THE KOSHER CERTIFICATION AS AN EXPANSION OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETS

 

The US Kosher market presents great business opportunities for food manufacturers in Latin America for the following six reasons:

1) The traditional consumer products that we can produce with kosher certification are in high demand, but the supply is currently insufficient.

 

2) The variety of products with Kosher certification that Latin American countries can produce for the high gastronomic range and diversity of soil products, is higher; and the demand in international markets is increasing towards new and innovative products, in addition to the main, traditional or typical Kosher foods.

3) Kosher products are perceived as higher quality, and safer so that some references in the distribution channels such as vegetarian, vegan or hypoallergenic consumption, market them with complete security.

4) Kosher consumers typically spend more on food than the average consumer.

5) The Latin American gastronomic wealth and its world perception in terms of quality and health has a great name.

6) The Kosher consumer market is growing rapidly, it includes a great diversification of potential customers The elaboration of Kosher foods, although based on one of the oldest dietary laws in the world, is in an exponential growth trend, thanks in particular , to the variety of potential consumers.

The Business Promotion Office of the Region of Murcia in the US in 2015 reported based on the data study of LUBICOM Marketing Consulting 2014, that since 2005 sales have increased an annual average of 10%, valuing the US kosher market at $ 12.5 billion in 2013, 64% more than in 2003. This figure only includes sales of products that were specifically purchased because they were Kosher, and not sales of products that were casually acquired as Kosher. Kosher foods have seen a growth rate of 15% per year, and it is the fastest growing ethnic cuisine in the last five years. In total, about 21% of Americans have specifically reported purchasing certified Kosher foods. More than 16,000 companies sell Kosher certified products in the United States, producing up to 110,000 Kosher certified products with 2,500 new products each year. Many of the major national manufacturers and brands are Kosher certified, offering Kosher products under popular brand names such as Nestle, Coca-Cola, Oreo, Kraft, Lay's, Crisco, Lipton, Heinz chips, among others.

The United States (USA) is one of the epicenters of Kosher foods, since it is home to 40% of the world's Jewish population, approximately 5,200,000 of the 12,300,000 consumers of these products.

The American food market is characterized, in particular, in that Kosher foods are increasingly attractive to the non-Jewish population, who now constitute the main and fastest growing consumption base.

 

 

​

 

WHO CAN CERTIFY ME KOSHER?

 

In the world there are more than a thousand agencies for Kosher certification, and according to ethical standards, all orthodox Kosher certification should deserve the maximum respect. However, you should keep in mind that the company you choose contains the following aspects:

 

· He permanently advises me on all Kosher issues.

· Respond diligently to my inquiries.

· Language is not a barrier.

· Has fluid relationships and cooperation agreements with certifiers from other countries.

· Its costs are clear and consistent with the reality of the economy of the country where I am.

 

 

 

 

CONSUMER PROFILE

 

The Kosher industry in the United States is huge. Currently, more than 12 million people in the American market purchase approximately sixty thousand Kosher products on a regular basis, produced by about sixteen thousand companies. Less than half of Kosher consumers are Jewish. Most people who choose to eat Kosher do so for other religious reasons; for example, Muslims and Adventists, also for dietary reasons such as vegetarians or allergy sufferers, and the remainder for the reasons of health and perception of high quality.

The popularity of Kosher foods among non-Jewish consumers is due both to the relative availability of Kosher certified products and the perception that Kosher certification provides an additional level of quality assurance, beyond regulatory inspection by the Ministry. of Health. 55% of American consumers buy Kosher food products in the belief that they are healthier and safer. 38% of consumers buy Kosher because they want vegetarian products and 24% because they want lactose-free products. This demonstrates a great diversity in the kosher food consumer market, which provides significant opportunities for companies looking to enter this market. As mentioned above, the typical Kosher consumer is no longer represented solely by Jews practicing the norms of their religion. In fact, this traditional category currently represents only a portion of Kosher consumers.

Most of today's Kosher consumers fall into the following categories:

​

1. Non-Jewish religious consumers

2. Consumers with certain restrictions and / or food preferences

3. Health and Safety Conscious Consumers, representing over 75% of non-Jewish Kosher consumers.

Despite its unique characteristics, customers of Kosher foods are marked by two key characteristics:

​

1) Higher purchasing power than average

2) Willingness to pay more for products that they consider to be of superior quality and intrinsic value.

Research shows that the average non-Kosher American shopper spends an annual value of $ 1,873 on food purchases, while the Kosher shopper spends an average of $ 2,748 a year. This is a 46.7% increase in food expenditure per year. More importantly, with regard to Kosher foods, sales have been shown to maintain a stable pace even during an economic recession, so marked in recent times.

These segments present excellent potential for food manufacturers. By understanding these consumers, of different trends and habits, Latin American companies can make the most of this lucrative and growing market niche.