Kosher Market Research

Jewish people practice a Kosher diet that complies with the strict dietary law of traditional Jewish law. Most Jews practice the diet not mainly for health reasons but as adherence to their religious traditions. However, even non-Jewish people consume many Kosher products, diversifying the audience of these items.

People around the world exercise different diets, depending on a variety of factors. One significant factor that influences one’s food preference is culture and customs.

The food industry has been able to adapt to this factor, using it even to highlight and differentiate its products from others. Capitalization of these consumable products allows businesses to continue to thrive and expands their offerings.

What is Kosher?

Kosher is derived from the Hebrew word, kashér, which means to be pure for consumption. It refers to a diet based on Jewish traditional laws, mainly practiced by Jews. However, not all Jews adhere to these rules strictly. Most of them practice it based on their discretions and preferences.

For a food to be considered Kosher, it must comply with specific requirements. The rules also provide a rigid framework that provides the allowed and prohibited food and the procedure for how to process, produce, and prepare them before consumption.

The rules also provide forbidden pairings, particularly meat with any dairy product. It further provides that one must wait for a certain number of hours before ingesting dairy after the consumption of meat. Such prohibition of mixing the two goes as well with the utensils used to prepare meat and dairy.

Plant-based foods have also guidelines to follow. Most of the instructions to keep the food kosher are its preparation and processing. As for drinks, like wine, to be considered kosher, their raw materials must be kosher.

Trends and Opportunities in Kosher Food

Here are trends and opportunities to look out for:

• Growing Demand For Kosher Food: As Jews migrate to different countries, their demand for Kosher food and drinks also gets highlighted. It also helps that Kosher food is seen as pure and clean, in comparison to highly-processed ones in the market. Due to the nature of its process and preparation, the Kosher market also entices health-conscious individuals and vegetarian consumers. People also suffering from lactose intolerance and celiac disease have been becoming a target demographic for businesses offering Kosher food. Many Kosher food distributors also sell gluten-free meals.
• Targeting the Fitness Industry: Kosher food started to cater to the fitness demographic. It serves as a better option, especially for bodybuilders wanting a healthy option. Kosher has been pushed as clean food, creating an appeal to the fitness crowd.
• Kosherfest in the United States: As Kosher food started to become a staple in the United States with the increasing Jewish population and health-conscious eaters, Kosherfest was introduced. Kosherfest is a competition for participants to compete to become one of the leading kosher food providers. It is judged by industry experts, culinary experts, media, and selected ordinary buyers.
• Kosher Food And Health: As many non-Jews show interest in Kosher food, many businesses started developing new recipes and food that can cater to their taste while maintaining the food quality. Many ventured into tapping the vegetarian segment. It serves as an edge for existing Kosher distributors due to the nature of their clean food.
• Kosher Food to Catch Up Demand in the Middle East: The Middle East has been experiencing rapid growth in fast food. It is attributed to the increasing income per household. There has been an abundance of new chain openings in these Middle Eastern countries. Due to religious belief, Kosher meat has been highly desirable to meet the growing demand. Kosher snack food has also received growth, accounting for 48.4% of the global market.
• Easier to Find Kosher Food And Beverages: Many online sites now offer a list of Kosher food and beverages available in the market. It makes it easier for a conscious buyer to check whether the brand they are purchasing is Kosher. It also provides detailed information about the products.

Key Countries

Kosher food distribution is only possible with the help of each business from production to distribution. There are at least 6,000 Kosher food and beverages for sale to end users. Many European countries serve as key players in producing and distributing Kosher. Some of these countries are the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway, France, and Moldova.

Israel is an important country concerning Kosher food. They are the main producer and consumers of kosher-related products. This results in Kosher products taking over 80% of Israel’s $20 billion food industry.

The United Arab Emirates started the influx of Kosher food within their territory as Jewish tourists started visiting the country. The bilateral peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates encouraged tourist opening.

Challenges in Kosher Market Research

European countries have been more than accommodating in producing, preparing, and distributing Kosher products. It influenced many investors to continue investing in these ventures with its glowing reviews and returns.

However, European countries placed a limit on Kosher food production. Kosher, including Halal, meat production is strictly forbidden in the continent. The ritual slaughter began a discussion in Europe after the 1998 directive titled European Convention for the Protection of Animals for Slaughter. It became an issue due to animal welfare concerns that are labeled as serious.

Investors for Kosher meat might face serious financial consequences if not remedied immediately. One of the best ways to recover is to redirect the supply of Kosher meat to other counties. However, it also means additional costs for logistics and distribution.

Another point for investors to look at with Kosher Market Research is the increasing competition, especially in the United States. Some companies, like Manischewitz Company and Welch, entered into partnerships to introduce new Kosher product lines. Others, like Cargill Inc., expanded their operation by opening a new farm to produce and distribute Kosher meat and fill the growing demand.