Although Kosher Certification is now century old concept but
in India, organizations taking Kosher Certificate are very few. Kosher certified
food is not consumed in India but exported outside India in developed countries
like USA, Canada, U.K. Israel ect. Now
focus has been enhanced not just religion but also health consciousness. As Kosher Certified food is termed to be good for health.
Main hurdle in taking kosher certificate, organizations
feels that their order book is small and their initial margin is wiped off by
cost of kosher certificate. Here we can say that such cost should be viewed in
long run instead of considering it with first or few order. It ultimately
enhance the someone brand value and fetch better price compared to non-kosher product.
Its create goodwill for the organization and help to increase the sale.
Around the world there are more than 1400 Kosher certifying agencies
varying form age out of them around 30 are active in India. There is no accreditation
system for Kosher Certification agencies
working in India. As far as big old agencies are concern they command good
reputation but it does not mean that there is no value of other’s someone
should see how ethical standard they are following. To save cost some organization
demand that as their form is approved that’s why they don’t want visit. This is
really funny thing and against Kashrut practice and should not be allowed to
followed as Kosher certification is not talks about ingredients but also equipment’s,
their handling for non-kosher product and complete process also.
In India Rabbi generally visit out of India as low base of
business in India. Some agencies rely on the representative’s visit which makes
cost of certification viable for small and medium enterprises (SME).
Period of certification vary from firm
to firm, which may varies 10 days to 30 days from initial advance payment if no rectification is
required after final inspection. If some correction at production facility is
required time required will depend on the time taken on such corrections.
In India Kosher milk is not available as to milk to be
Kosher it just not need to be from kosher animal but also supervision factors
comes which is makes it costly and nobody is taking challenge to observe this
cost yet. This takes difficult to make milk derivative/by product to be kosher
certified. Similar position is coming substantially coming for meat as Michigan
appearance is require as butcher and supervision.
