Recently, the COR was notified that one of the major international brands with many products under our certification is outsourcing the production of one of its products to a local company without any kosher certification. This would not be a problem except for the fact that the major brand produces kosher versions of the same product – one in the United States under the certification of the OU and one in Canada under the certification of the COR. The only difference between the products is the size of the containers and that the kosher versions bear kosher certification on their label.

Sometimes, product manufacturers and private label companies produce kosher and non-kosher versions of the same product. The non-kosher version is typically manufactured at a second location. The company that produces the non-kosher version may not be able to attain kosher certification. In the aforementioned example, the company that produces the non-kosher version of the product could not receive kosher certification because the product is being produced on the same production line as non-kosher products.

When you are shopping for products, it is important to always ensure that your products bear an acceptable kosher certification on their label. This is true even if you are familiar with the product and that it can be found with a kosher certification in other sizes.