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

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.

A (kosher) formula is the recipe for a specific product certified by the OK. Each ingredient is listed, along with its kosher certificate, and the method of production is noted. We do not require the amounts of each ingredient used and the information is kept strictly confidential. When a product formula changes, it is crucial to submit the new formula so that it can be entered into the OK kosher management system.

Formulas can now be submitted through our paperless program and are subsequently evaluated by the Formula Department and supervising rabbi.

DigitalKosher has added another layer of flexibility for customers that wish to create their own custom kosher certificates online. In addition to the ability to create a certificate with all your items on it, you can also click to “Create a certificate with specific items” from the Custom Kosher Certification Letters page. After choosing which labeler you need your certificate for, you can search your product list using specific criteria (or no criteria at all) and Select All products or only specific products that come up in the search results to add to a custom kosher certificate.

1. Ability for multiple personnel to access your kosher data online.

• You have control over adding or deleting authorized users to your DigitalKosher account. Allow specified personnel to add/remove data, including ingredients and formulas, as well as alter the viewing settings for your kosher certificates.
• You can use a K-ID as a place holder on your internal data warehousing system (e.g. SAP etc). Any internal staff with access to your system (e.g. plant managers, sales people, etc), can click on the hyperlink and get access to the latest kosher certificate.
• You can allow plant personal or corporate access to full OK product lists and/or ingredient lists in searchable and downloadable format.

UAS Laboratories, Inc., “The Probiotic Company”, headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is one of the latest additions to OK Kosher Certification’s legion of kosher certified companies. UAS specializes in production of probiotics and other supplements, including acidophilus, coenzyme Q-10, joint supplements, and more.

UAS is a leading probiotic company, founded by Dr. S.K. Dash in 1979. Dr. Dash served as director of the Food & Drug Administration for South Dakota in the 1970s and became interested in probiotics during his tenure there. His research showed that probiotics were effective in treating many different conditions and decided to start his own company to develop probiotics using super strain L-acidophilus DDS-1. UAS introduced quality control standards to the probiotics industry and spearheaded the National Probiotics Products committee.

To continue its history of excellence and high quality, UAS is now kosher certified by OK Kosher Certification, the leader in high kosher standards and high technology. Established in 1935, the OK certifies over 300,000 products on six continents. Its highly acclaimed DigitalKosher portal allows for digital submission and tracking of all OK-certified ingredients and products, ensuring the highest level of kosher compliance and customer ease-of-use. The OK prides itself on its commitment to upholding kosher standards without compromise, while educating and providing superior customer service to its kosher certified clients.

UAS, like the OK, is a high-tech company, combining innovation with the highest standards of quality and oversight. Kosher certification under the OK provides UAS with a great opportunity to reach an ever-growing market of kosher consumers and continue to provide high quality dietary supplements to a global market. For more information on UAS Laboratories, Inc. please visit www.uaslabs.com.

Online real-time access to your product list.

1. • Download your list as an Excel document and view all of the data behind certificates and products, including: labeler information, production location, kosher status and restrictions.
   • All changes to products (i.e. name change, etc.) that are made in K-Cert, the OK database, will be automatically updated on DigitalKosher.
   • The ability to list all of your kosher certified products on your website without commissioning your IT department.

Online, paperless submission of products and ingredients, including real-time status updates.

1. • Ingredient and product (formula) submissions can be made electronically.
   • Real time updates of your ingredient and product submissions are available for online viewing.
   • This translates into complete control of submissions and updates. You will always know the status of your submissions and will  be able to schedule productions accordingly.

The free benefits of being associated with the OK (which are unparalleled in the industry) are geared to increase your bottom line.

OK Kosher Certification is a globally recognized brand and registered trademark, relied on by millions of consumers around the world. In our commitment to meeting our client’s needs, we have invested a significant portion of our resources into implementing extremely advanced systems to manage our processes and operations. Moreover, as we encourage our clients to enjoy a completely seamless digital experience when it comes to Kosher, we are proud to say that we have also provided them with many tools that make this possible. The direct benefits to our clients can be realized in a number of specific areas:

Part 1 – Paperless distribution of certificates to you clients.

• You can distribute your K-ID’s directly from the product list page on DigitalKosher to your clients.

• Create your own Custom Kosher certification letters.

• Your customers will receive e-mail notification of updated certificates on an annual basis.

• This will translate into valuable time saved. Personnel will not have to A) track all the companies you sent certificates to and B) resend them- we will handle both these items.

• Customers can automatically be notified of changes of any kind to your certificates without you having to resend them. (provided the certificates were e-mailed to the customer out of DigitalKosher.

• You will not have to keep track of everyone you sent a certificate to. Therefore customer service personnel and Sales representatives will save many invaluable hours.

• Ask your Account Representative for more information about our services.