The OK has revised its comprehensive “how to” manual for kosher certified facilities.

OK Kosher believes that communication is essential to the effective development of a kosher program. To this end, the purpose of this manual is to direct you, step by step, through a successful kosher protocol.

Whether you would like to introduce a new ingredient, launch a new product, or understand the interaction between the rabbi and your staff, or anything else, you will find clear instructions in this guide.

Another purpose of this manual is to familiarize (newly) appointed personnel with kosher information and requirements pertaining to your facility. This concise, user-friendly format will serve as a guideline to those not yet familiar with kosher.

The manual covers the basic rules of a kosher facility, including ingredients & raw materials, kosher certificates, the OK “Group” system, equipment & productions, toll manufacturing, finished products, labels, rabbi visits, Passover, and more. Each section of the manual explores these topics in depth and is an indispensable resource for all employees involved in production of kosher products.

The plant manual also includes a comprehensive tutorial of the digital services the OK provides to its customers – be sure to ask your account representative to help you explore how you can take advantage of them.

The most important takeaway from the OK Kosher Manufacturing Facility manual remains that when in doubt, ask. When you think you know the answer and don’t want to bother the rabbi, ask anyway.

To obtain copies of the revised manual, please contact your Account Representative or email [email protected] (SUBJECT: Plant Manual) and your request will be forwarded to your Account Representative.

We’ve made these changes after talking to customers like you. Thank you for your support. We do not take your loyalty for granted and are working hard on your behalf.

– The OK Kosher Team

Brooklyn Award Program Honors the Achievement

BROOKLYN April 23, 2014

OK Kosher Certification has been selected for the 2014 Best of Brooklyn Award in the Kosher Food Products category by the Brooklyn Award Program.

Each year, the Brooklyn Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Brooklyn area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2014 Brooklyn Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Brooklyn Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Brooklyn Award Program

The Brooklyn Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Brooklyn area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Brooklyn Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.

SOURCE: Brooklyn Award Program

2013 was a year of continued growth at the OK, with hundreds of newly certified customers and ongoing service to our current customer base. This year we are revamping QuicKosher – the premiere kosher food industry newsletter. The new year will see a new design and an improved format with one article appearing at a time and more frequent emails, rather than quarterly, longer newsletters. The new QuicKosher will truly be a quick and informative read, featuring a concise article about new and relevant updates within the OK, complemented by innovations by OK certified companies that benefit the kosher market on a large scale.

We encourage you to interact with the newsletter and let us know what kosher topics you would like to see in upcoming issues. If your company is changing the face of kosher food production, please share your accomplishments with us ([email protected]) so we can publicize and share them with our certified companies!

Remember, the OK is here to provide you with the highest level of customer service and help you provide your consumers with products that are Kosher Without Compromise. Your Rabbinic Coordinator and Account Representative are available by phone or email to answer any questions, provide walk-throughs of our unique software, and help you maximize the return on your investment in kosher certification.

The economy is tight, expenses are always growing, and now, more than ever, every dollar counts. Every company has a budget – ingredients, packaging, staff, advertising, certifications – and each category is assigned a dollar amount, for many companies an amount that is hard to stick with. Make the most of your kosher certification AND your advertising budget at the same time by clearly advertising your product as kosher certified, using the word “KOSHER” and/or the OK Kosher symbol in your ads.

When a kosher consumer sees an advertisement for a product, the first thing he/she looks for is an indication that the product is kosher. Without a kosher symbol, the kosher consumer quickly moves on without stopping to learn about the product. To the kosher consumer, the kosher status comes before the ingredients, before the nutrition panel, and even before the price of the item.

In addition to the approximately 1.3 million Jewish Americans who exclusively purchase kosher products, 21% (about 12.25 million) of Americans occasionally or regularly buy kosher products specifically because they bear a kosher symbol.

You chose kosher certification because you know it is important to your target markets. Let consumers know, loud and clear, that your product meets the highest standard of kosher certification with a prominent OK symbol on your next advertisement.

Sources:

Mintel Report (March 2003, May 2005, January 2009)

LUBICOM Kosher Analysis (October 2009)

New ingredients are added to your list of approved ingredients by submitting a New Ingredient Application. There are two ways to submit the application – by faxing or emailing the application and kosher letter to the OK office, or by the preferred method of submitting digitally through DigitalKosher (ensuring better tracking and real-time updates). Once the application is submitted, along with a valid kosher certificate for the ingredient, an OK rabbi will review the application. If the application is approved, the Data Entry department will enter the ingredient in our database which adds the ingredient to your list of approved ingredients.

Yoplait Greek 100, Liberté Greek and Liberté Méditerranée are now OK Kosher Certified. Greek 100, Yoplait’s hottest product in decades, appeals to health conscious consumers and those who enjoy its thick texture.

The recently released blended Yoplait Greek 100 was conceived after Yoplait saw the Greek yogurt market was missing a “great taste experience”, said Liza Dopp, Yoplait Greek marketing manager, so Yoplait developed their new offering with great taste in mind. As soon as Yoplait conceived the new product idea, they were in touch with OK Kosher to make sure all stages of product development were in line with kosher requirements. Yoplait’s proprietary blend of slow-fermenting cultures and real fruit pieces blended in creates a product with superior taste, high protein and the delicious creaminess consumers expect from Greek yogurt.

Yoplait Greek 100 is available in plain and seven unique flavors including Blueberry, Strawberry-Raspberry, Strawberry-Banana, Tangerine, Coconut, Pineapple, and Vanilla. Each variety is made using simple ingredients – natural colors, flavors and sweeteners – and real pieces of fruit. Each 5.3 ounce serving provides 100% more protein than regular yogurt, 150 calories or less per serving, and 0% fat. Yoplait Greek 100 is also the only Greek yogurt endorsed by Weight Watchers and has a PointsPlus value of 2 per serving.

Liberté Méditerranée is a high protein yogurt made with whole milk, cream and blended fruit. It contains live active cultures and does not contain any gelatin, sugar substitutes or preservatives. Liberté Méditerranée is available in seven flavors – Blackberry, Blueberry, Coconut, French Vanilla, Lemon, Peach & Passion Fruit and Strawberry.

Liberté Greek is a high protein, fat free Greek yogurt made with real blended fruit. Liberté Greek currently has five kosher certified varieties – plain, Blueberry, Lemon, Peach & Passion Fruit and Strawberry.

Greek yogurt itself is now a booming industry, encompassing around 40% of all yogurt sales currently compared to just 2% six years ago. Yoplait and its parent company, General Mills, understand that consumers look for the kosher symbol when purchasing groceries. From those who are health conscious, to those who observe kosher dietary laws as part of their religious observance, kosher consumers are a significant market force. 12,250,000 Americans intentionally buy kosher products and the kosher market experiences an average of 15% annual growth.

For over 70 years, OK Kosher Certification has provided the highest level of kosher supervision and customer service to our clients and kosher consumers worldwide. The OK certifies over 300,000 products in 90 different countries, from Fortune 500 companies to young startups.  The OK symbol is universally accepted by all kosher certification agencies and clients who choose the OK know that the OK symbol provides significant added value to their products.

Yoplait Greek yogurts are available nationwide and proudly bears the OK Kosher symbol on the package.

Yoplait Greek yogurts – 100% more protein and now 100% kosher.

We are pleased to announce that our new website has officially launched. We have completely redesigned our layout with simplicity, ease of use, and a strong focus on kosher information. The new website features three distinct sections, targeting the kosher consumer, the industry professional and the mashgiach with useful information and insights.

 At OK Kosher we believe that kosher advancement is never truly complete, and we will constantly undertake new and greater goals. Our new website will become the launching point for many exciting new features we will be rolling out in both the near and distant future to help you grow your OK Kosher program.

We truly hope you will enjoy exploring our new website, and please send us comments and feedback to [email protected].

The OK Kosher Team

Kosher groups are a way of classifying different types of kosher ingredients.

A Group 1 ingredient does not require a kosher certificate or kosher symbol.

A Group 2 ingredient requires a kosher certificate, but no kosher symbol printed on the package.

A Group 3 ingredient requires a kosher certificate and a kosher symbol printed on the package.

A Group 4 ingredient is bulk packaged and only approved from a specific source.

A Group 5 ingredient is bulk packaged and only approved from a specific source when accompanied by a special letter.

Group 6 and 7 ingredients are not approved for use in kosher products, and Group 7 ingredients are not allowed in a kosher certified facility.