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 million consumers, kosher food has always occupied an important marketing sector, but it is not Jews fueling this explosive
growth in kosher foods.
More and more, we are seeing that kosher foods are increasingly 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 consumption, and seek out the kosher symbol to insure that their preferences
are being addressed. According to market studies, the appeal of kosher 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 similar 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 restrictions 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 allergies 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 Passover, 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?
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Passover
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Shavuot
The Kosher Customer
Passover is a Jewish holiday which is celebrated for eight
days in the springtime. During Passover observant Jews
follow a second set of dietary laws which are “overlaid”
on top of the everyday kosher rules. The Passover dietary rules restrict the use of grains that can ferment
and become leavened: wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye.
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.)
There are certain hard-to-find items – especially products made without soy or corn – that are specially made
for consumption during Passover. For some families
managing restricted diets, Kosher for Passover foods can
offer options not available otherwise. Kosher for Passover foods can be particularly helpful to those managing
a corn allergy or soy allergy.
The Passover Seder
The Passover Night Seder Table is steeped in religious
and symbolic meaning, and as the Jews partake of
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
– and family to family – there are several specific ingredients to a Seder that are part of every celebration.
This is because they symbolize specific portions of the
story that are traditionally related during the Passover
Seder and partaking of the food becomes a tangible
metaphor for taking in the teaching and the history;
and is, of course, part of the whole meaning of being
Jewish.
As an example, on each Seder night, it is a commandment for Jewish people to drink four cups of wine,
each containing a minimum of 3.5 oz. This ritual
symbolizes freedom of the Jewish people from Egypt
and the four (4) phrases of redemption referenced in
the Bible
Each Person
4 Cups x 3.5 oz. = 14 oz.
Each Table (average 6)
10 x 14 oz. = 140 oz.
+
Elijah’s Cup (4 oz.) = 144 oz.
Each Passover
2 Dinners = 288 oz.
or 12 bottles of wine
Passover
April 3-11, 2015
Essential Passover Shopping List
Grocery
Yehuda 5lb Pack of Matzo
Yehuda Egg Matzo
Yahuda Gifilte Fish
Yehuda Matzo Farfel
Yehuda Cake Meal
Yehuda Matzo Meal
Gefen Macaroons
Gefen Borscht
Gefen Cake Mixes
Gefen Potato Pancake Mix
Gefen Sardines
Gefen Tuna Fish
Lipton Matzo Ball Soup
Gefen Apple Juice
Kedem Grape Juice
Prune Juice
Gefen Duck Sauce
Wissotzky Tea
Elite Coffee
Sugar
David’s Kosher Salt
Gefen Spices
Shufra Cocoa Powder
Lay’s Potato Chips
Manhattan Choc. Jelly Rings
Bartons Chocolates
Elite Chocolate Bars
Almonds
Savion Marshmellows
Savion Fruit Slices
Gefen Lemon Juice
Gefen Ketchup
Gefen Vinegar
Gefen Mayonaise
Gefen Mustard
Gefen Honey
Horse Radish Sauce
Gefen Cucumbers in Brine
Savion Cereals
Gefen Oil
Fox’s Ubet Syrup
Yehuda Memorial Candles
Yehuda Sabbath Candles
Frozen
Gefilte Fish
Whipped Toppings
Coffee Whitener
Potato Latkes
Blintzes
Chopped Liver
Delicatessen
Horseradish
Herring
Pickles
Kugels
Whitefish Salad
Salami
Hot Dogs
Cold Cuts
Dairy
Cheese
Milk
Sour Cream
Butter
Butterfields Margarine
Yogurt
Pudding
Eggs (Baytzah)
Bakery
Cakes
Cookies
Meat
Chicken
Turkey
Roasts
Brisket
Lamb Shank (Zeroa)
Seafood
Whitefish
Carp
Tilapia
Salmon
Produce
Fruits (Charoset)
Vegetables (Karpas/Chazeret)
Bitter Herbs (Moror)
Potatoes
Holiday Helpers
Aluminum Foil
Candles
Plastic Plates and Utensils
Napkins & Doilies
Wines
Kedem Traditional Wine
Baron Herzog (California)
Bartenura (Italy)
Barkan (Israel)
Teal Lake (Australia)
Alfasi (Chile)