OK Kosher Certification
Encyclopedia
Hechsher
A hechsher is the special certification marking found on the packages of products that have been certified as kosher . In Halakha , the dietary laws of kashrut specify food items that may be eaten and others that are prohibited as set out in the commandments of the Torah...
agencies.
Early history
In 1935, Abraham Goldstein founded Organized Kashrut Laboratories (OK Labs) to meet the American Jewish community's need for Kosher food products.In 1968, Rabbi Bernard Levy
Bernard Levy
Rabbi Bernard Levy was a pioneer of Kosher certification in the United States.-Education:Bernard Levy grew up in the 1920s, outside of New York City. At the age of ten, a young Berel decided to leave home and move in with his uncle. The move enabled him to attend the Yeshiva Torah Vodaas...
purchased OK Labs. He was already involved in kosher certification several years prior to the purchase. At the time, it was certifying a relatively small number of companies, but under his leadership, the organization began to grow, certifying companies internationally. Rabbi Levy instituted several improvements in the methods employed by kosher certifying agencies to verify the nature of products. Until then, many ingredients of products were assumed to be kosher, without visiting the company of each one. His policy was to travel to each company to see how the production was done first-hand. This led him to further investigate other companies, as many ingredients were composed of other sub-ingredients. As the organization grew, and the workload increased, Rabbi Levy's son, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, joined the OK to help expand the organization.
1
Today
After the death of Rabbi Bernard Levy in 1987, his son Rabbi Don Yoel Levy assumed leadership of the organization.With more than 10 million consumers seeking kosher products in the United States alone, the kosher food industry has seen rapid growth in the past two decades, with sales reaching $165 billion in 2002 1. Today the OK Certifies over 140,000 products, produced by over 1500 companies worldwide, including food giants such as Kraft
Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods Inc. is an American confectionery, food and beverage conglomerate. It markets many brands in more than 170 countries. 12 of its brands annually earn more than $1 billion worldwide: Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Trident, Tang...
, Snapple
Snapple
Snapple is a brand of tea and juice drinks which is owned by Dr Pepper Snapple Group and based in Plano, Texas. The brand was founded in 1972. The brand achieved some notoriety due to various pop-culture references including television shows.-History:...
, and ConAgra.
It employs over 350 Rabbis worldwide 2.
Besides giving Kosher Certification, the OK actively promotes education and observance of kosher laws and attitudes.
Its headquarters are in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. The OK is also an active sponsor of the Jewish Children's Museum
Jewish Children's Museum
The Jewish Children's Museum is the largest Jewish-themed children's museum in the United States. It aims for children of all faiths and backgrounds to gain a positive perspective and awareness of the Jewish heritage, fostering tolerance and understanding...
.