We spend very little of our time at EarthKosher “selling” Kosher certification  because it is largely self evident to many companies that Kosher certification is a valuable and often necessary marketing asset in increasing sales. The questions that we largely address for most companies, is not whether they should go Kosher, it’s whether they can afford to go Kosher or if it’s technically viable for them to be Kosher certified.

Why is Kosher certification in the contemporary idiom such a no-brainer?

Simple! There is a definable, significant and growing multi billion dollar market for Kosher certified products in the United States alone with an estimated double digit growth rate on an annual basis.

Who is the Kosher consumer fueling this market for Kosher products?

It’s made up of millions of people all over the world and is not at all limited to Jewish people. It includes: Muslims and Seventh Day Adventists as well as Vegetarians, Vegans and people who are lactose intolerant (Kosher products that contain dairy or meat or processed on equipment that processes dairy or meat are clearly labeled as such). According to a Penn State University College of Agricultural Sciences study only 20% of Kosher consumers in the United States are Jewish! (see Value Added Marketing by Jeffrey Hyde Associate Professor of Agricultural Economics) For some Kosher is a religious dietary requirement while for others it’s a way of safeguarding their health or morality based lifestyle choices. Last but not least, there is a whole contingent of people who perceive Kosher as more pure, safe or blessed.

People who are committed to keeping kosher, whatever the reason or value, will not buy a product if it’s not Kosher certified. This helps explain why according to one market study a Kosher certified product will consistently outsell a competing brand by 20%. (Integrated Marketing Communications) With these dynamics in ever increasing evolution and play for more than 50 years, there are literally hundreds of thousands of Kosher products with tens of thousands of Kosher facilities around the world. In fact, according to a Mintel Research Organization study Kosher is the leading claim on new products exceeding other such claims like: Natural, Organic and Fair Trade claims. (Kosher & Trendy January 2009) Kosher is clearly on the “In”.

Besides the demand for Kosher certified products dramatically increasing over the last 50 years there is a secondary effect of this permeation of Kosher certified products and facilities throughout the global marketplace. Many companies are often met with the demand that what they produce or sell be Kosher certified. This demand can come from a broker, distributor, chain store buyer, food service establishment, another manufacturer or the Kosher consumer. It is at times a quite sudden surprise to a company that there is this Kosher certification requirement. This in part is why at EarthKosher we focus on rapid Kosher certification services, so that companies need not risk the loss of a potential sale contingent on Kosher certification.

Bear in mind that Kosher certification only makes sense if it increases a company’s bottom line. At EarthKosher we strive to make Kosher certification affordable and thus make it more pragmatic for companies to become Kosher certified.