About Kosher
What is Kosher?
The word kosher means proper or acceptable and has informally entered the English language with that meaning. But kosher laws have their origin in the Bible, and are detailed in the Talmud and the other codes of Jewish tradition. They have been applied through the centuries to ever-changing situations, and these rulings, both ancient and modern, govern BC Kosher certification.
You may already be familiar with some of the more well-known requirements, but you may be surprised at the extent of the regulations with which you are not familiar.
The Bible lists the basic categories of food items which are not kosher. These include certain animals, fowl and fish (such as pork and rabbit, eagle and owl, catfish and sturgeon), and any shellfish, insect or reptile. In addition, kosher species of meat and fowl must be slaughtered in a prescribed manner, and meat and dairy products may not be manufactured or consumed together.
Why do so many foods require kosher supervision? For example, shouldn't cereals and potato chips be inherently kosher since they are not made from meat, fowl, fish or insects? The answer is that all units and subunits in a food item must be kosher as well. Therefore, for example, a cereal may be non-kosher because it contains a flavoring, which in turn contains civet, a flavor enhancer extracted from an African cat-like mammal. Potato chips can be non-kosher if the vegetable oil used in the fryer has been pasteurized and deodorized on equipment used for tallow production. In fact, equipment used for hot production of non-kosher products may not be used for kosher production without kosherization (a hot purging procedure).
Why go Kosher
Getting the Maximum Benefit
Most Canadians eat some kosher food every day, but chances are they're not aware of it. Take a walk down the aisles of any supermarket and you will see that certification appears on a wide variety of produced foods. Over 150 billion kosher certified products are consumed annually, and spending continues to rise dramatically.
The BC Kosher logo has become an increasingly important marketing device which generates additional revenues by expanding the size of the market. Supermarkets favor brands with BC Kosher certification because it gives the product a competitive edge that makes it sell faster. That also means that BC Kosher certification can lead to an increase in a company's private label business.
There is clear evidence that a kosher symbol boosts market share, can win more favorable shelf space, and that positioned next to a competing non-kosher brand, a kosher product will do better by 20%. This data has remained constant even in the smaller cities, far from heavier concentrations of kosher Jews. (Source: Integrated Marketing Communications.)
Going kosher is an investment your company makes in order to increase market reach and share. We are ready to support you in any way we can in achieving your goals.
Most importantly, be sure that all your certified products, whether retail or industrial, feature the BC Kosher logo prominently on the label or packaging, as well as in your advertising. This will not only help your sales, but will also make your products easily identifiable as kosher by food industry personnel, kosher inspectors, and consumers throughout the world. see more info on "Why go Kosher"
Steps of Certification
To become a Kosher certified company, there a few simple steps to follow.
- Complete and send your application back to the BC Kosher office. You may do this online by filling out a Form and sending it by fax or by mail. The application asks for logistical information about your company and you plant, as well as a list of the products you want certified, and their ingredients.
- A Rabbi will be assigned to handle your application, and will be available to answer your questions, address your needs and guide you through the certification process.
- A qualified Rabbi will visit your plant to observe your operation and the feasibility of certifying your products. (There is a processing fee and a travel expense fee that is billed prior to this inspection.) The Rabbi will tour your plant and file a written report to BC Kosher headquarters.
- Your application and inspection report will be reviewed by the Rabbinical Council who will advise you whether or not BC Kosher can grant certification. In some instances, some system modifications may be required for certification to be granted.
- The Rabbi will draft a contract which includes all of requirements of BC Kosher for kosher certification. If acceptable to you the contract is signed and returned to the BC Kosher office, and a letter of certification is sent to you.
- You may then submit you new product labels carrying the BC Kosher symbol for our final approval.
CONGRATULATIONS! You have now joined a family of companies which proudly carry the well-known and most widely accepted Kosher trademark in Western Canada, the BC Kosher.
Kosher Policy
The BC Kosher emblem is the registered trademark of the Kosher Division of the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of British Columbia - The British Columbia Kosher. It may be used only by authority of the BC Kosher.
Products are endorsed as kosher only when bearing the BC Kosher emblem on the label.
DIRECTORY SYMBOLS for Pareve, Dairy and Meat Categorizations:
BCK - The products are Pareve (contains neither milk nor meat ingredients).
BC Kosher Dairy - The products are DAIRY. These products either contain dairy ingredients or have been processed on dairy equipment.
BRAND NAMES (labels) are indicated in bold above the products on a letter of certification. Where a listing of brands appears above the product(s), this indicates that all products below are marketed under all brand names above.
When purchasing packaged meat or poultry parts, the consumer must be certain that both the sealed package and the inner cellophane wrapper have not been tampered.
It is imperative to always check the labels before making any purchase.
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