ABOUT BC KOSHER
BCK (now known as Kosher Check) 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 (MyKosher) makes the kosher certification process paperless, efficient and secure.
Kosher Certification
Kosher certification is a process by which a company ensures that their food is kosher, or in other words, fit for consumption by observant Jews. Kosher refers to a religious dietary practice that is rooted in Jewish tradition. Contrary to popular belief, kosher food does not refer to Jewish cuisine. Even Thai food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with kosher laws, just as Jewish food can be non-kosher if it is not prepared in accordance with those laws.
Kosher laws are more complicated than they seem, especially now that modern technology has come into play. Take for instance, potato chips, which you’d think would be kosher since they aren’t made from foods forbidden by the Torah. Potato chips can actually be considered non-kosher if they are fried in vegetable oil that was pasteurized and deodorized with equipment that has been used for tallow production.
Observant Jews may only purchase food products with a kosher certification, which ensures that a rabbi has supervised the food production process and verified that it adheres to strict standards. According to the Torah, people who consume non-kosher food are infected by an unclean spirit. Even if you’re not Jewish, however, you can benefit from eating food that has the kosher certification. An increasing number of non-Jewish customers are purchasing certified kosher products because of the certification’s assurance of quality and purity.
For example, meat with the kosher certification has to be fed, slaughtered, and processed in specific ways and kosher standards of cleanliness are stringent, so kosher meat is typically of high quality. This is especially important considering problems like mad cow disease and E. coli. People who have allergies to certain ingredients, such as wheat, dairy, or shellfish, can also benefit from purchasing products with a kosher certification because they can rest assured that the products don’t contain anything that has been sourced from those ingredients. Vegetarians and the lactose intolerant can also benefit from purchasing kosher certified pareve products, which are foods that are completely meat and dairy free. In Canada alone, kosher food sales have grown by up to 20 percent each year.
Benefits of Obtaining Kosher Certification
Did you know that the majority of consumers who buy certified kosher products do so because of perceived quality and safety rather than for religious reasons? Obtaining kosher certification will help you increase sales substantially because of the rising popularity of kosher food. An increasing number of people are adopting kosher food because the kosher certification has become recognized as a symbol of purity, safety, cleanliness, and quality. By having your products labeled with the kosher certification, you can open up the possibility of attracting new clientele.
To put it simply, having the kosher certification on your products will increase their marketability because more and more people are concerned about what they put into their bodies and where their food comes from. There’s no tougher food inspector than a rabbi, who determines whether food is kosher by visiting processing plants, working with slaughterhouses, and tracing ingredients back to their beginnings. The standards of these rabbis are far higher than those adhered to by government inspection agencies.