Kosher Certification - A New "Blue Ocean" for the Food Industry to Expand Overseas

Kosher Certification - Food industry to expand overseas, a new blue ocean

For many years, merchants who travel year-round between major trade shows have repeatedly seen similar scenes at domestic food expos: during the Canton Fair, a US buyer asked the customer-service staff at every booth producing and processing chestnuts whether they had Kosher Jewish certification. If yes, the conversation continued; if not, they walked away. Similarly, at a food additives exhibition in Shanghai, an Israeli buyer held a Kosher Jewish certificate and asked every company selling instant noodles whether they had Kosher certification. Such recurring scenes meant manufacturers without Kosher certification completely lost a good opportunity to sell their quality products internationally.

Since China joined the WTO, China has become the world's largest exporter of food and food ingredients. The continuously releasing potential of China's food industry market has whetted the appetite of overseas processed-food and food-ingredient suppliers, who have come to China to share the feast. The advantages of Kosher-certified food in the overall food market are becoming increasingly obvious. According to a US Kosher industry consulting firm's magazine, the US Kosher-certified food market is about US$165 billion and growing at 15% per year. From the well-known domestic Kosher certification company KLBD, it is learned that more and more domestic manufacturers are beginning to inquire about Kosher certification. Among them, some larger enterprises are fairly familiar with Kosher certification, while some small and medium-sized factories and factories in remote locations are still 'completely in the dark' about it. In short, Kosher certification has gradually become an important part of China's food industry expanding into overseas markets.

What is Kosher?

The English meaning of Kosher is clean and edible, i.e. 'clean food,' while in Hebrew it literally means 'fit' or 'acceptable.' When this word is used for food, it means the food conforms to Jewish dietary laws and can be accepted by those who follow Kosher food. Therefore, in Jewish tradition the word 'Kosher' mostly means food conforms to Jewish dietary laws. Kosher can also be understood as: K - Keep, O - Our, S - Souls, H - Healthy, E - Eat, R - Right, i.e. 'to keep our souls healthy, eat right.' Kashrut is the Jewish dietary law that must be conformed to.

In simple terms, certifying food, ingredients and additives according to Jewish dietary law is called Kosher certification. It is believed that food produced to 'Kosher' requirements can help people's spiritual perfection, and such food may bear the title 'Kosher.' Conforming to Kosher dietary habits is an important hallmark of Jews, so Kosher standards in daily diet are usually considered the most important; if the daily diet contains any unapproved ingredient, it will be regarded as 'non-Kosher.'

There are many rules governing Kosher food. Kosher Jewish dietary law has its origin in the Bible and is described in detail in the Talmud and other codes of Jewish tradition. The on-site certification of whether food meets Kosher standards can only be conducted under the supervision of a Rabbi (Jewish religious teacher).

The criteria for distinguishing Kosher from non-Kosher food are roughly as follows:

1. Among land animals, ruminant cloven-hoofed animals such as sheep and cattle are Kosher; non-ruminant animals such as pigs, rabbits, camels, dogs and cats are non-Kosher.

2. Among aquatic animals, fish with scales and fins are Kosher; shrimp, mollusks and the like without scales and fins are non-Kosher.

3. Poultry such as chickens and ducks are Kosher; carnivorous birds of the sky such as vultures and eagles are non-Kosher. Reptiles such as lizards, geckos and snakes are also non-Kosher.

4. Scavenger animals, animals that died of old age or illness, and hunted animals are all non-Kosher. Blood and blood products are also non-Kosher.

5. Thoroughly cleaned insect-free fruits and vegetables are Kosher, except for grape products.

6. Eating meat and dairy products at the same time is strictly forbidden.

Even clean, healthy animals must be slaughtered instantly and painlessly with a sharp blade by a licensed Jewish religious teacher (Rabbi), have their leg sinews removed, and be carefully processed before they can be eaten.

Kosher standards come from: the Torah (the Law, the first five books of the Old Testament), the Talmud (the Jewish code of law: a collection of ancient rabbinic writings, including the Mishnah and Gemara, forming the basis of religious authority in Orthodox Judaism), etc. Of course, the Kashrut standards of different denominations are not necessarily identical, and the dominant one remains Orthodox Judaism.

Classification of Kosher Food

Adhering to Kosher food is the most fundamental part of Jews' daily life. For Jewish families, understanding the basic principles of Jewish dietary law is essential. Kosher food is divided into three major categories - meat, dairy and pareve. A basic principle of Jewish dietary law is the complete separation of meat from dairy. Meat and dairy cannot be cooked together or eaten at the same time. To ensure this, a Kosher kitchen should be equipped with separate dishes, utensils and cookware for meat and dairy, and with separate preparation areas. The third type of Kosher food - pareve - includes other foods that are neither meat nor dairy, and these foods can be eaten with either. Below are some introductions to meat, dairy and pareve foods, as well as guiding principles for cooking and serving each type of food according to Kosher standards.

Meat

Meat must come from ruminant cloven-hoofed livestock. Cattle, sheep and deer fall within the Kosher range. Kosher poultry is identified using the commonly accepted traditional methods passed down through generations. All carnivorous and scavenger birds are not permitted to be eaten. Poultry within the Kosher range includes domesticated chickens, ducks, geese and turkeys. Livestock and poultry must be slaughtered by rigorously trained professionals (called shochet) according to Jewish dietary law. Before cooking, the meat of permitted livestock and poultry must be properly handled. The utensils used must be clean utensils conforming to dietary law.

Dairy

Dairy products must come from Kosher animals. All ingredients must fall within the Kosher range and contain no meat derivatives.

Non-Kosher dairy products often use animal-derived ingredients; for example, crude rennet is used to make hard cheese, yogurt sometimes contains gelatin, and butter may contain non-Kosher additives. Dairy products must be processed on Kosher equipment.

Pareve Food

Pareve food refers to food that is neither meat nor dairy. This means pareve food contains no meat or dairy derivatives, and has never been mixed with or cooked together with any meat or dairy food. Unprocessed eggs, fish, fruits, vegetables and juices in their natural state are what is commonly called pareve food. It also includes dried pasta, soft drinks, coffee, tea and many types of candy and snacks. Only products with a reliable Kosher certificate, regardless of how they are processed, can be bought with confidence.

Separation of Meat and Dairy

Meat and dairy foods cannot be cooked together or eaten at the same time; meat-dairy mixed products cannot be sold or used to feed pets. To ensure the complete separation of meat from dairy, dedicated utensils and tableware must be used in the Kosher kitchen to separately prepare and serve meat and dairy foods. It is also useful to prepare some dedicated utensils for serving pareve food alone. Time interval between eating meat and dairy: according to dietary law, a period of waiting is required between eating meat and dairy, and the interval is regulated.

1. After eating dairy and before eating meat, one needs to eat some pareve food that does not stick to the palate. Then one must rinse the mouth, or drink some beverage and wash the hands. Usually an interval of at least half an hour is needed between eating dairy and eating meat. After eating certain hard cheeses, the interval should be 6 hours.

2. After eating meat, one must wait a full 6 hours before eating dairy again. For all Jews, the 6-hour interval is the standard time to be observed, except for groups that have established other customs. How to handle this for people eating special dairy products and for children under nine requires specific guidance from a Jewish religious teacher.