicated, but the main points include:(1) Meat and dairy products must never be used together;

(2) no shellfish, pork, or insects may be consumed inany form, including ingredients derived from

these sources; and (3) all meat must be slaugh-tered according to strict guidelines.

What can a manufacturer seeking kosher cer-tification expect? At NOW Foods (Blooming-dale, IL), we recently underwent the rigorouskosher-certification process. We hope ourexperience can help other manufacturers prepare themselves when seeking koshercertification.

DETAILED, MANAGEABLEToday there are more than 100 kosher-certification

organizations—the largest, oldest, and strictest ofwhich is the Orthodox Union (OU; New York City).

Upon contacting the OU, we were pleased to find thestaff extremely friendly, helpful, and supportive. We were

sent an application packet containing four different forms.The information required was extremely detailed, but the forms

were easy to understand and complete, and the packet includedinstructions and a flowchart of the entire certification process.

The Company Profile form required a description of our company’s goals andobjectives in obtaining kosher certification, as well as key contacts.

We had to list the particulars of each facility where kosher manufacturingwould occur on the Plant Profile form, including the names of each location’sproduction supervisor, purchasing supervisor, packaging materials super-visor, and the marketing and advertising supervisor.

The Plant Raw Material/Ingredient form required a list of each and everyraw material and ingredient that would be used during manufacturing,including emulsifiers, excipients, and desiccants. All must be certified kosherby an organization recognized by the OU. We had to include manufacturer

KOSHER CERTIFICATION

BY JOHN MOORE

The certification mark ofthe Orthodox Union

(pictured above) is one ofmany symbols used to

identify kosher products.

(Reprinted from Nutritional Outlook Magazine’s 2003Buyers Guide Issue, Published March, 2003. For more information visit www.nutritionaloutlook.com)


KOSHER CERTIFICATION

certificates of analysis and internal specification sheets foreach ingredient, as well as the type of packaging they wereshipped in, the manufacturer’s name, the kosher organi-zation that certified the raw material, and whether itskosher symbol is displayed on the packaging.

Finally, the Product Informationform required a list of the brandnames of all products that were tobe kosher certified, including aningredient component list to helpthe OU determine if the productqualified for kosher status and itsdesignation. Private-label infor-mation is also required, includingdistributor names and particulars.

FIRST OBSTACLE—NONKOSHER VENDORS

Many of the raw materials ini-tially proposed for our formulashad to be sourced from differentvendors because the originalkosher-certifying organizationwasn’t recognized by the OU. TheOU was very helpful in putting usin touch with recognized koshersuppliers. This, and the fact that we were seeking certifi-cation for many different ingredients, took about sevenmonths. This time frame would vary for other companies.

Once the completed application was received by the OU,we were preinvoiced for the inspection costs. A senior fieldrepresentative inspected our manufacturing facility andprocesses. The inspection was detailed and exhaustive, fol-lowing raw materials from receiving through production tofinished goods. Every aspect of the process was intense-ly scrutinized. The representative’s report was sent to theRabbinic Kashruth Commission for review.

A contract was created outlining theterms, provisions, certification fees,standard clauses, and special clausesthat were specific to our needs. Thecontract also contained Schedule A, a list of all approved ingredients andraw materials, and Schedule B, a list ofall finished certified brands and prod-ucts with their designations.

A product may be designated eitherpareve (neutral), dairy, meat, or forPassover. Pareve is designated OU. It means the product contains no dairy- or meat-derived ingredients.Dairy (OU–D) means the product con-tains dairy ingredients, or wasprocessed on dairy manufacturingequipment. Meat (OU–M) means theproduct contains meat or poultryingredients, or was manufactured onequipment used for meat processing.Finally, Passover (OU–P) means theproduct ingredients are safe for use

during the Passover holiday.Once the contract was signed and approved by both par-

ties, an OU-designated rabbinic inspector returned toreview NOW’s facility for compliance with the agreement.After favorable review, we were granted kosher certifica-

tion and began production.Kosher certification demands

a tremendous commitment oftime and resources, but the benefits are numerous. Kosherproducts are consumed by Jews,Muslims, Seventh-Day Adven-tists, vegetarians, vegans, lactose-intolerant individuals, and manyothers who purchase kosherproducts for religious or philo-sophical reasons. With concernsabout the integrity of our foodsupply growing, kosher certifica-tion lets consumers know thatyour product is of the highestintegrity and purity.

Beyond these benefits, the cer-tification process forced us toreevaluate every process, proce-dure, system, and control we use

in all aspects of our business, and required the participationof almost every employee at NOW Foods, enhancing ourbusiness as a whole. ❖

Many of the raw materialsinitially proposed for NOW’sformulas had to be sourced

from different vendorsbecause the original

kosher-certifying organizationwasn’t recognized by the

Orthodox Union.

The kosher-certification process includes anything that touches product, including filling and packaging lines. Photo courtesy of NOW Foods.

John Moore is a marketing assistant/copywriter at NOW Foods. For more information, call 630/545-9098 or visitthe company’s Web site, www.nowfoods.com. To learn moreabout the Orthodox Union, visit www.ou.org.

NOW foods is a family owned and operated natural products manufacturer/distributor witha 30-year legacy of providing high quality nutritional supplements at affordable prices. Fromhumble beginnings as a Chicago-based grain and legume products manufacturer owned bythe Richard family, NOW foods has grown into a leading national supplier of natural nutri-tional supplements and whole foods. With the third generation of the Richard family activein the daily operation of NOW foods, the company is poised to continue its tradition of offer-ing consumers the best value possible for quality dietary supplements and whole foods.

www.ou.org 15

HANOVER CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

for assurance that frozen vegetables meet the rigidquality standards required for the Jewish and otherreligious communities. Working with the OU we havebeen able to devise procedures for growing and pro-cessing frozen broccoli that meets Hanover qualitystandards and the very high standards required forOU kosher certification.

There now are frozen vegetables with OU koshercertification distributed at a reasonable price andavailable in every market on the East Coast fromFlorida to Maine and west to the Mississippi River.Hanover Foods has a broad range of Hanover CannedBeans, canned vegetables, canned mushrooms, Goldline, Silver Line and Hanover Banner Frozen Vegeta-bles and Bickels Snack Foods with OU Certification.These products are available to both the retail andfood service markets.

Hanover’s close working relationship with the OUhas enabled us to reach out to a whole new marketwhich relies on the OU to assure that foods meet andexceed some of the world’s highest standards for pro-duction and quality. This relationship has evolvedover the past decade and although it has presentedchallenges we are certain that it has benefited allinvolved, especially our new customers. Hanover isextremely gratified to be able to offer kosher productsto consumers who buy kosher foods for religious,dietary or any other reasons.

The future has never looked brighter for HanoverFoods Corporation. Continued dedication to qualityand innovation together with the OU symbol of koshercertification are surely a winning combination!

Rabbi Yoel Schonfeldserves as the Orthodox Union’s rabbinic coordinator for Hanover Foods

Gary KniselyExecutive Vice President, and Earl Erb, Director ofTechnical Services and Process Improvement, arethe Hanover executives who work with the OU.

Helping to keep Hanover kosher: from left, Rabbi RichardLevine; Earl Erb, Hanover Director of Technical Services andProcess Improvement; Gary Knisely, Hanover Executive VicePresident; and Rabbi Yaacov Blugrond.

POLICY REMINDER

FYour company and the OU share a mutualobligation to the consumer to communi-cate clearly about products, particularly toavoid the most unfortunate possibility thatthe kosher consumer will mistakenly eat anon-certified product. That is why it is OUpolicy to never authorize the manufactureof identical product in certified and non-certified plants.

Even if product from the non-certifiedplant does not bear a kosher symbol, thekosher consumer is very likely to pur-chase it due to its identical appearance toproduct from the kosher plant. If you seekto manufacture identical product in twoplants — one certified and the other non-certified — or if the problem may alreadybe present — please contact your rabbiniccoordinator without delay.

The OU will work with you toward a clearsolution which meets your needs as wellas those of the consumer — our mutual,most valued asset.

_______________________

FIn this age of corporate change, businesscontacts and staffs are subject to modifi-cation with great frequency. In the eventthat your company’s personnel develop-ments affect the handling of kosher mat-ters, please inform the OU as soon aspossible. Just as you rely on the availabil-ity of a regular rabbinic coordinator at OUHeadquarters to expedite your kosherneeds, our rabbinic coordinators and rab-binic field representatives in turn rely onthe presence of regular corporate andplant contacts to assist them in being ontop of kosher issues and to facilitatesmooth OU visits.

We appreciate your cooperation.

G


ALWAYSCHECKTHE LABELYOUR COMPANY INVESTS the

time, energy and resources toproduce kosher products that

are OU certified. Raw materials arepurchased only from sourcesapproved on Schedule A. Produc-tion procedures conform to the spe-cial clauses in your kosher contractand you maintain proper segrega-tion between pareve, dairy andnon-kosher. Given all of the aboveyou feel confident that nothing cango wrong with your kosher pro-gram. Until, one day consumersbring home from the grocery one ofyour company products whichbears an OU. They proceed to pre-pare their meal and they noticeafterwards that the product theypurchased, while bearing a plainOU on the label actually containeda dairy ingredient as declared in theingredient declaration. Or worse,they notice a non-kosher ingredientin the ingredient declaration.Immediately the consumer calls theOU offices frantically. Did I violatethe Laws of Kosher which are soimportant to me? What did I do tomy dishes? Are they now contami-

nated? Do they need to be disposedof? These are the kind of calls wedread receiving at the OU. Thesecalls are particularly frustratingbecause we know that companieshave gone through all the energyand expense to produce kosheritems and to segregate the dairyfrom the pareve and the kosherfrom the non-kosher. It is only

because of a printing error that thekosher system failed. Indeed thekosher chain is only as strong as itsweakest link.

The consequences can be severeand can even extend beyond thescope of kosher concerns. For exam-ple, many individuals with milk

related allergies have come to relyon the OU symbol without a “D” asan assurance of the nondairy statusof a product on a supermarket shelf.The potential health hazard as aresult of an inadvertent omission ofthe letter D next to the OU on adairy product, can be serious forsuch individuals. When a product ismislabeled it often has to berecalled or notice must be placed inJewish newspapers and periodicalsadvertising the mislabeled item,which includes the information ofthe manufacturer and brand name.This has the potential to raise ques-tions in the minds of the consumersabout the general quality controland other potential lapses thatcould be occurring in that verycompany. How do we avoid suchmishaps from occurring? Below wewill list several tips which we thinkwill be helpful in maintainingproper label control:

FMake sure your Schedule B iscomplete and up to date.

FLimit the number of personnelthat are authorized to order

by Rabbi Gershon Segal

“Did I violate the Laws ofKosher whichare so importantto me?”

“What did I do to my dishes?”

“Are they nowcontaminated?”

“Do they need to be disposed of?”

❝ The kosherchain is only as strong as itsweakest link.❞

labels from the printer andinform the printer of such inwriting.

FOrdering the artwork of a labelwith an OU or OUD should nevertake place unless the company’s,authorized personnel verifydirectly from the Schedule B theaccuracy of the kosher symbolto be declared on the label.

FKosher label verification shouldtake place both at the labelproofing stage and with eachdelivery of the labels themselves.

FReformulation of an existingproduct even if already on theSchedule B, must be resubmittedto the OU for verification ofKosher labeling status. Our“New Product Approval” formcan be used for this purpose.

FIf your company is producingfor another company who pro-vides you with labels or artwork,do not rely on the private labelcompany for accuracy of kosherlabel declarations. All suchproducts must be submitted tothe OU for inclusion on yourSchedule B.

FCreate and maintain three labelbooks based on informationfound in the Schedule B. Onelabel book should contain OUparve labels, another OU-D and athird for labels with no koshersymbol. These label booksshould be updated regularly witheach delivery of labels. Periodi-cally these books should beaudited against the Schedule B.

FFor those companies that printlabels in house, it is importantto assure that the Kosher symbolbe printed as part of the productname. This system should notallow the printing of a Koshersymbol on a label as an inde-pendent function. This will helpavoid an accidental application

of the OU. Similarly, companieswhich have non-product spe-cific labels printed with thecompany’s logo and brand nameshould not have the kosher sym-bol printed as part of the origi-nal printed label. The Koshersymbol should be part of thestencil used to imprint the spe-cific product. Rubber stampsand/or stickers which displaythe OU or OUD without productname are not allowed in OUKosher certified facilities.

FParticular attention should begiven to the kosher labeling ofthe outer packaging of varietypacks that contain productssome of which are kosher, someof which are dairy and some ofwhich are non-kosher. Similarly,one should be cautious regard-ing promotional enclosures offood items the kosher status ofwhich is different than the prod-uct itself.

Manufacturing practices andingredient control are at the heartof producing kosher certified prod-ucts. Label control and verification,however, are equally important.Taking these few extra steps toensure the accuracy of the kosherlabel will undoubtedly help avoidthe public embarrassment a com-pany suffers when a mislabeledproduct enters the marketplace. Wewould like to work together withyou to help maintain the integrityof the Kosher program and to helpenhance your company’s reputationin the marketplace.

Rabbi Gershon Segal is the Orthodox Union's rabbinicfield representative in the NewEngland region.

TO ORDER “THE KOSHER VIDEO”

OR THE CD-ROM

CALL 212.613.8115

E–MAIL [email protected]

VISIT WWW.OU.ORG

NOWalso

availableon CD-ROM

in English,Spanish

andChinese!

www.ou.org 17

Have You Seen It?Have You Seen It?Geared for food and marketing executives, as well as plant personnel,this 15–minute video explains whatkosher really means and how foodbecomes OU certified.

It can serve as a wonderful tool for your in–house Kosher Review Seminar.

AdlerM 250 Menachem Adler

BendelsteinY 253 Yisroel Bendelstein

BirnhackP 207 Pinchas Birnhack

BistricerD 274 David Bistricer

CohenD 222 David Cohen

ColemanM 271 Michoel Coleman

CywiakB 298 Baruch Cywiak

ElefantM 211 Moshe Elefant

EpsteinD 293 Donneal Epstein

FerrellE 394 Eliyahu Ferrell

FrischH 312 Herbert Frisch

SallyG 215 Menachem Genack

YosefG 295 Jay Goldberg

GoldbergCh 340 Chaim Goldberg

GoldbergN 292 Nosson Goldberg

GoodmanZ 294 Zvi Goodman

Gordimer 240 Avrohom Gordimer

GorelikD 203 David Gorelik

Grossman 212 Joseph Grossman

Herbsman 210 Chananel Herbsman

HeschelS 349 Syshe Heschel

IndichY 189 Yermia Indich

JuravelA 396 Abraham I. Juravel

HowardK 169 Howard Katzenstein

KravitzY 322 Yehuda Kravitz

Lebowitz 319 Elimelech Lebowitz

LubanY 214 Yaakov Luban

MendelsonJ 216 Jacob B. Mendelson

MincerY 173 Yitzchok Mincer

MorrisM 327 Michael Morris

Morrison 133 Raymond Morrison

NeubergN 205 Nosson Neuberger

OsseyA 314 Avrum Ossey

Paretzky 204 Yisroel Paretzky

PriceG 389 Gavriel Price

RabinowitzN 206 Nachum Rabinowitz

RockoveD 315 Dovid Rockove

RosenbaumM 347 Moshe Rosenbaum

Rothenbergl 200 Israel Rothenberg

SafranE 115 Eliyahu Safran

Scheiner 245 Kalman Scheiner

YoelS 220 Yoel Schonfeld

Schreier 342 Dov Schreier

SingerS 217 Shmuel Singer

LennyS 281 Leonard Steinberg

ZywicaM 219 Moshe Zywica

�It’s important to keep the line of communication open between YOU and your RABBINIC COORDINATOR.BELOW ARE THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES AND PHONE EXTENSIONS FOR OUR RCS. The address consists of the user name and “@ou.org” (e.g. [email protected]). Please don’t hesitate to call your RCwhenever you need anything by dialing 212.613.8 plus the 3-digit extension listed below, or by sending an e-mail.


For applications to certify

NEW COMPANIES

or ADDITIONAL

PLANTS,call

Civie Birnbaumat the

OU ApplicationsDesk

212.613.8249

Orthodox Union’sKashruth Division Spring Conference

RAY BITZER, PRESIDENT OF PETER CREMER,NA, presented a very detailed lecture on theuses, chemistry, and industrial processing of

fatty acids at the Orthodox Union’s Kashruth Divi-sion Spring Conference on May 5, 2003 held at the

Four Points Sheraton Hotel, Piscataway, NJ. Mr. Bitzer also demonstrated thesuperb system of safeguards designed by Rabbi Avrohom Juravel used intheir plant to guarantee the highest standards of the Orthodox Union’ssupervision for the OU certified glycerines, fatty acids, and propylene glycolthat Peter Cremer markets. Mr. Bitzer's encyclopedic knowledge of theindustry impressed everyone present. Rabbi Yosef Goldberg serves as PeterCremer’s Orthodox Union’s rabbinic coordinator. The spring conferencecoordinated by Rabbis Yoel Schonfeld and Michael Morris was attended byclose to 150 rabbinic coordinators and rabbinic field representatives.

www.ou.org 19

1Before an ingredient not appearing on the

Schedule A (the ingredientlist) is ordered, please fax a copy of the new ingredient’s kosher documentation to the OUfor prior approval.

2Always apply forapproval of new

labels, in-house or private, before placing the OU on the label.

3Inform your rabbiniccoordinator before any

change that may affectkosher issues takes place(e.g. installation of new equipment, cutting or connecting lines, modification of CIP procedures, etc.).

4Make sure that Sched-ules A and B accu-

rately reflect yourcompany’s ingredient inventory and certifiedproduct list.

5Be sure that your receiving personnel

check all incoming deliveries against theSchedule A to assure conformity to all kosherrelated requirements.

6Make sure to obtainaccurate and complete

letters of certification(LOC) from the OU for yourproducts, as these lettersare extremely valuable inmarketing your products.Please make sure thatyour distributors alsoreceive copies in order tomaximize distribution tokosher clients. Inform yourrabbinic coordinator 4-6weeks prior to your letter’sexpiration so a renewedletter can be processed foryour company.

7Be sure that your certified products

(retail and industrial)carry the symbol. This will not only benefit

you in business, but willalso make your productseasily identifiable by rabbinic field reps, supervisors and kosherconsumers throughout the world as meetingkosher specs .

8If you have any questions about

your company’s kosher program, call your rabbinic coordinator. It is his job to assist yourcompany and to providethe service you deserve.

9Be sure to tell yourcompany’s rabbinic

coordinator of any changes in personnel (Q.A. manager, plantmanager) so that the information is recorded in our database.

Remember, we are here to serve yourcompany.

IS YOUR KOSHER PROGRAMRUNNING SMOOTHLY?When your company’s kosher program runs smoothly, everyone wins. The company’s reputation will be respected in the kosher market, rabbinic inspections are more efficient and, in the long run, paperwork is significantly minimized. The following steps can help ensure that yourkosher program is in the best possible shape.

It is of the utmost importance that all R&D and experimentalingredients be submitted to the OU for prior approval. Use of suchingredients when uncertified, even for test purposes, may compro-mise the kosher status of equipment, and tracking and reportingthem unnecessarily burdens your staff and our rabbinic field rep-resentatives. It is always wise to submit any ingredients for priorapproval, in order to save time later should your company wish touse these ingredients in the final product.

The above synopsis of the OU’s Kosher basics is now available in Chinese, Indian dialects, Spanish and Turkish. Please [email protected] for copies.

MARKETINGTIPSIf You’ve Got It—

Flaunt It.

FLetting your customersknow that you are OUcertified should be asmuch a part of yourmarketing strategy asany other significantbenefit your productoffers.

FBe sure the OU logo isclearly visible in youradvertising—either onthe product label orelsewhere in the ad.

FFeature OU certifica-tion on your website

FAsk our marketingdepartment how best to reach the kosher consumer—thousandsof them contact usevery day about foodproducts they canbuy, places they canshop and eat, andinformation aboutkosher in general.

FPlan special promo-tions around Jewishholidays: Passover(March/April), RoshHashanah (Septem-ber) and Chanukah(December) are themost widely observed(see article).

NON–PROF IT ORG .U .S . POSTAGE

P A I DSTATEN I SLAND , NY

PERMIT NO . 301

ORTHODOX UNIONEleven Broadway, New York, NY 10004

THE ORTHODOX UNIONhas had a presence inChina since 1995, and

now certifies almost 100 firmsthere. Rabbi Aharon Stein-berg, one of the OU’s Rabbinic

Field Representatives in Asia,has been visiting many of these

plants on behalf of the organization.Recently, the OU has set up a “virtual office” in Bei-jing, staffed by the bilingual Zhu Yanan, known as“Joe”, to represent the OU’s interests in China. Andin the most recent development, there is now anOU Kosher website in Chinese. The website may beaccessed at www.ou.org/kosher/china.

In April, the OU participated in the Food Ingre-dients China 2003 exhibition in Guangzhou, thelargest trade show on food ingredients and addi-tives held in Asia. This year, there were 750exhibitors and 27,000 visitors. “The many contactsmade during the show are certain to bear fruit andresult in a considerably larger presence for the OU inChina in the months ahead,” Rabbi Steinberg said.

The OU has already signed up for next year’sshow, which will be held in Shanghai in March.

Rabbi Steinberg staffs theOrthodox Union boothand plays “The KosherVideo: How ProductsBecome Kosher,” pro-duced by the OU anddubbed in Chinese.

Rabbi Steinberg greets Lili,already one of the OU’s clientsin China, to discuss expandingOU certification to three addi-tional firms she represents.

Zhu Yanan (Joe), the OU’sliaison in China (right),meets with his assistantMeikan Li of the ChinaAssociation of Scienceand Technology.

OU IS ON DISPLAY IN CHINA

U behind the nionsymbol - OU Kosher

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