behindnion the symbol U A PUBLICATION FOR CERTIFIED COMPANIES Reaching 4,000 Food Executives & Over 2,500 Companies Worldwide SUMMER 2003 Spotlight on OUCompanies Industry Trends 4 A Fish Story: OU Meets Challenges of the Sea IT’S NOT EASY BEING GREEN Kosher Meets Moby Dick The Success Story of Hanover Foods 10 Issues in Kosher Shipping IN 1924 HANOVER FOODS Cor- Always Check poration, located in Hanover, the Label IPennsylvania, began growing 16 A Review of and canning locally grown toma- Schedule B concerns toes, peas and beans. Throughout the next several decades, Hanover earned a reputation for freshness, consistency OU was chosen after Hanover and the highest quality. In the 1950’s, Foods researched kosher certification ❝OU was chosen Hanover was one of the first food manu- and recognized that the OU symbol has after Hanover Foods facturers to develop Individually Quick the highest recognition and trust in the Frozen (IQF) vegetables in poly bags. Jewish community as well as for many in researched kosher In 1972 Hanover purchased a small the Islamic communities and for strict certification and farming operation in Guatemala in order vegetarians in our marketing area. By to ensure year-round availability of veg- working with Rabbi Yaacov Blugrond, a recognized that the etables like broccoli, cauliflower, okra technical expert from the OU in Ortho- OU symbol has the and sugar snap peas. dox Jewish food law, we were able to highest recognition Today, Hanover Foods is one of the develop a system for producing kosher largest independently-owned food man- products in a plant that routinely pro- and trust in the Jewish ufacturers in the United States, with duces some products which are not community as well as annual sales of almost $350 million in kosher. Indeed, OU has international canned, frozen, fresh and freeze-dried recognition and allows us to purchase for many in the Islamic foods. Hanover is an active participant kosher ingredients internationally and communities and for in the retail, food service, industrial, pri- for certification of our frozen vegetable strict vegetarians in vate label and military segments of the plant in Guatemala. food business. A combination of hard work, atten- our marketing area.❞ Hanover’s “seed-to-plate” manage- tion to detail, and cooperation between ment assures our customers of our dedi- plant managers and the rabbis have pro- WE WELCOME cation to quality control, availability and duced an entire line of OU products that YOUR COMMENTS innovation. Hanover Foods very proudly have earned the critical measure of qual- & CONTRIBUTIONS bears the OU symbol of quality on a ity we insist on. For example, the techni- fax wide range of our frozen and canned cal experts from the OU brought to our 212.613.0775 products. The OU symbol, which is one attention that there are very few frozen e–mail of the best-known trademarks in the vegetables available that bear any kosher [email protected] world, has been part of the Hanover tra- certification and that there is a demand dition for several decades. CONTINUED ON PAGE 15 From the Editor AVING RECENTLY ATTENDED the 2003 “All Somewhat puzzled, he pulls over his American Candy Expo” held in Chicago, I was most grati- export counterpart demanding that he “tell the rabbi Hfied to observe companies both big and small why we need pareve.” The response: “Because, in the promoting their sumptuous products to buyers seek- last hour we had three inquiries about pareve. Can we ing “kosher.” Time and again, I heard prospective cus- get it tomorrow?” he frantically cried out. When the tomers asking, “Are you kosher?” “Are you OU?” company’s OU certification was originally set up and (Unfortunately, many of the companies did not send pareve was suggested, it was felt by the company that along the “We are proud to be an OU company” signs “we’ll wait.” made specifically for industry shows, exhibits and There is an untapped hungry pareve market out conferences, which allow exhibit visitors to immedi- there seeking delicious pareve confections, candies, ately identify the company and its attractive products chocolates, ice cream and baked goods containing no with the Number One kashrut certification agency. dairy ingredients and produced on non-dairy equip- (See our “Marketing Tips” to order your signs.) ment. This pareve market exists not only in the ever- It’s apparent that the OU growing Orthodox kosher market (for whom pareve is Orthodox kosher symbol helps indus- an integral aspect of kosher observance) but in the Union try giants, as well as those ever-escalating lactose intolerant marketplace esti- just breaking into the mar- mated to number in the tens of millions. It is said that ketplace, to sell more prod- a high percentage of the non-Jewish lactose intolerant KASHRUT DIVISION uct and to gain a bigger consumers are well aware of the pareve designation RABBI MENACHEM GENACK Rabbinic Administrator market share in an ever and definition (containing no dairy components and RABBI MOSHE ELEFANT growing kosher market. produced on non-dairy equipment). For the kosher Executive Rabbinic Coordinator Director, New Company Department While catching up with consumer, of course, pareve means that the product RABBI YAAKOV LUBAN friends from a relatively new can be consumed and used with either dairy or meat. Executive Rabbinic Coordinator OU certified Turkish com- Pareve ice cream can be beautifully served RABBI ELIYAHU SAFRAN pany which joined together together with pareve cookies and enjoyed as a dessert Senior Rabbinic Coordinator Director, Review and Update Department with approximately 15 other after a meat dinner, as well as following a dairy lunch. RABBI YERACHMIEL MORRISON companies to form the first Dairy ice cream, dairy chocolates (even the finest RABBI ABRAHAM JURAVEL Ingredient Approval Registry ever Turkish pavilion at the among them!), dairy confections and snacks cannot ■ ■ ■ Chicago Candy Expo, I be served with a meat meal, cannot be consumed soon DR. CHAIM WASSERMAN couldn’t help but feel yet after a meat meal, nor can they even placed on the Chairman, Joint Kashrut Commission again that pareve has still same dinner table. RABBI HOWARD KATZENSTEIN Director, Business Management not “made it” in the kosher In trying to promote pareve to companies just ANNA FULDA market place. Just as the becoming OU certified, I explain how pareve would Coordinator, Letters of Certification, company’s president was benefit the kosher consumer and simultaneously cre- Labels, Private Labels relating with justified pride ate a larger market share for the company. But I am ■ ■ ■ its tremendous inroads into often politely told, “OU-D is good enough for us,” or at RABBI EMANUEL HOLZER Chairman, Rabbinic Kashrut Commission the American marketplace times more bluntly, “We really don’t want to bother.” with over $2 million in pri- But many times, there is no big bother. I was ORTHODOX UNION vate label sales in only one recently completing the certification process for a HARVEY BLITZ President year “only because of the company seeking to produce OU pareve cookies. As RABBI DR. TZVI HERSH WEINREB OU,” its marketing repre- the Schedule A was reviewed one last time to be Executive Vice President sentative was furiously seek- absolutely certain that all ingredients were pareve, DAVID OLIVESTONE Director, Communicatons and Marketing ing my attention with his there were the raspberry bits (produced by an OU immediate need: “Rabbi, certified company) staring at me as OU-D. “But can’t we get pareve, can’t we what could possibly be dairy about raspberry bits?“ BEHIND THE UNION SYMBOL get pareve?” To which I I wondered. After inquiries with the Rabbinic Coor- RABBI ELIYAHU SAFRAN responded, “But why dinator, Rabbinic Field Representative, the com- Editor–in–Chief pareve? You seem to be pany QA and more, I was convinced that my new STEPHEN STEINER doing just fine with your OU- company should not be allowed to give up its quest Editor D (dairy).” for the pareve status and market share because of PAMELA WEIMAN Graphic Designer raspberry bits produced in kettles that infrequently also process dairy caramel and are therefore labeled CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 2 BEHIND THE UNION SYMBOL SUMMER2003 WHAT’S received at the plant and after freezing for quality and the presence of insects. BUGGING YOU? A comprehensive integrated pest management pro- gram has been adopted for broccoli and cauliflower Not Hanover’s that]\ relies on predatory insects to control aphids and Broccoli & Cauliflower thrips, coupled with bacterial sprays that destroy cater- pillars. By removing insects using natural controls there are not normally any pesticide residues on these crops. ANOVER FOODS CORPORATION began Within the last year and through expert technical growing and processing frozen vegetables in guidance from Rabbi Yaacov Blugrond of the OU, the HGuatemala in the mid-1970’s. Many prob- processing operations for washing, blanching and freez- lems had to be overcome to produce vegetables which ing vegetables in the Guatemala plant have been modi- met Hanover’s high quality standards for sale to Ameri- fied to enable production of frozen broccoli and can consumers. A comprehensive Quality Control pro- cauliflower to meet the rigid requirements for insect con- gram, complete with one of the largest pesticide trol required for OU certification. Altogether vegetables laboratories in Central America, was established to must pass a minimum of eight tests before shipment to assure production of the highest quality vegetables for Hanover, PA. If and when the product does not meet any export from Guatemala to the United States. of the tests, it is automatically diverted to non-certified Quality Control begins at Hanover’s “Maya Pak” labels. division in Guatemala with careful selection of vegetable Finally, samples of broccoli and cauliflower are regu- varieties suitable to the growing region.