By Richard Rabkin
It’s cold outside and like a true Canadian I fought the frigid winter by cowardly fleeing southward for a brief family vacation. While I was there I couldn’t help but peruse the aisles in the local grocery stores as I like to do back home (yes my wife hates shopping with me) and I asked myself a question that many kosher consumers ask us here at the COR: why are there more kosher products in the United States than there are in Canada?
Good question.
I think that there are a few answers. The first thing to keep in mind is that there are just more products in the United States than there are in Canada, not just kosher products. Walking the aisles I couldn’t help but marvel at the sheer variety. For example, in Canada I see a few different types of Hershey Kisses: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, cookies and crème – you get the idea. But in the United States there was raspberry and cherry and mint truffle and the list goes on. I also saw novel products like the Smucker’s peanut butter and jelly in one jar. Because who has time to open two jars.
So why is it that these products aren’t available in Canada? Well, remember, the population in the Unites States is approximately 10 times the size of Canada, and to make matters worse, American are bigger spenders than we Canadians. According to Toronto Dominion Bank’s economics publication Observation, “On a per capita basis, however, American’s spend an average of $17,900 per year in retail outlets, versus an average Canadian who spends $17,000. Americans have always spent more than Canadians.” So in many cases, the products we see in the Unites States which are kosher certified are not available in Canada because, presumably, it is not profitable enough for manufacturers to produce them or for retailers to create shelf space for them.
What about an identical product that when sold in the Unites States is kosher but in Canada it is not kosher? Surely it must be OK, it’s the exact same product, right? Well, it’s not that simple. Let’s take Kit-Kat as an example. The Kit-Kat brand is owned by Hershey’s in the United States which is kosher certified, but owned by Nestle in Canada and their Canadian manufacturing plant is not kosher certified. In fact, a Nestle Canada representative told me that the product formulation of the Nestle Canada Kit- Kat is different than the Hershey’s Kit-Kat because each country has its own unique palette and subtle taste preferences. In this case, Americans prefer chocolate which is a more bitter while Canadians prefer sweeter, richer chocolate which is reflected in the formulations of the respective Kit-Kats. Who knew?
Finally, we should acknowledge the fact that there are more kosher consumers in the United States than there are in Canada. The Unites States has a Jewish population of approximately 6 million whereas in Canada there are approximately 400,000 Jews. That’s a lot fewer Kit-Kats.
But it’s not all bad news. We are very fortunate in Canada to have a large variety of kosher food with reliable kosher certification like the COR which is printed clearly on the package (that’s not to be taken for granted — many countries don’t allow the kosher symbol to be printed on the package at all). In addition, companies are very responsive to consumer feedback – especially in today’s social media environment. If enough kosher consumers voice their concerns about a particular product not being kosher certified, if it is feasible, the company will likely listen. I remember visiting Kellogg’s and their customer relations department told me that they typically receive seven calls per month pertaining to kosher. They logged every single one – even the one from Bubbie Finkelstein offering to share her Rice Crispy cholent recipe.
So in the end, the power is in your hands, kosher consumer. Go ahead — contact the companies. Let them hear your voices! And if that doesn’t work, you may just have to make do with using two jars instead of one for your peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
This article originally appeared in the Jewish Tribune
FAQs
Americans have always spent more than Canadians.” So in many cases, the products we see in the Unites States which are kosher certified are not available in Canada because, presumably, it is not profitable enough for manufacturers to produce them or for retailers to create shelf space for them.
How many kosher consumers are there in the US? ›
Approximately 12 million American consumers seek out these products, allowing the kosher food industry to generate an estimated $13 billion dollars in annual revenue. Although the majority of kosher sales are attributed to strictly kosher Jewish households, many kosher food consumers are not Jewish.
How many Americans are kosher? ›
12.35M Kosher Consumers in the US. 1.3M Year-Round Jewish Consumers of Kosher Products. 35M Non-Jewish Consumers of Kosher Products.
Is KitKat kosher in Canada? ›
Kit Kat in the United States is made by Hershey Foods Corporation, which has the Orthodox Union certification. Here in Canada, it is made by Nestle Canada which does not have kosher certification.
Is kosher food blessed by a rabbi? ›
Kosher food is not “blessed by a rabbi.” It is prepared under rabbinical supervision to be sure that it meets the standards of kashrut (being kosher) — which includes content (no non-kosher items, such as pork or shellfish), cleanliness (no bugs), and if meat, fish or fowl the health of the animal and a humane ...
Why are so many things kosher? ›
Because most food is inherently kosher, and companies can sell more of their product by getting it certified. Almost all food made without animal products is kosher, unless something is done to disqualify it (like cooking it in pots or ovens previously used for non-kosher foods).
Is all milk in the US kosher? ›
-The standard of the Orthodox Union and other national kosher supervising organizations is that all commercially sold cows' milk produced in the US is kosher. This is known as "chalav stam" and is based on the opinion of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein.
What percent of Israel keeps kosher? ›
A special chapter of the monthly Peace Index of the Israel Democracy Institute and Tel Aviv University, points to an interesting phenomenon: Most of the Jews in Israel (63%) clean their homes for Passover of all chametz (leaven and leavened food) and 67% will make sure to eat kosher-for Passover both inside and outside ...
Do conservative Jews keep kosher? ›
Keeping kosher is nearly ubiquitous in Orthodox homes: Fully 95% of Orthodox Jews in the survey say they keep kosher. About one-quarter of Conservative Jews (24%) say they keep kosher in their home.
Which country has the most kosher restaurants? ›
Israel is the most welcoming country in the world for kosher travelers. Thousands of kosher restaurants, dining establishments, and grocery stores can be found throughout the country, most notably in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
M&Ms are often kosher (and labeled as such) and contain dairy products (milk chocolate) and will we labeled with the circle U and a 'D' for dairy.
Are all twizzlers kosher? ›
All flavors of Pull 'n' Peel and Twists, and cherry and black licorice flavored Bites and Nibs are kosher certified by the Orthodox Union.
Is Hershey kosher? ›
Nearly all of our chocolate products and some of our non-chocolate products have been certified kosher by the OU and bear the OU symbol on the package.
Did Jesus eat kosher food? ›
For centuries, Christian preachers, scholars, and lay readers of Mark have read the Gospel as teaching us not only that Jesus did not keep kosher but also that he permitted all foods that the Torah had forbidden Jews to eat.
Do Jews eat bread with every meal? ›
Today, bread is still an important part of the Jewish diet. It is eaten at most meals, and it is also used in religious ceremonies. Bread is a reminder of the many things that are important to the Jewish people, including their faith, their history, and their continuity.
Can a rabbi make anything kosher? ›
There is no blessing a rabbi (or any human) can say to make food kosher. Kosher food is defined in the Torah. Animals have to be slaughtered in a certain way to make their meat kosher. The role of the kosher supervisor is to ensure that the food is kosher and remains so.
What percentage of kosher foods are purchased by non-Jews? ›
In fact, it's reported that around 85% of kosher food buyers are not Jewish.
How big is the kosher food industry? ›
The global Kosher Food market size was valued at USD 19808.66 Million in 2022 and will reach USD 27694.11 Million in 2028, with a CAGR of 5.74% during 2022-2028. Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut (dietary law), primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy.
Are there 5 main kosher agencies? ›
Agencies. The largest kosher certification agencies in the United States, known as the "Big Five", certify more than 80% of the kosher food sold in the US. These five agencies are the OU, OK, KOF-K, Star-K, and CRC.
What percentage of packaged foods are certified kosher? ›
Approximately 40 percent of the packaged goods in the supermarket are certified kosher.
