Passover The Kosher Customer

Reaching Across the Aisle

Kosher foods, although based on one of the world’s oldest dietary laws, are among the fastest growing consumer trends in food processing. While here in the United States, home to 40 percent of the world’s Jewish population or about 6.15 mil- lion consumers, kosher food has always occupied an impor- tant marketing sector, but it is not Jews fueling this explosive growth in kosher foods.

More and more, we are seeing that kosher foods are increas- ingly attractive to the non-Jewish population; the population that now makes up the leading and fastest-growing consumer base for kosher products. The growing popularity resulted in a U.S. kosher market valued at $12.5 billion in 2008, an increase of 64 percent since 2003.

“At first I thought that kosher meant food for Jewish people. Now I realize that people equate kosher with quality.”

Alice Mok, Marketing Director of Twin Marquis Trading Corporation of New York.

Wholesome. Fresh. Highest quality. Kosher quality. Rigorously monitors. Regularly inspects. Standards.

According to Karen Barrow of The New York Times, kosher food is “…an ancient diet [that] has become one of the hottest new food trends.” She notes that more and more supermarket shoppers are “going kosher.” Why? Because these shoppers are “…convinced that the foods are safer and better for health.” The Kosher Customer

Who Buys Kosher?

Millions of people throughout the world limit their food consump- tion, and seek out the kosher symbol to insure that their preferences are being addressed. According to market studies, the appeal of ko- sher foods transcends the interest of any one specific ethnic group. Consumers of kosher foods include Jews, Muslims and members of other religious denominations, vegetarians, those with lactose intolerance, and those who believe that “kosher is better.”

The Jewish Market Jewish consumers comprise of approximately 45% of the kosher market. Integrated Marketing Communications reports that approximately 2.5 million Jews consume kosher food products.

The Islamic Community Millions of Muslims throughout the world follow a dietary regimen sim- ilar to the kosher code. Since they recognize that food products bearing a kosher symbol conform to the requirements of “Halal,” foods certified as kosher have a broad appeal to Muslims.

Other Religious Denominations Seventh Day Adventists, and other Christian sects have dietary restric- tions similar to Judaism. Pork, for example, is not permitted to Seventh Day Adventists. A kosher symbol on food products guarantees that their dietary concerns have been met, and that the food is permissible for their use.

Lactose Intolerant Consumers Lactose intolerance afflicts millions of people. Moreover, people with aller- gies to dairy products may have a life threatening reaction to the most minute consumption of milk derived ingredients. Kosher law requires complete segregation between meat and milk.

Gluten-Free Consumers During , wheat, oats, barley, rye and spelt in any form other than matzoh is prohibited. As a result, many of the bread products designed for passover are gluten-free. (ahead of the trend by 3,000 years!)

Vegetarians Vegetarians, due to a variety of considerations, exclude meat, poultry and fish from their diet. The Kosher Customer

Market research indicates that fully 62 percent of people who buy kosher foods do so for reasons of quality. A third bought kosher because they believe that kosher food safety standards are better than with traditional supermarket foods. Only 15 percent of respondents say they buy kosher food because of religious rules.

Quality Standards

Religion

• Consumers may choose from 75,000 kosher food products.

• Nearly 10,000 companies produce products for the kosher market.

• Approximately, 3,000 new products are introduced into the kosher market annually.

• Consumers spend approximately $165 billion on kosher products, as compared to $250 million almost 25 years ago.

• According to John McMillan, a food analyst at Prudential Bache Securities, the “kosher seal “is equivalent to what the Good Housekeeping Seal meant in the 1950’s.

• The Wall Street Journal quoted consultant Stephen Hall who said that health conscious folks see “benefits in the quality control and lack of additives” in kosher foods.

Source: Integrated Marketing Communications, Inc. When is Passover?

April 2015 / 5775

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24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Shavuot The Kosher Customer

Passover is a Jewish holiday which is celebrated for eight As an example, on each Seder night, it is a command- days in the springtime. During Passover observant Jews ment for Jewish people to drink four cups of wine, follow a second set of dietary laws which are “overlaid” each containing a minimum of 3.5 oz. This ritual on top of the everyday kosher rules. The Passover di- symbolizes freedom of the Jewish people from Egypt etary rules restrict the use of grains that can ferment and the four (4) phrases of redemption referenced in and become leavened: wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye. the Bible During Passover only unleavened grains are allowed. Thus wheat flour is permitted only if it is baked into Matzah (unleavened bread). It is an Eastern European custom to also not have any legumes (like corn or corn syrup, beans, rice, etc.) Each Person There are certain hard-to-find items – especially prod- ucts made without soy or corn – that are specially made for consumption during Passover. For some families 4 Cups x 3.5 oz. = 14 oz. managing restricted diets, Kosher for Passover foods can offer options not available otherwise. Kosher for Pass- over foods can be particularly helpful to those managing Each Table (average 6) a corn allergy or soy allergy.

The 10 x 14 oz. = 140 oz.

The Passover Night Seder Table is steeped in religious + and symbolic meaning, and as the Jews partake of Elijah’s Cup (4 oz.) = 144 oz. the meal, they are learning / recalling their deepest traditions and teachings. While the main meal of the Passover Seder often varies from country to country Each Passover – and family to family – there are several specific in- gredients to a Seder that are part of every celebration. This is because they symbolize specific portions of the 2 Dinners = 288 oz. story that are traditionally related during the Passover Seder and partaking of the food becomes a tangible or 12 bottles of wine metaphor for taking in the teaching and the history; and is, of course, part of the whole meaning of being Jewish. Passover April 3-11, 2015

Essential Passover Shopping List

Grocery Gefen Oil Meat Yehuda 5lb Pack of Fox’s Ubet Syrup Chicken Yehuda Egg Matzo Yehuda Memorial Candles Turkey Yahuda Gifilte Fish Yehuda Sabbath Candles Roasts Yehuda Matzo Yehuda Cake Meal Frozen Lamb Shank () Yehuda Matzo Meal Gefen Whipped Toppings Seafood Gefen Coffee Whitener Whitefish Gefen Cake Mixes Potato Gefen Potato Pancake Mix Carp Blintzes Tilapia Gefen Sardines Gefen Fish Salmon Lipton Matzo Ball Gefen Apple Juice Delicatessen Produce Kedem Grape Juice Prune Juice Fruits () Vegetables (/Chazeret) Gefen Duck Sauce Pickles Wissotzky Tea Bitter Herbs (Moror) Potatoes Elite Coffee Whitefish Salad Sugar Salami David’s Kosher Salt Hot Dogs Holiday Helpers Gefen Spices Cold Cuts Aluminum Foil Shufra Cocoa Powder Candles Lay’s Potato Chips Plastic Plates and Utensils Manhattan Choc. Jelly Rings Dairy Napkins & Doilies Bartons Chocolates Cheese Elite Chocolate Bars Milk Almonds Sour Cream Wines Savion Marshmellows Butter Kedem Traditional Wine Savion Fruit Slices Butterfields Margarine Baron Herzog (California) Gefen Lemon Juice Yogurt Bartenura (Italy) Gefen Ketchup Pudding Barkan (Israel) Gefen Vinegar Eggs (Baytzah) Teal Lake (Australia) Gefen Mayonaise Alfasi (Chile) Gefen Bakery Gefen Honey Horse Radish Sauce Cakes Gefen Cucumbers in Brine Cookies Savion Cereals