Pronounced: MILL-khig, Origin: Yiddish, dairy, as an adjective to describe food containing dairy, or dishes used for foods containing dairy. For over a half century we have been committed to making kosher food products available to Jewish people around the world in the widest variety of food products. kosher guide > Common Kosher Symbols. Each symbol, known as a hechsher, comes from a different organization or rabbi. The third issue is that sometimes a supervision is just not seen as rigorous enough in really watching what is going on. One of my friends only eats things with some of the symbols, and not others. (There are actually dozens of symbols used by different kosher certifying agencies.) You can look up all the symbols and their organizations here. KD means that they are dairy. Forrelli Artichokes of Allied International Corp. are being sold bearing an unauthorized OK kosher symbol; A limited amount of Cake, sold in Metro stores was mistakenly labeled with a plain OK symbol, instead of OKD The Triangle K symbol is a patented and trademarked logo that signifies “kashrut” as defined by the most stringent of Orthodox Jewish law. Kosher Check Certification opens new markets for your products. I think it’s high time that I supervise the making of some cookies…. It is one of the largest Jewish dietary certification agencies in North America. Here are some additional kosher symbols you might come across. Many states have at least one kosher supervision agency; states with large Orthodox communities like California, New York, New Jersey, and Florida often have several. If all products with kosher symbols on them have been certified as kosher by someone, then why do we need so many symbols? Star-K Kosher Certification, also known as the Vaad Hakashrut of Baltimore (Hebrew: ועד הכשרות דבאלטימאר ‎), is a kosher certification agency based in Baltimore, Maryland, under the administration of Rabbi Moshe Heinemann, with the involvement of many other rabbis. Foods certified as kosher for Passover get a separate label that says “kosher for Passover” or “kasher l’Pesach.” Sometimes the label has the Hebrew words only, which look like this: Here is an example of a kosher-for-Passover label on a product: In this context, the P at the end stands for Passover. The Triangle K symbol is a trademarked logo that signifies “kashruth” (kosher) as defined by the most stringent Jews who follow Orthodox Jewish Law. A cRc comes from the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Hametz, kitniyot and the holiday's dietary restrictions. The symbol represents the Star-K Kosher Certification Agency, with the letter “K” inside a star. An overview of what's involved in observing Jewish dietary laws. Kosher foods that contain dairy products usually contain a "D" or the word "Dairy" after the Kosher symbol. The Scroll K is also contracted by the Colorado and Nevada Department of Corrections to facilitate kosher options for those incarcerated. Kosher symbols not only ensure that the food is kosher, they also identify the kosher certifying organization that issued the … Please note that while these three are the largest kosher certification agencies in the U.S., there are hundreds of other kosher certification agencies – with varying levels of reliability – and each with its own certification symbol. How to decode the different kosher labels. These Kosher Symbols are approved by Rabbi Eidlitz and the Kosher Information Bureau. What’s the difference? How much time is required between eating meat and dairy? Note: The “K” symbol means that the company represents the product to be kosher. Special Kosher Labels The commitment of this consortium of Orthodox Jewish rabbis is, above all else, rooted in their desire to see as wide a range of food products made available to kosher Jewish consumers worldwide. (Kosher laws prohibit serving meat and dairy together.). MK- Canada's Kosher Certifier. All this talk of food supervision is making me hungry. What’s the difference? Copyright © 2002-2021 My Jewish Learning. “While there have been some lenient opinions over the centuries regarding gelatin,” Rabbi Lopatin said, “current Orthodox practice, at least in the Diaspora, is to not accept gelatin from non-kosher animals. Only those products and services meeting the strictest standards of kashrus (kosher law) are granted pertmission to display the KOF-F K symbol, which is protected under U.S. & Certification of Manufacturers, Products and Plants Around the World. If you find out that your babysitter has been giving your kids ice cream for dinner, you might decide not to trust that babysitter to be in charge of your kids ever, even if you ensure that there’s no ice cream in the house. There are two more factors that differentiate among the kosher symbols. 300 Baltimore, MD 21208 A symbol with the word “Pareve,” “Parev,” or “Parve” near it (yes, all spellings are used! The OK Kosher mark is one of the world’s best-known trademarks; it immediately and universally increases company marketability, accountability, and kosher acceptability. All Rights Reserved. These include international, national, regional, Israeli, specialty, and non- Orthodox agencies. It was founded by his late father, Rabbi Yehosef Ralbag. I noticed the symbol on a bag of frozen organic broccoli, cauliflower and carrots at Costco and as we know organic and broccoli is hard to come by these days (due to all the insects found in them). An increasing number of people are adopting kosher food because the kosher certification has become recognized as a symbol of purity, safety, cleanliness, and quality. Think of it like hiring a babysitter. Foods that meet the Kosher dietary laws are labeled with one of the Kosher symbols, including: K, , and . Answer: You’re right that there are dozens of different symbols that indicate something is kosher. Pronunced: TORE-uh, Origin: Hebrew, the Five Books of Moses. Alaska Kosher > Alaska Kosher. But every unique kosher symbol (of which there are hundreds) represents a different kosher certification agency, with different standards. Pronounced: kahsh-ROOT, Origin: Hebrew, the Jewish dietary laws. Triangle K is a kosher certification agency under the leadership of Rabbi Aryeh R. Ralbag. The STAR-K kosher symbol, or the STAR-K symbol in conjunction with the 'Pareve' designation, guarantees that the product contains no meat, dairy, or poultry derivative and is therefore suitable for vegetarian use. When shopping for kosher products, it is important to remember that just because some items produced by a company are kosher does not mean all of the company’s products are kosher. Forrelli Artichokes of Allied International Corp. are being sold bearing an unauthorized OK kosher symbol. America also leads the world in the number of regional kosher certifiers it supports. The Scroll K emblem is a registered trademark. In order for a product to be certified kosher, the company has to pay a rabbi or kosher supervision organization to come in and supervise. Pronounced: HEK-sher, Origin: Hebrew, kosher certification for foods, and some other items, identifies product as complying with Jewish law. Star-K Symbol. As a public service, the Chicago Rabbinical Council is presenting a list of common acceptable kosher symbols and their agencies' contact information. The circled K, on the other hand, is a registered mark and can only be used with the permission of its owner, the Organized Kashruth Laboratories of New York, a private certifying concern. The Triangle K symbol is a patented and trademarked logo that signifies “kashrut” as defined by the most stringent of Orthodox Jewish law. As you might expect, a rabbi whose brother is the head of a kosher certification body might be inclined to tell his community that his brother’s organization is the best one out there. ka-kosher as presented at ka-kosher.com is a legit (orthodox) kosher certification. One immediately recognizes that a particular product displaying the KOF-K trademark symbol has been thoroughly investigated from the There may be additional letters indicating the presence of meat, dairy, or fish. Triangle K is a symbol of integrity representing the most trusted and reliable name in strict rabbinical food certification and supervision. Each symbol, known as a hechsher, comes from a different organization or rabbi. An OU, a triangle K, a cRc in a triangle, etc. ), Pronounced: PAHRV or pah-REV, Origin: Hebrew, an adjective to describe a food or dish that is neither meat nor dairy. The letter “K” simply means “Kosher.” Kosher, in Hebrew, means fit or proper, and is generally used to describe foods that are prepared in … There are many out there that differ from region to region. The Scroll K Rabbis visit all Colorado and Nevada DOC correctional facilities to monitor the kosher program. Star-K symbol as found on certified products As of 2014, there are more than 1,100 kosher certification agencies. Common Kosher Symbols. 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