Requirements for Data Submission – Guidelines

Published: November 2, 2023 Reading time: 6 minutes

OK Kosher Certification provides its certified companies with a highly advanced, customer-driven, online system to manage their kosher information. This portal enables online ingredient and product submission, ingredient submittal history, raw material management, product inventory, as well as access to your kosher certificates.

This system is available to our certified customers at no extra charge. For more information, please refer to page 35 of the OK Kosher Plant Manual (“Kosher Certifying Agency Manual”) – or ask your Customer Service Account Representative for assistance.

Data Evaluation

For any product to be certified, OK Kosher requires a comprehensive product evaluation in order to determine that the product meets kosher requirements. By submitting complete formulae for all products—including a complete listing of all the specific ingredients used in each product – we are able to create and maintain a complete ingredient and product list for your company.

Data Evaluation entails a review of the following specific components.

1. Individual Formulae

Each submitted formula must include a detailed and specific list of each and every ingredient in the produced product. This includes any internal Formulae, i.e. a mix or sub-formula made in your facility (not purchased as such) as well as any processing aids. We do not require any amounts or percentages.

2. Ingredient List

Ingredient Names

Often an ingredient may be referred to by two names—the manufacturer’s name (which appears on the ingredient’s label), and a name given by your plant personnel, R&D, etc. for internal reference in your facility. For example, plant personnel might refer to what the manufacturer calls “corn syrup” as “sweetener,” or, in more complex cases, R&D may call an item “chocolate flavor” while the manufacturer calls it “exploded part 66.” Both names must be submitted: the manufacturer’s name for the ingredient as well as your internal name. Our state-of-the-art database system has the capability of supporting both ingredient names for increased flexibility. If your company uses raw material codes (RMC) these should also be submitted, as it allows for improved tracking and maintenance of the integrity of your kosher program.

Manufacturer info

When submitting the name of a supplier or manufacturer, please include the name as it is printed on the label of the ingredient, which corresponds to the name that appears on its kosher certificate.

Multiple sources

If you have multiple sources for a specific ingredient, each supplier needs to be reviewed and approved.

3. Kosher Certificate

Nowadays, there are many kosher agencies all over the world, and as with any product or service, the level of adherence to kosher standards can vary. At OK Kosher, we pride ourselves on maintaining the highest possible standards. This is the guarantee our trademarked OK kosher symbol represents to your customers and ultimately to kosher consumers. Therefore in some cases it is necessary for us to deny certain kosher certificates. If we cannot accept a product’s current certification, or kosher information is not available, we will try to offer you a list of alternative acceptable sources, based on the information we have in our database. When submitting a kosher certificate for approval, please use our spreadsheet template to provide the following information:

Note the name of the ingredient as it appears on the kosher certificate and the name of the certifying agency.
Provide a clear and legible copy.
Ensure that the certificate is current and has not expired.
Mark an arrow next to the item you are submitting. Some kosher certificates may list many items (see samples of two Kosher certificates next page), and we’ll need to know exactly which one you are requesting.
If you use RMC’s, write your code next to the item (instead of the arrow).
Indicate if no kosher letter is available, so we can advise you further.
Some ingredients may be certified both in labeled packaging and as Bulk. Bulk refers to shipments in tankers, railcars, ISO tanks, etc. Please be sure the kosher certificate submitted covers the product the way you receive it—packaged or bulk.

4. Finished Products List & Labels

All labels for finished products must match the kosher certificates issued to your company. For this reason, we require a comprehensive list of all finished products and samples of all labels (if available at this stage). If the labels are not yet available, send just the Product List at this stage. Labels must be reviewed and pre-approved when they become available.

The OK Logo should be placed on or near the product name and should be visible on the label.
You may enlarge or reduce the OK Logo proportionally, but it cannot be changed in any other way. The OK Logo on a product should be as large as the space will allow, typically above 10 mm wide. Printing of smaller sized OK Logos is allowed, but the OK Logo must be clearly legible when viewed on the product. In special circumstances where the physical size of the product means that this is not possible then you may apply for authorization to use an alternative “small variant” of the OK Logo, obtainable from your New Account Specialist.
Acceptable colors include black, blue, red, gold, or silver.
If you wish to include text that refers to the OK Logo, you must submit it for pre-approval.
Printing the OK logo on an unauthorized sticker or a stamp is a trademark violation. In the event that you need to print a sticker (because of a misprint on the label or because it does not bear the OK symbol, etc.), the sticker must include the name of the product, the company name and location and be permanently attached. Before printing, the sticker MUST be approved by your New Account Specialist.
Please consult your New Account Specialist for the type of symbol to be displayed on your retail or industrial certified product. This will prevent any mistakes and misunderstandings which potentially could lead to consumer confusion, product recalls and the necessity to notify the public through the media of any errors.