If you work in an industry that involves food, you probably have already heard about Kosher. Aside from the people in a company that ensure the business’ adherence to these types of certifications, some have probably just been hearing this over and over without truly understanding what it is for.
Kosher is an English term for the Hebrew word “kasher” which means “fit for consumption.” For many Jews, Kosher is not just about the safety of the food they consume; it is about the strict dietary standards adhering to the religious tradition of Judaism.
Kosher Food
There are three main categories of Kosher Food — Meat or Fleishig, Dairy or Milchig, and Pareve.
Under Meat or Fleishig are meats you can eat including but not limited to cows, chickens, ducks, turkey, salmon and tuna. Non-kosher meats include pigs, shrimp, and shellfish.
Dairy or Milchig includes milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt while Pareve is any food that is not meat or dairy, including fish, eggs, and plant-based foods.
Kosher also prohibits eating meat and dairy together. The two must be eaten separately by an observant Jew and should wait for hours before consuming the other.
Kosher also follows certain standards on how to slaughter meat. This is called Shechita which dictates comprehensive guidelines on how different animals need to be butchered and prepared. Furthermore, all utensils used to process and clean meat and dairy should be kept separately, even down to the sink where they are washed.
Why companies need Kosher Certification?
With the rise of Kosher demands in the 1970s until today, multiple third-party organizations have been offering Kosher supervision to companies that want to penetrate this continuously growing market.
Kosher auditors check the ingredients and process of food and determine whether a company adheres to Jewish dietary laws. Having Kosher certification doesn’t only appeal to the Jewish community but also to the Islamic world, vegetarians, and Seventh Day Adventists.
Is Roxas Sigma Kosher Certified?
Roxas Sigma Agriventures, Inc. is Kosher certified with Star-K as our partner auditor for years. Our company has recently renewed its certification (all products listed under Pareve) last September 2021 and will continue to work within the accepted guidelines to cater to the Kosher consumers of our partner buyers around the world.