Four well known and reliable Kosher Symbols in the USA
Trying to keep kosher can be difficult. There are so many different food products and ingredients available, and it can be hard to know which ones are acceptable for a kosher diet. Even food that doesn’t have any obviously non-kosher ingredients can be rendered taboo if it’s processed on the same line as non-kosher items or comes into contact with non-kosher utensils. Thankfully, there are kosher symbols that can help make the task of keeping kosher a little bit easier. But with thousands of different symbols out there, which ones can you trust? Here are five well known North American reliable kosher symbols.
(This is not a definitive list – The Kosher Hub is not and does not claim to be an authority in Kashrut)
The Orthodox Union - Kosher Certification Agency
The Orthodox Union is one of the oldest and most respected kosher certification agencies in the world. Founded in 1898, the OU has over a century of experience in certifying food products as kosher. The OU symbol is one of the most widely recognized kosher symbols in the United States, appearing on over 1.2 million products in more than 30,000 stores nationwide.
Some of the well known companies their brand is found on are:
ADM, Avebe, Cargill, Coca Cola, Peter Cremer, Danisco, Dean Foods, DSM, General Mills, Chr. Hansen, Hebei Welcome Pharmaceutical, H.J. Heinz, Hershey’s, Kraft/Nabisco, McCormick & Co., Nestlé, Novartis, Procter & Gamble, Quest, Reynolds Aluminum, Rhodia, Unilever, and thousands more.
If you see the OU symbol on a food product, you can be confident that it meets the highest standards of Kashrut.
KOF - K - Kosher Certification Agency
KOF-K
The KOF-K symbol is another widely recognized symbol of Kashrut. Like the OU, KOF-K is an organization with a long history; Kof K is a Teaneck New Jersey based certification agency founded by Rabbi Dr Harvey Zecharia Senter.
Today, KOF-K provides certification for thousands of products in the areas of food production, ingredients, flavors, fragrances, chemicals, and pharmaceuticals
They also certify vendors, restaurants, eateries and other suppliers of Kosher products and services. The KOF-K symbol is your assurance that a food product has been produced under the strictest possible supervision and meets the highest standards of Kashrut.
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Star K - Kosher Certification Agency
Founded by Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, Star-K is another one of the leading authorities on Kashrut in the United States. In addition to certifying food products, Star-K also provides certification for restaurants, caterers, institutions, and manufacturers of kitchen appliances and utensils.
Star K have been around for more than 50 years and have become an internationally recognized Kosher certification agency.
They state “the 3 Rs of Kosher Certification are Reliability, Reputation and Respect”.
Star K have a “Kashrus Hotline” which answers thousands of inquiries annually and have a diverse staff of Rabbinic Administrators and food technologists
The Star-K symbol is another guarantee that a food product has been produced under strict rabbinical supervision and meets all of the requirements of Kashrut.
For more information: https://www.star-k.org/home_about
The CRC - Chicago Rabbinical Council - Kosher Certification Agency
The CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council) was founded in 1932 Today, it is one of the largest regional non profit kosher organization,
CRC is the number one ranking kosher transportation and trucking certifier certifying over 1 million individual products from over 5,000 companies.
Also involved in community relations, funeral standards, legislative issues, youth education and much more.
The CRC symbol is another top US Kashrut Authority and your guarantee that a food product has been produced under strict rabbinical supervision and meets all of the requirements of Kashrut.
Listen to the video below for more information about the CRC Authority.
When choosing a Kosher symbol, the best bet is to go with a well-recognized Agency.
With years of experience in providing reliable Kosher certification, the these agencies are names you can trust and will recognize on the packets of thousands of products in our stores. Keeping kosher is challenging and requires commitment not just for the individual but the business owner.
Based on research The Kosher Hub has done thousands of businesses around the world choose to hold Kosher certification to not only increase sales but as people become more aware about what food they put in their mouths they want to know it is reliable. For example if a food is certified Kosher Parev you can be sure it has zero animal products. That in itself is reassuring and more and more people these days are seeking that certainty.
For more information about how your business can obtain Kosher certification click on any of the links above.
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