What is Kosher Certificate?
The document proving that the food produced is prepared in accordance with Jewish beliefs is called the Kosher Certificate. In addition to religious rules, this document shows that foodstuffs are of high quality, suitable for human health and reliable. In particular, foodstuffs to be shipped to Israel must have a Kosher Certificate. The term Kosher means appropriate and complete in Hebrew as a word. In our language, Sephardic Jews pronounce Kashar and Ashkenazi Jews Kosher. The Kosher Certificate is similar in many respects to the halal certificate required by the people.
It is estimated that the average 14 is around a million Jews in the world, of which about one percent of them live in Israel. In fact, products to be shipped to Israel are not legally required to carry Kosher Certificates. In the certification studies, the most sensitive foodstuffs in terms of Kosher Certificate are meat and dairy products. However, as certification activities increase some costs, sometimes it is not sought to have this certificate and only the companies producing these foodstuffs are trusted. In other words, the fact that foodstuffs have Kosher Certificate in today's practice is the reason for preference.
In practice, the document issued by the Chief Rabbi in our country is sufficient for the foodstuffs exported from Israel. However, it is necessary for the religious authorities to work on food items that are critical for religion, especially meat and dairy products.
The Kosher Certificate is also sought in some textile products, cleaning and hygiene products, and household electrical appliances, although not very common. It is known that around one million Jews worldwide live a life that meets the Kosher criteria and consume foodstuffs with a Kosher Certificate.
As with Halal food certification studies, all kinds of inputs and auxiliaries in the production of foodstuffs must meet the Kosher criteria. Even the production line must meet these criteria. As in the case of halal food applications, all food products processed here are followed up.
According to the Kosher criteria, there are very important limitations on the types of animals whose meat is consumed as food. For example, it is free to consume the flesh of land-dwelling, ruminant and double-fingered animals. It is forbidden to consume pork, rabbit and camel meat. Consumption of all types of insects, reptiles and rodents is also prohibited. The birds that can be consumed are twenty bird species listed in the Torah. Flying animals other than these are not allowed. It is also forbidden to eat eggs and milk from animals that are not suitable for consumption. More important, however, are the following criteria:
- Persons who are allowed to slaughter animals allowed to be consumed must be specialized clerics with special training.
- Prior to slaughter, these animals must undergo a special examination, and at least there must be no visible disease or disability.
- Animals should be slaughtered by appropriate methods and should not be allowed to suffer while slaughtering.
- The blood of the animals should be completely shed.
- After slaughter, the internal organs of the animals should be examined and it should be determined that there is no disease or disability that prevents the consumption of them as food.
- The cut must be suitable for a special cutting method called martyr.
There are also restrictions on the types of fish that can be consumed as food. It is not appropriate to consume crustaceans such as mussels and oysters and lobster, octopus, squid and shrimp other than fish with scales and fin.
There is no limitation in consumption of herbal products. The important thing is that it is free from all kinds of pests, parasites and insects.
All permitted foodstuffs must be in compliance with the rules, starting from the source, preparing, processing and arriving at the table. The Kosher Certificate proves this compliance.
Kosher Certification Process
In Kosher certification studies to be carried out by the organizations having certification authority, it is essential to conduct audits in the production area of food producing companies. The firms must have documented the application processes as the basis for the certification studies.
The most important point in the certification process is the method of combating the pests of the enterprise. Any living or non-living insects to be detected during the inspection work will cause the certification work to stop. This criterion is the basis of Kosher audits and is in no way tolerated. In this respect, it is also important to see how the company struggles with pests.
It is also an important criterion that the enterprise starts production with or under the supervision of a Jew. The production work is considered blessed in this way.
Products with Kosher Certificate should be marked with a sign indicating this. However, there is no common sign for the Kosher Document. The certification body generally uses a mark of its own designation.
In the passover, which is important for the Jews, the Jews do not consume pasty foods. In order to determine the suitability of foodstuffs for passive feasts, additional audits are carried out by the certification body to determine the absence of flour and flour types in the foodstuffs produced.
Kosher certification work in our country, Turkey is made with permission granted by the Chief Rabbinate. Conducting the necessary audits and issuing the Kosher Certificate depends solely on the authorization by the Chief Rabbi. In our country, food producing companies, food processing companies and companies producing compound foodstuffs can request Kosher Certificate.
There are many benefits for businesses that hold a Kosher Certificate. First of all, these enterprises have a superiority among their competitors in the market. The document proves the importance of both religious rules and human health and nature protection in production activities. Consumers are now more conscious and prefer healthy and quality products. In particular, it avoids animal additives.
The Kosher Document provides assurance not only to Jews but also to Muslims regarding food safety. Since it is ensured that pork products are not used in food production, Muslims use foodstuffs with Kosher Certificate.
Demand for products with Kosher Certificate in European countries is increasing due to its quality and health. Especially vegetarians, people with health problems and allergens prefer foods with Kosher Certificate.
