Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 14, 2011 under Kosher Industry | 
New York…Peggy S., a 31-year old nurse, is a frequent visitor to a large supermarket in the Chicago area because of “its large kosher selection, including challah, brisket, and gefilte fish.” But Peggy, the mother of 4, is married to a non-Jew who understands her desire to be connected to her past through the kosher foods. According to Yakov Yarmove of SuperValu, Peggy is not alone as a growing number of America’s intermarried families frequent the kosher section of supermarkets. A new study recently put the number of Americans identifying themselves as Jewish at 6.5 million, 1.3 million more than the 5.2 million number in the 2001-2002 National Jewish Population Survey by the United Jewish Communities. Researcher Leonard Saxe, one of the authors of the new study, noted that “while some see Jewishness as a religious identity, others see it as a cultural or ethnic designation and might, for example, not answer “Jewish” to a researcher inquiring about their religion. But still, officials like Yarmove and even some local rabbis say that even those that are totally disconnected from other aspects of practicing Judaism, feel “connected” through kosher foods. While there are no hard numbers to quantify the number of such Jews, many retailers feel that is significant, particularly “once you get further away from New York.” Kosher officials say they are not surprised by Saxe’s finding, judging from what they are experiencing in supermarkets throughout the country.
Another huge discrepancy appears to be the number of Israelis living in the US. In a story by Sue Fishkoff in the JTA, it is reported that some 140,323 people living in the US were born in Israel, up from 109,720 in 2000. Of the Israelis living here, 90,179 have U.S. citizenship and 50,144 do not. But Israeli expatriates and Israeli government sources say the true figure is actually much higher. The Israeli Consulate in New York estimates there are 600,000 Israelis living in the United States. The U.S. data on the Israeli population comes from the 2009 American Community Survey, an annual report produced by the U.S. Census Bureau that was released earlier this year and updated in recent weeks. While there is some debate about the discrepancy, kosher food sources actually subscribe to the higher figure, which they base on sales of Israeli foods in such markets as New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Boston and Philadelphia.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 13, 2011 under Kosher Companies |
Vineland NJ…Vineland Poultry, a leading producer of kosher poultry for more than 35 years, was acquired by Mehadrin Poultry for an undisclosed price, kosher food sources told Kosher Today. According to the sources, the Vineland plant will close while the Vineland brand continues to be produced at the Mehadrin Pennsylvania plant. Reached by Kosher Today on Thursday, Marvin Raab of Vineland denied the rumors. In an e-mail, he wrote: “This is totally not true. Mehadrin did not buy our plant and this is totally false.” But sources say that the transition is already underway. They say that Vineland, once said to be second only to Empire Kosher Poultry, may have fallen victim to the dramatic changes that have taken place in kosher poultry. In addition to Empire, the leader in the field for many years, and Alle Processing, Vineland faced increased competition from such relative newcomers as KJ Poultry and Mehadrin. KJ Poultry of Monroe NY is said to have captured a significant share of the market in a short time. The resurgence of the Agri poultry products under AgriStar also introduced more competition into the marketplace as did product from Canada, all of which had its effect on the low margins poultry producers were already working with. Located in Exter PA, the relatively new Mehadrin plant was damaged by a fire in February 2009, but is said to have fully recovered since.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 12, 2011 under Kashrus Organization |
New York…The suit by the Orthodox Union (OU) against Western Edge “for trademark infringement and deceptive trade practice” raised the issue of the need for kosher certification for repackaged foods. In Western Edge’s case, they imported tilapia fish from a Chinese company that represented itself as kosher and was not. The suit alleges that Western Edge produced a fraudulent OU letter when asked by a Brooklyn food company about the kosher status of its tilapia fillets. But kashrus officials say that Western Edge would have needed kosher certification even if the Chinese company was certified because it was processing and repackaging the tilapia. Interestingly enough, the requirement for kosher certification for repackaged foods is not one of the universal policies adopted by such umbrella kashrus groups as the Association of Kashrus Organizations (AKO). While there may not be an official policy, “the standard is that if it is opened up at the repackaging company then some level of rabbinic oversight is needed if they want to use a kosher logo there as well,” said Rabbi Sholem Fishbane, Executive Director of AKO. Most kashrus officials agreed that a brand could not rely on the kosher certification of the manufacturer if the product is repackaged. “The minute the box is opened at a repackaging plant, that’s when our certification ends,” said Rabbi Moshe Elefant, COO of the Orthodox Union. The officials say that they often have to “chase down” companies that don’t bother to apply for kosher certification because they are convinced that they are automatically covered by the manufacturer’s certification. They make the distinction between kosher manufacturers that do private labeling and manufacturers that ship products to be repackaged by a distributor, wholesaler or retailer. In the earlier case, kashrus officials who are on site or do periodic inspections are aware of the label on the package while in the latter case they are not which is why they require a new application for certification.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 7, 2011 under Kosher Travel |
North Miami Beach…In the 1970’s kosher vacationers relied on a number of kosher hotels in Miami Beach or apartment rentals that included inexpensive rates in the decaying South Beach area. By the late ‘90’s most of the hotels were gone, victim of a new surge of condo sales. In 2011, a growing number of vacationers are opting for villas in such areas as Hallandale, Hollywood and North Miami Beach, courtesy of Shifra Weinberger of Florida Kosher Villas (floridakoshervillas@gmail.com). Mrs. Weinberger expects that many of her villas will also be in demand for Passover. The “villas” include several exquisite mansions. Travel agents say that similar options were available last summer in Orlando, the Berkshires and Cape Cod (at least one was a Bed and Breakfast). One travel agent said that the villa concept is particularly appealing to customers looking for the hotel experience but who desire privacy (including private pool) and for larger families. Kosher Villas offers concierge service, which includes making arrangements for kosher meals in the villas.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 6, 2011 under Kosher Catering |
Jerusalem…by Idele Ross, KT Israel Bureau Chief…Israelis take their breakfast very seriously, as anyone who has stayed at an Israeli hotel knows. So it should come as no surprise that El Al Israel Airlines has launched an all kosher new in-flight breakfast menu created by restaurateur and television chef Moshe Segev who was recently hired to take over and redesign the airline’s menu and cuisine. It took Segev six months to learn the world of dining in the air during which time he also developed his working relationship with Tamam, El Al’s catering company. The emphasis of the new breakfast line is on fresh, healthy foods such as yogurts, fresh vegetables, whole grain breads and omelets. In addition, the trays have been updated with new dishes and silverware.
El Al’s four million scheduled passengers for 2011 will enjoy the new meals being served in all classes from tourist to first class on incoming and outgoing flights.
At a press conference last month, Segev said that the Israeli breakfast is known throughout the world for its variety and abundance. This is the concept of the new menu and the foods are those comfort foods familiar to Israelis. El Al supplied five million meals to passengers during 2010. 1.2 million breakfasts were served in tourist class on departing flights from Tel Aviv and 450,000 were served in business and platinum classes. El Al offers 22 kinds of special meals. Some 16 percent of the passengers ordered the special meals; 6 percent of them ordering glatt kosher. The airline’s budget for catering is $40 million. It has 11 kitchens operating abroad and three in Israel. In related news, a new study indicates that most Jewish tourists to Israel prefer to dine at kosher restaurants, according to Israel’s largest internet restaurant website 2eat.co.il. The study found that the tourists have the most choice in Jerusalem where 38 percent of the restaurants are kosher. In Rehovot, the rate is 37 percent, in Tel Aviv 16 percent and in Haifa 12 percent.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 5, 2011 under Wine |
Tel Aviv…In the first 10 months of 2010, Israel exported $18 million worth of wines, according to an extensive report released by Israel’s Foreign Ministry. The fact that such a report was released by the Foreign Ministry is an indication of just how important Israel’s surging wine business has become to Israel. Adam Montefiore, Director of Wine Development at Carmel Winery, confirms that “Israel has joined the world of quality wine producers” and believes that the time is right for Israeli wines to serve as “good ambassadors.” “Once it was the Jaffa orange and the kibbutz that symbolized Israel, now it’s quality wine and high-tech,” Montefiore summed up. Israel’s mostly-cooperative climate; new, quality grape varieties; and the expertise of young winemakers who’ve studied abroad, add up to up to a wine revolution.
Daniel Rogov, the highly-respected resident wine and restaurant critic at the Hebrew-language Ha’aretz daily, says of the industry today: “We have a retinue of winemakers who are internationally trained and internationally experienced, some Israeli-born, some not. We have world class winemakers and that’s very important. The wineries have gone really state-of-the-art. The big and medium wineries all have very modern facilities, and all the techniques for making very fine wine. Most important, we are learning more and more and developing our vineyards better in terms of technology.” Still, despite the awards and expansion of Israel’s wine scene in recent years, all is not rosy, with the industry struggling with the issue of export vs. local consumption. While Israelis consume between five and seven liters annually, “that’s simply not enough” to maintain the industry, which must count on local sales to survive, says Rogov, noting similar problems in vineyard-saturated California and Australia. “Twenty years ago, everyone was uprooting apple orchards to plant vineyards; now they’re uprooting vineyards to plant apple trees, and we may face a situation like that in the end.” Too much expansion is to blame, he says, predicting that as many as half of those passion-driven boutique wineries may close. The other problem is the lack of an Israeli wine culture, he says. “When Israelis started traveling abroad, they began to realize that wine is a part of the cultured place in life, and you would’ve thought that it would have increased local consumption. It hasn’t. What it has done is that people who really understand wine are drinking better and better wine, but overall, not more people are drinking wine.
Rogov’s best 10 Israeli wines for 2010 include Clos de Gat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Har’El, 2008; Clos de Gat, Merlot, Har’El, 2008; Clos de Gat, Ayalon Valley, 2006; Golan Heights Winery, Chardonnay, Odem Organic Vineyard, Yarden, 2008; Golan Heights Winery, Syrah, Ortal Vineyard, Yarden, 2004;Golan Heights Winery, Syrah, Yonatan Vineyard, Yarden, 2007; Golan Heights Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, El Rom Vineyard, Yarden, 2004; Margalit, Enigma, Special Reserve, 2007; Margalit, Cabernet Franc, 2008; and Carmel, Shiraz, Single Vineyard, Kayoumi, Upper Galilee, 2008.
In the US, the Kedem Wine Group (Royal Wine Company), based in Bayonne NJ, is the largest importer of Israeli wines.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on under Kosher Products, Sixth Sense |
In one of my visits to an upscale kosher supermarket, I picked up a product which promised to give color and taste to a number of traditional Shabbat foods, such as cholent and kugel. A low-fat product, it would seem that it would be an interesting and exciting addition; yet the display seemed undisturbed, which the manager said was due “to typical dumping of new products on the shelf without proper marketing.” What a shame. In due time, the manager will remove the product from the shelf with the item never getting a chance to prove itself. This is fairly common for many new kosher products that despite having much promise are simply not given the proper introduction to customers. In various studies that I conducted, not being aware of new products was one of the major complaints of kosher consumers.
A major kosher distributor guessed that only 1 of 10 new products ever make it, either because it is an extension of an existing product or “it is marketed to death.” Retailers will often cave-in to a sales pitch by a distributor and make room on crowded shelves, but if the product doesn’t move they ultimately “pack it in,” said the distributor. The right way to introduce a new product is to invest in a full court press that includes advertising, press releases, recipes, promotions, tastings, and coupons. I am always puzzled when I see companies invest in the development of a new product, only to let it flounder on the shelf. I know that for many it is a question of chicken and the egg. How do they get the capital to invest in marketing if they haven’t sold even one product? Unfortunately, they may find out that the money they invested to develop the product was also spent in vain.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on January 4, 2011 under New Product Showcase |
By Eda Kram
Pretzel Crisps has released its all natural White Chocolate Flavor & Peppermint Pretzel Crisps. Pretzel Crisps has dipped their all natural, thin and irresistibly crunchy Pretzel Crisps in a rich, creamy, white chocolate flavored coating and then sprinkled each one with a delicate burst of refreshing peppermint candy pieces. The perfect combination of sweet indulgence and salty crunch, Pretzel Crisps can also be eaten frozen for an extra special treat. White Chocolate Flavor & Peppermint Pretzel Crisps are certified OU dairy. For more information visit: Pretzel Crisps
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on December 24, 2010 under Kosher Market |
New York…Wal-Mart may be years away from opening stores in New York City, but the speculation about its effect on kosher has already begun. City officials say that the mega chain will find fierce opposition to opening in the five boroughs but some kosher food industry officials said that their arrival in the City “was only a matter of time.” A chain of Wal-Mart stores in New York would most likely mean a new major competitor for kosher. In the past few years, stores like Target and Costco have already changed the landscape as more and more consumers shop the club and discount stores. Some kosher food industry officials say that it is not clear which Wal-Mart will show up for kosher. They were apparently referring to the retailer’s mixed reputation with kosher consumers. While Wal-Mart carries kosher products in several hundred stores, it has not been particularly aggressive in pursuing kosher. Vendors say that its Monticello store which caters to some 250,000 vacationing Jews in the Catskills, has not measured up, leaving the territory to independents and chains like Shop-Rite.
Wal-Mart is mounting an aggressive campaign to open stores in New York. It is even willing to forego its traditional model of opening mega stores and instead opening smaller stores, a move that may also allow them to bypass City Council approval. Supporters are already drooling over the prospect of many new jobs, but opponents say that these jobs would only replace existing jobs of small businesses that will be forced to either cut back or go out of business. For kosher consumers a Wal-Mart in New York City with many kosher products may just be what they need, particularly for financially hard pressed families.
Posted by Menachem Lubinsky on December 23, 2010 under Kosher Industry |
New York…With 2010 winding down to just a few days, there seems little chance that the remaining two inspectors of the Kosher Law Enforcement Bureau of the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets will be spared come December 31st. According to several high-level sources reached by Kosher Today, come January 1st the bureau will be manned by only its director Rabbi Luzer Weiss. The inspectors were terminated as part of state budget cuts to close the gap on the state’s growing deficit. The sources said that there may have been other reasons, including the lack of any significant public protest, a cave-in by the state to a second lawsuit by the Commack butchers who knocked out (through their first lawsuit) the state’s 100-year old kosher food laws, a house-cleaning of appointees of former Governor George Pataki (a Republican), and a “non-appreciation” of the role of the inspectors.
But Kosher Today has learned that the role of the state in enforcing its current kosher laws will most likely be revisited in the new administration of Governor-Elect Andrew Cuomo. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, a key advocate of the kosher food laws, was one of those who said he would take a close look at the state’s enforcement of the laws in the future. Several other legislators echoed the Speaker’s sentiments. Kosher food sources fear that the state’s elimination of 11 inspectors in a relatively short period of time will severely impact their deterrent effect on kosher establishments. One leading rabbi who has been a strong advocate of saving the jobs of the remaining two inspectors, said: “I fear that the removal of the inspectors will mean that retailers and other kosher establishments will become lax in how they present kosher to the public and that would be an absolute disaster.”
