Nearly Half of US Supermarket Foods Are Kosher

As first reported here, the annual KosherFest expo last month served up a full menu, from kosher popcorn to pomegranate mints, at the recent exhibition and trade fair in New Jersey . For those who want to improve mental focus, a kosher Brain Tonic, “the only non-caffeinated think drink'” was introduced there as well.

The burgeoning kosher food industry now accounts for 40 percent of food products on American supermarket shelves, according to the Mintel research organization.

Popcorn and chili sauce are also among the 120,000 kosher items on American supermarket shelves as the dominance of kosher food in the American marketplace grows. “Sales of kosher foods in the past year have increased by double digits, significantly higher than the U.S. food market in general,” according to Menachem Lubinsky, founder of KosherFest.

Orthodox Union (OU) official Rabbi Eliyahu Safran noted that producers of beverages, baking and organic foods are leading the increased requests for certification.

Industry officials estimate that more than 10 million Americans, approximately double the number of Jews in the country, buy kosher items.

{Arutz Shevah/KosherToday/Matzav.com Newscenter}