ABOUT BC KOSHER

BCK is a not-for-profit kosher agency servicing the domestic and international industries, recognized by all rabbinical associations throughout the world.

GOING KOSHER

The process for certifying your products involves a fast yet comprehensive series of procedures which are designed to be quick and efficient...

BCK ONLINE

BCK Online (Digital Kosher) makes the kosher certification process paperless, efficient and secure.

 

Kosher Organic

Kosher vs. Organic: What’s the Difference?

There’s a common misconception than kosher and organic mean the same thing. The truth is that organic food and kosher food have little to do with each other. Organic food is food that has been cultivated and/or processed without the use of chemicals of any kind, such as fertilizers, pesticides, additives, and artificial colorings. Organic foods are produced in way that promote soil and water conservation and reduce pollution.

Kosher food refers to food that has been prepared in accordance with Jewish dietary laws. In Hebrew, kosher means “fit” or “proper.” In the past, it was easy to determine whether a food was kosher or not because most products were prepared in the family kitchen or at small factories and stores in the local community. Now that the food production process has become more complex, rabbinical supervision is required for kosher certification. In order to be considered kosher, food must be made with kosher ingredients that were processed with kosher equipment.

It’s possible to find kosher organic food, but not all organic food is kosher and not all kosher food is organic. For example, you can buy organic pork, but not kosher organic pork, since pork is a forbidden food under Jewish dietary law. To be considered kosher, organic meat, or meat that comes from humanely raised livestock that is free of hormones or antibiotics, must have come from a permitted animal and have been slaughtered humanely in accordance with kosher standards. In addition, if you purchase kosher meat, there’s no guarantee that it’s organic. Animals used for kosher slaughter are raised alongside animals used for non-kosher slaughter, so they may not be fed organic feed or raised in a cage-free setting.

The main reasons why people buy kosher foods are because they perceive them to be safer, healthier, and of higher quality, and these are the same reasons why people buy organic foods, hence the connection. Furthermore, an increasing number of health-conscious consumers purchase certified kosher products because they believe that they are safer and purer than non-kosher products due to the rigorous inspection standards of certifying rabbis.

Organic foods also find favor with kosher certification agencies because they have natural origins. In addition, in order to advance Jewish principles, many North American congregations promote food with the “certified organic” label, which symbolizes social justice, earth-friendliness, and humane animal treatment. Some kosher certification agencies, such as EarthKosher and Kosher Organic (Green-K), have even gone completely organic. Major kosher certifiers, like OU and Star-K, have begun offering kosher organic certifications.

Whether food is kosher has no bearing on whether or not it is organic, but double certified kosher organic food is a growing specialty food category. Kosher organic products meet the strict requirements of both Jewish dietary laws and certified organic specifications. Many companies that already offer certified organic products are seeking kosher certification in order to expand their existing markets. The demand for kosher products and organic products continue to grow at a global level, and slowly, the gap between kosher foods and organic foods is shrinking until perhaps one day, they will be virtually one in the same.