Have you ever wondered what the OU stands for on our food packages?
by Kosher San Diego
There are hundreds of different kosher symbols ("hechshers"), or kosher certifications symbols that appear on our food packages, drinks, and dining establishments of all type round the globe. These kosher stamps of approval can be mind-boggling to consumers - including those who keep kosher for religious reasons and who are well-versed in the kosher dietary laws.
There are lengthy lists of "reliable hechshers" but can be quite tedious as these lists tend to change.
The Big Four are the OU, Star-K, Kof-K and OK (circle and k in middle of it).. These are the more likely recognizable symbols around the world.
The Regional American Kosher Certifiers have at least one certifier in each state. States with large concentrated large Orthodox communities may have several.
Around the globe there are kosher agencies on all six habitable continents.
In Israel though there are many secular Jews, a far greater percentage keep kosher compared to Jews living elsewhere. As in the USA, there are a plethora of kosher supervising organizations, each with its own hechsher. Some cater to specific segments of the Israeli Jewish community while others will rely on the symbols of food packages that are sometimes exported foodstuffs.
As interest in organic vegan, and GMO-free food grows, kosher consumers have begun to seek out these special designations, along with kosher certification. Many non-kosher consumers find themselves looking at these symbols for their own dietary reasons or allergies. When the word "Pareve" or "Parve" is listed next to a kosher symbol it means that there are no dairy ingredients which is good news for someone who has lactose intolerance. Most passover items are gluten free because flour is forbidden to consume during Passover.
Some hechshers are controversial, some due to politics or are no longer valid. In this case the manufacture has decided to add an ingredient that does not follow the kosher certifications.
While the orthodox community may not accept some of the kosher symbols from the more traditional or conservative community... these communities will accept the orthodox community as their personal kashrut observation.
