CONTENTS
The World’s Best-Known
Kosher Trademark
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• •
First Steps
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What is Kosher?
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You Value Integrity, We Value Integrity
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Other Major Divisions of the Orthodox Union
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How the OU
Kosher Staff is Structured
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How Does OU
Supervision Work?
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Communication
and Information
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Getting the
Maximum Benefit
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Helping
you Reach the Market
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Cost and Procedures
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OU Facts
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OUKosher.org
Home Page
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PDF
Version
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OU Facts
The Orthodox Union [the “OU”] is the world’s largest kosher
certification agency, certifying over
275,000 products produced in nearly 6,000 plants
located in 68 countries around the world. This
vast array includes consumer items, industrial
ingredients, and food services. Like the Good
Housekeeping Seal of Approval, the
logo, one of the world’s best-known
trademarks, instills confidence in the purchaser
that the product has passed inspection and
meets high quality standards.
Many of the world’s most recognized brands, large
and small, choose the
for their kosher certification,
including Avebe, BASF, Best Foods, Cerestar,
Coca Cola, Cognis, Peter Cremer, Danisco,
DSM, General Mills, Symrise (Haarmann & Reimer),
Chr. Hansen, Hebei Welcome
Pharmaceutical, H.J. Heinz, Kraft/Nabisco, M&M,
McCormick & Co., Nestlé, Procter &
Gamble, Pillsbury, Quest, Reynolds Aluminum, Rhodia, and
thousands more.
The
brand has extraordinary name recognition around the world as a
symbol of excellence in kosher certification.
The
logo was originally designed
in 1923, at the request of Heinz, the
first company to market kosher certified
products nationally, for use on the label
of vegetarian baked beans.
The OU has extensive
representation around the world, with a significant presence in
Europe, South America, the Middle East, the Far East and India.
Our New York headquarters
staff consists of over 50 rabbinical coordinators who serve as
account executives for OU certified companies and supervise the
field representatives.
This team is supplemented by a roster of ingredient specialists,
 flavor
analysts and other support
staff.
A state-of-the-art computer system stores and
tracks product information and ingredients. The OU database contains
information on more than 200,000 food ingredients.
Nearly 500 rabbinic field
representatives (RFRs), proficient in modern food production
techniques and chemical and biological processes, serve as plant
liaisons, visiting facilities, smoothing the certification procedure
for new products, and keeping the flow of information going.
 The logo is the
registered trademark (U.S. Patent Office #636,593 and #1,087891) of
the Kashruth Division of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations
of America [the “Orthodox Union”], and
may be used only by authority of the Orthodox Union Kashruth
Division.
Our Rabbinic Representatives are found throughout the United States
and throughout the world, from the Near East to Australia, from South America to South Africa, and
across Europe, in order to effectively service your kosher certification needs.
 The Orthodox Union would be pleased to help
your company achieve the premier OU certification for your products. Please contact
us to request an application. You may also want
to visit our extensive website, www.oukosher.org, to learn more
about kosher and the OU certification process. We are always ready to be of any help or service to your company.
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