Kosher Certification in Turkey: Process and Agencies

Kosher certification confirms that a product has been produced in line with Jewish dietary law (kashrut). The word kosher comes from Hebrew and means “fit” or “suitable”. For food, beverage, cosmetics and pharmaceutical producers in Turkey, a kosher certificate is mainly an export document: buyers in the United States, Europe and Israel often ask for it before they list a product. It is a voluntary certificate, requested by the market and not by law.

For kosher certification, apply to CE Danışmanı (CE Consultant); we manage the whole process for you.

What kosher rules cover

A product is kosher only if its raw materials, its production process and the equipment used all comply. The main rules that affect manufacturers are:

• Permitted animals: only ruminants with split hooves, such as cattle, sheep and goats. Pork is not kosher.
• Slaughter (shechita): carried out by a trained person (shochet) in a single uninterrupted cut. The blood is drained and the meat is salted to remove what remains.
• Fish: only species with fins and scales.
• Milk and meat: never processed together. Lines, equipment and storage must be separated.
• Pareve: a neutral category for products that contain neither milk nor meat.
• Additives and processing aids: every ingredient must itself be kosher, including flavourings, enzymes and wine-based ingredients.
• Passover: separate rules apply to products to be sold for Passover.

Which products can be certified?

• Dairy products and meat products
• Cereals, pulses, fruit and vegetable products
• Ready meals, confectionery, spices
• Beverages
• Food additives and ingredients
• Cosmetic raw materials and pharmaceutical raw materials

Whether a specific product qualifies is decided after its ingredients and production process have been examined in detail.

Who issues the certificate?

Kosher certificates are issued by rabbinical certification agencies. The best known internationally are:

• OU (Orthodox Union), United States
• OK Kosher, United States
• Star-K, United States
• Kof-K, United States
• KLBD (London Beth Din), United Kingdom
• The Chief Rabbinate of Israel

In Turkey, the Chief Rabbinate of Turkey also supervises kosher production. Applications to the international agencies are normally made through their representatives for Turkey or through a consultancy. Which symbol your buyers accept depends on the target market, so the agency should be chosen with the customer in mind.

How the process works

1. Preliminary application. The product list, the details of every raw material and supplier, and information on the production site are submitted.
2. Ingredient review. The agency checks each ingredient and its kosher status.
3. Inspection. A rabbinical inspector (mashgiach) visits the plant and examines raw materials, production lines and packaging.
4. Compliance assessment. Separation of milk and meat, shared equipment, Passover rules and the supply chain are evaluated.
5. Certificate. If everything complies, the agency issues the certificate and permits its kosher symbol to be used on the listed products.

A first certification typically takes two to four months.

Validity and renewal

A kosher certificate is typically valid for one year and is renewed after an annual inspection. If the formula, a raw-material supplier or the production site changes, the agency must be informed and an additional inspection may follow. Renewal is usually shorter than the first application because the plant is already known to the agency.

Kosher and halal

The two certificates have a similar purpose but different rules. Kosher requires strict separation of milk and meat and has the pareve category; halal prohibits pork and alcohol and has its own slaughter rules. Some products, vegan products in particular, can meet both sets of rules, but the audits are separate and two certificates are needed. A kosher certificate does not replace a halal certificate. See halal certification and vegan certification.

Packaging that touches the product is a separate subject: see food contact materials compliance.

Why companies apply

• Access to retail chains and buyers that list only kosher products
• Consumer confidence, including among consumers who are not Jewish but read the symbol as a sign of controlled production
• Better documented raw materials and production processes

How CE Danışmanı helps

• Choosing the certification agency that suits your target market
• Reviewing the supply chain and the kosher status of your ingredients
• Advising on production-line arrangements, such as separation of milk and meat
• Proposing alternatives for ingredients that do not comply
• Preparing the application file and following the inspection