If you are somewhat familiar with Kosher dietary laws, you might wonder what goes into Kosher certification for single-ingredient products that are not further processed. Today we’ll discuss Kosher certification for coffee beans and coffee products.
Kosher certification isn’t just about keeping meat and dairy separate, or making sure no unclean ingredients make it into a final product. Kosher dietary laws also apply to how a product is grown, processed and shipped to the end consumer.
Farming
Nearly all food products begin on a farm, ranch or orchard, and that is where coffee beans begin, on a coffee plantation. As the fruit of a tree, coffee beans fall into the Group 1 category – or Generally Recognized as Kosher (GRAK). Outside of the land of Israel, farming fruits and seeds doesn’t pose Kosher certification concerns. The standard process of Kosher certification would begin once the beans have been received by the facility where they will be further processed.
Processing
After the coffee cherries ripen and are picked, are they processed in accordance with Kosher dietary laws? Our conversation—and documentation—begins with the processing, milling, drying and packing chain to make sure the beans are handled in a manner compliant with Kosher certification standards.
Generally speaking, if the coffee beans are processed in a facility that is dedicated to coffee beans, they will have no problem maintaining and obtaining Kosher certification.
Roasting and Packaging
In most cases the wholesaler or retailer of coffee beans does the roasting and packaging themselves, making the last steps in the supply chain the easiest to document. Because coffee roasting equipment is specialized and unlikely to be used for any other food products, it is likely the roaster can achieve kosher certification quickly. Once we can verify the chain of growing, processing, and roasting, the coffee beans can be Kosher certified, and the seller can add our Kosher symbol to their packaging and website.
Flavored Coffee
Flavors are sometimes used by manufacturers and these are ingredients that would require a Kosher certificate from the manufacturer of each flavor.
Cold Brew Coffee
Cold brew coffee is growing in popularity worldwide and is available with Kosher certification as well. While the product typically is limited to coffee beans and water, other ingredients such as milk, flavors, sweeteners are often used to create special drinks and would need further verification of the ingredients and production line as part of the Kosher certification process.
We have a streamlined the process of Kosher certification enabling our clients to complete the entire Kosher certification process in thirty days or less – often as little as 7-10 days. We offer affordable and accepted certification with a customer focused approach.
If you have questions about Kosher certification for your coffee products or any other consumer product, let us know. We’re ready to help you start the process.
