(Roughly) Daily

We’re in the midst of Passover (Chag Pesach sameach!), a marvelous time to muse on the way in which kosher food has become important to non-observers…

While there are about 6 million Jews in the United States, according to World Population Review, [executive manager of certification organization OK Kosher, Rabbi Eli] Lando said Jewish people represent only 20% of the kosher product consumer base. By and large, consumers see a kosher certification as a verification that a product is healthy, clean and safe. And while the certification has roots in religious traditions that are thousands of years old, it now speaks directly to the modern consumer’s demand for wholesome foods…

Every day of the year, however, kosher is a hot market, period. Research in 2017 by Kosher Network International — commonly abbreviated KNi — found that the global market for kosher foods was worth $24 billion, and was projected to grow 11.5% by 2025. OK Kosher, which is one of the largest kosher certification organizations in the world, has certified around 700,000 products made by 4,000 manufacturers, Lando said. Its clients include Kraft Heinz, Kellogg and General Mills.

Kosher is one of the most popular certifications in the food industry today. According to one commonly cited estimate,the certification is on about 40% of all products in a U.S. grocery store.

“Everyone sees it almost as a necessary point of entry to the market to have this certification,” said Jamie Geller, founder of KNi…

While the “K” seal signifies that items meet Jewish dietary laws, it increasingly represents purity, good practices, and trustworthiness to non-observant consumers: “The ‘silent salesman’: How kosher certification went mainstream,” from Megan Poinski (@meganpoinski) in @FoodDive. TotH to @WaltHickey.

* Miriam Margolyes

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As we nosh, we might note that National Egg Salad Week begins today (as it starts on the first Monday after Easter each year)… a celebration of one of the favorite ways to use all of the Easter eggs that have been cooked, colored, hidden, and found.

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