Kosher Certification Procedure
It is highly desirable for a food producer or manufacturer to obtain Kosher labeling on his products. This can be obtained by following a defined procedure for Kosher certification.
Application
One can apply online using the online form on the website or download the PDF, print it and fill in the form. The form will ask for many details and an applicant may be confused but there is nothing to worry about. They can call the agency and seek assistance as well as clarification. The application must be submitted along with requisite fees for the next step.
Visit by Kosher certification team to the production unit
Kosher certification agency will depute its personnel to the production unit of the applicant. The initial visit is to get clarifications on the ingredients, equipments and processes used in production. It is understood that a producer’s formulation and process may be proprietary and the Kosher team guarantees absolute confidentiality of all data that is disclosed to them.
Analysis
Once this data is collected the inspection team analyses the ingredients, the formula, process and equipments and gives details recommendations on Koshering processes for the equipments and for finding suitable substitutes for non-Kosher ingredients. This is a crucial process because substitutes may affect the overall look, feel, texture, color and taste of the final product but the applicant receives full support from the kosher team to make the transition successful. At the same time the applicant also separately identifies equipment that will be used to process the food product and marks it specifically for only those purposes. The entire process is evaluated by the Kosher team on an ongoing basis until the applicant meets the norms and has a final product that is worthy of the Kosher label.
Finalization
The team collaborates with the applicant to assist him in full compliance with prescribed norms pertaining to his products. The applicant carries out modifications and the Kosher team checks the processes and ingredients to ensure that they conform to Kosher regulations. If it is found that everything is in full conformance, they proceed with a recommendation for the issue of a letter of certification. The food producer can then apply the Kosher logo on his packaging.
If the applicant, later on, feels like changing the formula or using any additional ingredients then the whole process may need to be evaluated all over again.
Even after certification is granted the successful applicant must be prepared for surprise visits and checks by inspectors of the Kosher inspection agency.