KOSHER Increases Shelf Space

13 December 2011

You’d be amazed what your food is made of!

Several common confectionery ingredients can be of animal origin such as gelatine, glycerine, and stearate, whilst the natural red colour of cochineal (E120) is made from beetles! Furthermore, even if the ingredients listed on the label may suggest a particular product is fine, release agents might be non-kosher. In fact, even products which claim to be vegetarian could be non-kosher, if the factory which makes them uses the same equipment for products containing ingredients of meat origin. Come and visit our stand at ConfectionExpo to find out more about what the KLBD are doing to promote kosher products around the world.
KLBD Kosher Certification (London Beth Din) is the oldest Kosher Certification authority in the world. Certifying a product Kosher is not just about supplying goods to a small niche consumer marketplace. According to the New York Times Kosher certification is the most cost effective means to market a product in a market expected to grow to $17bn by 2013.

The Kosher consumer spends 47% more on their weekly shopping basket than the average consumer. Providing that consumer with a wide, varied and mainstream source will in turn increase sales. This is reflected in the ever increasing number of companies offering Kosher products – at ANUGA this is now approaching 20%.In the past, the Kosher shoppers could only buy food from small independents – and had to accept a Kosher copy of the “real thing”.Today, all of the major multiples offer a selection of Kosher foods, from international award winning wines to bread and an amazing range of sweets and snacks. So if you want a Mars Bar you can enjoy the original, without compromising on taste and quality, shop in a multitude of places at a competitive price.

In 2009, Tesco launched store branded Kosher Baked Beans with KLBD Kosher Certification. Once launched the supply – initially a year’s worth of canning – was so popular that Tesco sold out within the first three weeks and KLBD were asked to send a Rabbi to supervise another batch of beans.In 2010 KLBD issued Kosher Certification to Mars in the Netherlands, following successful certification of Mars in Slough in the UK, in the previous year.

All Mars chocolates produced at these two plants are now KLBD Kosher Certified (Mars, Snickers, Ripple, Galaxy – Bounty, which was not Kosher for years, can now be enjoyed, simply by the manufacturer having changed the source of one ingredient).In the USA, the Kosher symbol is seen as a kite mark for quality and traceability, similar to the Good Housekeeping seal. Kosher has the ‘good for you’ factor and surveys show that some 80% of Kosher food is bought in the USA by people who know nothing about Kosher dietary laws, reflecting the trend that people want to eat the best quality available, derived from sustainable and traceable sources.

This in turn gives shoppers “peace of mind”. Today “Kosher” attracts vegetarians who understand the Kosher symbol ensures the product is also suitable for vegetarians (where no “meat” is used). Also the Halal consumer can be assured that a Kosher product will never contain pork which is also prohibited to them. By being Kosher Certified you enable your retail customers to offer a broader range of products allowing them to potentially capture a larger slice of the total market.

Kosher ticks another box on their supplier specification sheet. Kosher shoppers are loyal shoppers and whilst they come in for the Kosher Mars bar, you can be sure they will buy many other things too.For the manufacturer looking for a way to attract new customers, changing the shape of the pack, its colour, or using promotions may attract a few points of market share – but generally the same consumers. Gaining a Kosher certification however, attracts a brand new market and is a cost effective means to expand sales from a new group who have never been able to enjoy your products, both here in the UK and overseas.

Perhaps more significant is the instant recognition that the Kosher symbol brings to the product. Statistically you only have 5 seconds to attract attention to your product in a supermarket aisle. The Kosher symbol is the instantly recognisable sign to attract the Kosher consumer, informing them that a product may be enjoyed with confidence without even having to check the ingredients.With headquarters in London and ten regional representatives, the KLBD operates in 50 countries worldwide. It is the largest Kosher agency in Europe. Obviously, Israel and the US are the largest Kosher food markets and many manufacturers use Kosher certification to maximise their exports to these countries. Close on their heels are the French and British markets where Kosher is growing year on year. Belgium, the Netherlands, Australia and South Africa also offer potential.
New areas of expansion in 2012 will include health food and the KLBD logo on even more good quality products. Ensure that your company has plans for Kosher to maximise supermarket shelf space for your company’s products.