This guide is intended for company executives and managers who seek to understand basic and critical information relevant to the Kosher certification of their products.

In order to make a Kosher certified product it seems logical that one would need the component ingredients of that product to be approved as Kosher and in fact one does. So one step in the Kosher certification process, arguably the most fundamental, is to have your company’s ingredients reviewed and approved as Kosher by a Kosher certification agency.

Some of these ingredients often fall under the category of GRAK (Generally Recognized as Kosher) or Group 1 in Kosher industry jargon and as a result these ingredients do not require Kosher documentation in the form of a Kosher certificate from the Supplier. Examples of such ingredients that have GRAK status would be: eggs, salt, flour, water, most but not all fresh fruits and vegetables, raw nuts, seeds, grains, legumes and many others. These ingredients are often Kosher certified nonetheless as many food and beverage manufacturers have simplified their Kosher certification process by requiring that all their ingredients be Kosher certified. Thus avoiding the issue of having to differentiate, which ingredients require and which do not require kosher documentation. The reason for this streamlining is that the person involved in purchasing within any given company is unlikely to be a specialist in regards to discerning which products do and do not require Kosher certification and documentation and mistakes are time consuming and sometimes costly to correct.

Many ingredients generally do require Kosher documentation in the form of a Kosher certificate from the Supplier- each company’s ingredients will vary as to what percentage require kosher documentation and what percentage do not require. Thus, a fundamental part of the Kosher certification process is to gather these Kosher certificates from the company’s suppliers which should be current and to provide some basic information to the Kosher certification organization you are working with. Such information would include: the name of the Ingredient, the name of the Supplier, the name of the Kosher certification agency providing Kosher certification and the date of expiration for that specific Kosher certificate. All this information is placed on an Excel sheet which in Kosher certification jargon is called a “Schedule A”.

The Company is responsible on an ongoing basis to insure that their ingredients maintain their Kosher status. They must obtain current Kosher certificates when their supplier’s Kosher certificates expire. If a Supplier does not retain their Kosher certification status the Company will be required to find an alternative Supplier in a situation where the Ingredient is not GRAK (Generally Recognized as Kosher).

One thing to bear in mind is that not all Kosher certificates emanating from varying Kosher certification agency’s are equally accepted. A result of this is that your Kosher certification agency in the process of your company applying for Kosher certification may reject a specific Kosher certificate from the Kosher certification agency that provides the Kosher certification for that Ingredient. The Kosher certification agency will require that you obtain the ingredient in question from a different Supplier that enjoys the Kosher certification of a more accepted Kosher certification agency. Alternatively, they may require your company or the supplier to pay for their ability to self-verify the Kosher status of the ingredient(s) in question. Kosher certification agencies have no interest in making the Kosher certification process more costly, time consuming or stressful. They do feel an obligation however to maintain their standards and reputation and they are unlikely to compromise if this issue presents itself.

Why are some Kosher certification agency’s rejected by others? The simple answer to this question is that unlike Organic certification there is no Federal or International regulation or uniform standards regarding Kosher certification. While there is much consensus there are also some significant disagreements. Often those who follow the consensus will reject the Kosher certification of those Kosher certification agencies who flout it. In addition, in every field there is a range of competency and the field of Kosher certification is no different.  Depending on what type of ingredients you are utilizing this issue can have more or less relevance. If you are dealing with: Flavors, Cheese, Oils, Gelatin and a host of other ingredients this can be a real issue. As well if you source ingredients from India, China or Germany this can be an issue.

It would be advisable to verify as early as possible in the Kosher certification process that your ingredients can be approved as Kosher. One way of doing this is having a Kosher certification agency conduct a review of your ingredients and inform you which are GRAK (Generally Recognized as Kosher) and in no need of Kosher documentation (or where a sub-standard agency’s Kosher certificate can be accepted as its not effectively necessary) and which ingredients do require bona-fide Kosher documentation and whether the specific Kosher certification agency certifying the specific Supplier is accepted on a national and international basis. EarthKosher can provide such a review for your company with no cost or obligation and we do so regularly for companies seeking a globally accepted Kosher certification.

Some companies are understandably very protective of their Ingredients as well as their Suppliers.  While it is not possible to obtain kosher certification without the Kosher certification agency being informed as to what the ingredients are there are methods by which a Kosher certification agency can assuage a company’s understandable concerns. The Kosher certification agency can sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement and there are at times other methods that can be employed on a case by case basis.

Regarding the identity of an Ingredients Supplier if the Ingredient actually requires Kosher documentation than the Kosher certification agency will require knowledge of the Supplier. The reason being is that the function of the Kosher certification agency is to insure that the Ingredient that is Kosher certified by the reputable and recognized Kosher certification agency from the specific Supplier is indeed the very Ingredient being utilized by the manufacturer from the very Supplier that has been approved.  To do this the Kosher certification agency will need to know the identity of the Ingredient and the identity of the Supplier and verify the match when they inspect the companies purchase records and manufacturing/warehouse facility. Bear in mind that a Kosher certification agency could not function if it developed a reputation of disclosing the highly confidential information of a prospective or actual client. Furthermore, as a company you are dealing with Rabbis and there is a high level of ethical integrity in these regards that should be and can be presumed.

For some companies the review of their ingredients, supplier’s and the corresponding Kosher documentation is all that is required for the Kosher certification of their products. While the review can initially be done electronically via email ultimately the Kosher certification agency will need to send a Kosher inspector to review and verify the information provided. I speak specifically of examples where a Company is a Supplier of Ingredients that they source from various other Suppliers/Manufacturer’s. This company applying for Kosher certification is not manufacturing anything where other concerns regarding Kosher certification come into play and an ingredient review and verification is all that is necessary.

For companies that actually manufacture products there is a need to evaluate the production facility and at times the very production process. We can discuss this in a post dedicated specifically to these subjects.

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EarthKosher is proud to announce that it has recently provided Kosher certification to Blue Buddha Beverages. Blue Buddha beverages use herbs known in traditional Eastern and Western cultures and are blended by modern science and technology to respond uniquely to the holistic approach which enhances the quality of daily life. Truly 5,000 years of wisdom in a bottle Kosher certified by one of today’s most progressive and respected Kosher certification agencies.

Blue Buddha Beverages, LLC strives to offer sustainable, eco-friendly alternatives to ordinary market choices. Their goal is the betterment of each individual, the local community and the world we all share. Blue Buddha products with Kosher Certification by EarthKosher can be found in local health food stores and specialty markets throughout the United States in coming months.

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Kosher Certification & Coffee Products

By

Rabbi Zushe Yosef Blech

Senior Kashrus Administrator

EarthKosher Kosher Certification Organization

As we enter the coldest months of the year, many of us appreciate the support of the hot beverages that have almost become ritual in our daily lives.  It is interesting to note that although the drinking of hot beverages in Western societies first became popular after the discovery of the New World, both coffee and tea were products of the Old.  Coffee is thought to have originated in Kefa, Ethiopia, and subsequently transplanted to Arabia for commercial production (hence the term “Arabica” beans).  Tea has been enjoyed in China for over four thousands years (the name “China” originated  from “Chai” – or “tea” – and not from the porcelain in which it is brewed, for which China is also famous).  [The other hot beverage that became popular in Europe, namely hot cocoa, was indeed a product of the New World.]  It was the explosion of international trade at the time of exploration that heralded the introduction of these libations into Western culture.  The popularity of these drinks was fraught with broad social and historical implications, as well as raising a number of interesting Halachic issues that will be the subject of this article.

The first Halachic question relating to the Kosher status of tea and coffee concerned the rule of Bishul Akum, the prohibition against eating certain foods that had been cooked by a non-Jew.  Since coffee is prepared by cooking, some had argued that it should be subject to the restrictions of Bishul Akum.  This was an especially cogent argument since, when first introduced, coffee was considered emolument of the rich, and the status of an important food” is a criteria for invoking the rule of Bishul Akum.  The P’ri Chadash, however, resolves this matter by pointing out that coffee is merely flavored water, and has the Halachic status of water as regards Bishul Akum.  He bases this approach on the Tosefas (Avodah Zarah 31b), who rule that beer is not subject to concerns of Bishul Akum for that very reason, as demonstrated by the fact that we make a B’rachah of she’Hakol on it.  Indeed, the term “brew” means to “boil”, and is thus used to refer to the preparation of both coffee and beer.  [Beer is prepared by first brewing the grain to extract the sugar, which is then fermented.]  Water is considered exempt from Bishul Akum concerns because it may be consumed without cooking.  The Talmud notes, however, that an Adam Cha’shuv – an important person – should avoid drinking water that had been cooked by a non-Jew (Mo’ed Ka’tan 12b), and some therefore avoid drinking coffee cooked by a non‑Jew for this reason.

The He’ter of the P’ri Cha’dash did not end the question of drinking coffee in coffee houses, however.  When coffee was first introduced, coffee houses served as the social centers of the rich and famous, venues of social ferment and frivolity.  Even if coffee were not subject to the technical disability of Bishul Akum, Halachic authorities of the time nevertheless regarded a coffee house as a Mo’shav Lay’tzim – a center of scoffers and idleness – posing the same concern of improper social interaction that was the basis of the rule of Bishul Akum.  As such, many authorities strongly discouraged drinking coffee in such places (see Chochmas Adam 66:14).  Today, however, popular coffee houses are designed for the serious coffee drinker, who generally looks askance at frivolity or anything else that may detract from that ultimate coffee experience.

Today, the Halachic issues related to coffee are a function of its Kosher certification issues and not its social status. All coffee is made by roasting green coffee beans of several varieties of tropical evergreen called Coffea. After roasting, the bean is ground and steeped in boiling water allowing the flavor (and caffeine) to be infused into the water.  Instant coffee is produced by taking this coffee-infused water, concentrating it, and drying it into a powder. This powder, produced through spray drying or freeze-drying, is a highly concentrated form of the coffee infusion, and can be reconstituted and diluted to make regular strength coffee.  [In some cases, the concentrated coffee is left in liquid form to be then added to hot water, similar to our use of tea (es)sence on Shabbos.]  Kosher certification issues relating to such coffee revolve around the equipment and chemicals used in their production, as well as additional flavors that may be added.

Generally, equipment used to roast coffee beans is not used for anything but coffee (or other products that pose a general Kosher certification concern, see below). As such, unflavored roasted beans may be purchased without a special Kosher certification.  The flavor in flavored coffee beans (e.g., hazelnut, vanilla, chocolate, cream, etc., etc., etc.) is added to the beans after they are roasted (roasting flavored beans would cause the flavors to evaporate from the bean).  The flavors used in such products are extracts of flavor source that are absorbed into the coffee bean, not pieces of hazelnut, vanilla bean, chocolate, or milk itself.  As such, many dairy-type flavors, such as “Irish Cream”, may indeed be Pareve. [These should not be confused with “coffee flavored products” that may indeed contain dairy ingredients, see below.]  All flavored coffees, however, require a reliable Kosher certification.

Decaffeinated coffee is produced by soaking the green beans in a solvent that removes virtually all of the caffeine, after which the beans are dried and subsequently roasted.  Chemicals used for this process include methylene chloride, ethyl acetate, super critical carbon dioxide, and carbonated water.  The key to these processes is the use of a solvent that will remove the caffeine from the bean – but not the flavor!  [A new process, called the Swiss Water Process, uses pure water to extract the caffeine in a manner that allows the flavor to remain in the bean.]  While the decaffeinate process poses no significant concerns for year-round Kosher use, one of these chemicals – ethyl acetate – may be Chometz.  As such, some authorities insist on a Kosher certification for all roasted coffee for Pesach, since both regular and decaffeinated beans are typically roasted on the same equipment.  Others, however, are less concerned about this matter, and note that most ethyl acetate poses no such concerns, and is also an inedible chemical.

A more significant Pesach concern, however, stems from the use of coffee extenders.  Historically, when coffee became very expensive, manufacturers had added less flavorful, but more economical, vegetation to their product, including chicory and grain that, when roasted with coffee, produced an acceptable product.  While chicory poses no Kosher certification concern for Pesach, roasted grains would be considered Chometz and, although the use of such additives would be indicated on the product label, they are also roasted in the same equipment as regular coffee.  While grain extenders are not commonly used, it is important to ensure that coffee used on Pesach is not produced in facilities that make such products.

Instant coffee may pose other concerns for both year-round Kosher and Pesach use.  Although not common in North America, some Mexican and overseas manufacturers produce milk and dairy coffee blends on spray-drying and agglomeration equipment that is used for plain unflavored coffee.  [Equipment used to produce freeze dried coffee does not seem to be the subject of such a concern.]  As such, it may be wise to avoid any instant coffee without verifying its Kosher status with a reliable Kosher Certification organization.  Regarding Pesach, the issue is even murkier.  Although it may be illegal to add maltodextrin to instant coffee without declaring it, it seems that many manufacturers are engaged in this practice.  Maltodextrin, which may be either Chometz or Kitniyos, is used in the processing of instant coffee to aid in its agglomeration (the formation of clumps of powder that dissolve more easily than do the fine powders produced by spray drying), and also serves to “round out” some of the bitter flavors in the product.  As such, the use of any spray dried instant coffee should be subject to a reliable Passover Kosher certification.

Coffee products, such as powdered coffee blends and bottled liquid coffee beverages, contain many non-coffee ingredients that require a Kosher certification (such as monoglycerides and flavors).  “Non-dairy” coffee products typically contain sodium caseinate, which is milk protein, and all such products – even when bearing a reliable Kosher certification – must be considered dairy.  The same concern extends to “non-dairy” coffee creamers (both liquid and powders), many of which contain true dairy components.

The Kosher traveling coffee drinker must also be aware of other Kosher considerations relating to the accoutrements of the habit.  Artificial sweetener powders often contain lactose (milk sugar) as an inactive ingredient that comprises over 90% of the powder in the packet!  While manufacturers of such products in North America use Pareve maltodextrin for this purpose, most of the product manufactured in the rest of the world indeed uses lactose that is (at best) dairy and (at worst) possibly not Kosher.  Clearly, a coffee must be carefully nurtured both at home and away.

Our discussion of coffee would not be complete, however, without mention of a uniquely flavored coffee, known as “Kopi Luwak”.  This gourmet coffee is made from the partially digested beans collected from the feces of the luwak, a marsupial that lives on the plantations of Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.  It seems that the digestive juices of this creature create a special chocolaty flavor in the coffee, the Kosher status of which is certainly something worth pondering.
The Talmud (Shabbos 119b) notes that Rav Chanina required that a person prepare a meal at the conclusion of Shabbos, even if he wants to eat only a small amount.  He notes that hot food and drink at this meal are “Melugma” – “healing”.  Although many would agree that a hot cup of coffee is certain refreshing, an explanation of its healing properties may be found in the words of Shu”t Hillel Omer (198), quoting the explanation of Rav Meshulem Zushe zt”l.  He notes that the first letters of Chamin b’Motzoei Shabbos Melugma are the same as those used in the words of “uMechabesh l’Atzvosam” (Tehillim 143:3) – “he who heals their sadness”..  The Hillel Omer therefore notes that hot drinks – at least on Motzo’ei Shabbos – may be a reliable cure for depression!

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in a timely manner, congruent with Kosher industry standards.

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