Kosher Compliance – Food Production

This topic is part of the SG Systems Global regulatory & operations glossary.

Updated October 2025 • Certification & Segregation • Ingredients, Equipment, and Label Control

Kosher Compliance is the disciplined set of sourcing, processing, equipment, and labeling controls that ensure foods and ingredients conform to Jewish dietary law (halacha) as interpreted by a recognized certification body. In practice, it is a manufacturing program that keeps dairy, meat, and pareve (neutral) categories segregated; restricts certain species, fats, and blood; controls wine/grape derivatives; manages Passover-specific grain/leaven bans; and proves that all inputs, changeovers, and labels align with the certificate in force. Unlike generic quality programs, kosher hinges on status: the religious state of materials, vessels, and lines changes with use. That status must be protected by specification, physical separation, validated cleaning, trained personnel, and contemporaneous records under Document Control and Audit Trails.

Operationally, a kosher program starts with scope—product lines, facilities, seasons (e.g., Passover)—then codifies approved vendors and formulas, equipment maps, and label rules. A supervising rabbi (mashgiach) sets conditions such as ingredient lists, production windows, and whether enhanced stringencies apply (e.g., Chalav Yisrael dairy, Bishul Yisrael for certain cooked foods, grape/wine handling). The plant implements segregation and verification like any other critical quality attribute: controlled Goods Receipt, Directed Picking, dedicated or changeover-qualified equipment, and end-to-end lot traceability in Batch Genealogy. The difference is that religious supervision defines when production may start, how deviations are resolved, and exactly what may be claimed on the label.

“Kosher isn’t just a symbol; it’s a set of status rules that your ERP, MES, WMS, and labels must enforce—every lot, every changeover, every season.”

1) What It Is (Unbiased Overview)

Kosher compliance translates religious requirements into plant-ready controls. Foods are classified as meat (from permitted species slaughtered and processed under supervision), dairy (milk and derivatives), or pareve (neither meat nor dairy). These categories cannot be mixed or cross-contacted; equipment used for hot processing imparts status and must be either dedicated or returned to neutral status through rabbinically approved cleaning or kashering procedures. Certain inputs are prohibited entirely (e.g., most insects, some animal fats, non-kosher species, and mixtures involving meat and dairy). Wine and grape derivatives require elevated supervision. During Passover, leavened grains and derivatives (chametz) are excluded; many communities also avoid kitniyot (legumes and certain seeds). Certification bodies issue a letter of certification that lists approved SKUs, plants, and conditions—this becomes the “specification of record” that operations must implement.

From the plant’s perspective, kosher status is a critical attribute akin to allergen class or organic claim. Everything that touches status—approved supplier lists, BOMs, label texts, line schedules, sanitation, hold/release—must be controllable and reviewable. Therefore, kosher dovetails naturally with HACCP, GMP, and retailer standards: it demands formal risk analysis, training, and strong Data Integrity practices so that claims are defensible under audit.

2) Scope, Authorities & Certification Boundaries

Certification is provided by recognized kosher agencies that apply halachic rules via documented policies. Their scope typically covers: (1) approved ingredients and suppliers; (2) permitted processing aids and packaging materials; (3) equipment designations (dairy/meat/pareve) and changeover requirements; (4) supervision model—periodic, surprise, or continuous; (5) label art and symbol use; and (6) Passover conditions, if applicable. Plants must treat the certificate like any other master in force: it is versioned, stored under Document Control, and translated into routings, cleaning regimes, and label templates. Any process or ingredient outside scope requires prior approval through Change Control.

Agencies also define stricter tiers for certain markets: Chalav Yisrael dairy (enhanced oversight of milk sources), Bishul Yisrael (Jewish participation in cooking steps for eligible foods), and Pas Yisrael (bread/ bakery category). Where these tiers apply, supervision and recordkeeping intensify—common triggers for dedicated shifts, line locks, or enhanced e-signature gates in eBMR.

3) Ingredients & Supply Chain Control

Start with an approved supplier list restricted to certified sources. Each raw material record stores kosher status (pareve/dairy/meat; year-round vs Passover), agency, certificate number, and expiry. At Goods Receipt, warehouse verifies certificates, symbol presence, and matching lot/COA details. Nonconforming lots move to Hold pending rabbinic decision. Ingredients with cross-over risk include emulsifiers (mono-/diglycerides), flavors, glycerin, enzymes, wine/grape concentrates, gelatin, and certain color carriers; the kosher status of these is determined by origin and processing history.

For Passover, create seasonal alternates for starches, alcohols, acids, and processing aids. Lock seasonal effective dates and prevent inadvertent use through Directed Picking with Barcode Validation. Rotation under FEFO matters: expiring non-Passover stock should never be pulled into a Passover production window. All status attributes propagate into genealogy so downstream audits can reconstruct claims per lot.

4) Equipment, Changeovers & Kashering Logic

Kosher status is transferred by hot contact. Equipment can be dedicated by category or shared with validated changeovers (e.g., libun—dry heat; hagalah—boiling/caustic flush) as determined by the supervisor. The approved procedure specifies time/temperature, flow paths, contact times, chemical concentrations, rinse verification, and any physical inspection or sealing requirements (e.g., tagging valves so paths cannot be switched). Record changeovers in eBMR with device-captured temperatures and operator sign-offs. Where equipment cannot be kashered (porous materials or design constraints), dedicate or redesign.

For Bishul Yisrael needs, the system must prompt for the required action (e.g., ignition or participation by the authorized person) with an enforced sign-off step. For dairy-to-meat or vice versa, assure sufficient time gaps if required, plus validated cleaning and in some cases downtime/idle periods. These gates behave like CCPs in HACCP: missing a gate invalidates the status of the run.

5) Production Controls, Segregation & Label Management

On the floor, batch tickets and travelers display kosher status, supervising agency, and any tier (e.g., “Pareve,” “Dairy,” “Kosher for Passover”). Lines are physically segregated with color-coded utensils, dedicated tanks, and closed loops from weigh-up to pack. Barcode Validation at dispense and addition stops wrong-part introductions. Pack-out stations load the correct label art with the precise symbol and qualifiers (™ vs ® rules remain separate) and enforce label control-style previews and counts. If the agency mandates pre-approved labels, the system blocks print until approval files are linked.

Schedule design matters. Use heijunka/flow logic to minimize high-risk changeovers (e.g., cluster pareve before dairy). Reserve Passover windows; lock down ingredient lists and clean room staging prior to the mashgiach’s sign-on. All exceptions open Deviation/NC with evidence collection and a route for rabbinic decision before Finished Goods Release.

6) Traceability, Claims & Recall Readiness

Every kosher claim must be traceable to: (1) an in-force certificate; (2) approved ingredients by lot; (3) qualified equipment status at the time; and (4) correct label art applied to the packed lot. Implement serialized, standards-based events using EPCIS so ingredient-to-finished links are queryable in seconds. Retain label reconciliation and destruction counts under Audit Trail. In mock recalls, demonstrate time-to-trace performance and the ability to identify only affected lots (avoid blanket withdrawals). Incorrect symbol or missing qualifier is a labeling defect; incorrect ingredient origin is a formulation defect—each has different scope and remediation patterns inside CAPA.

7) People, Training & Data Integrity

Kosher is only as strong as the people following it. Train everyone touching ingredients, lines, sanitation, and labels on status concepts, restricted items, and what to do when something looks wrong. Lock training completion to system permissions so untrained users cannot sign off critical steps. All records—ingredient checks, kashering logs, mashgiach sign-ons, label verifications—must be attributable, contemporaneous, and tamper-evident per ALCOA+. Use Dual Verification for label changes, ingredient substitutions, and release decisions.

8) Common Failure Modes (and How to Avoid Them)

Wrong-label application. The symbol or qualifier (e.g., “Dairy”) is missing or incorrect. Countermeasure: master data governance, artwork locks, barcode-controlled label pulls, preview-and-approve in-line, reconciliation at FAI and closeout.

Inadvertent dairy/meat contact. Shared utensils or unvalidated changeovers. Countermeasure: dedicated color-coded tools, sealed valves, eBMR-enforced kashering steps with temperature evidence, and physical barriers.

Unapproved ingredient or origin drift. Supplier swapped carrier alcohol or enzyme source. Countermeasure: approved supplier lists tied to Component Release, certificate capture at receiving, and automated blocks on vendor or certificate mismatch.

Passover cross-over. Non-Passover starch pulled into Passover run. Countermeasure: seasonal BOMs, effective-date controls, directed picking with Passover attribute checks, and separate warehousing zones.

Process aid blind spots. Lubricants, anti-foam, tank linings not assessed. Countermeasure: extend the bill of process; store kosher status for aids and contact materials; review at Internal Audit.

Supervision gaps. Required sign-ons not captured. Countermeasure: role-based gates for start of run; mashgiach electronic acknowledgment with time/location stamp; production blocks until satisfied.

9) How This Fits with V5

V5 by SG Systems Global treats kosher as a first-class attribute across WMS, MES, and QMS. Raw materials carry status, agency, and certificate expiry; Directed Picking and Barcode Validation prevent pulling the wrong lot. eBMR embeds kashering steps with device reads (temperature, time) and requires mashgiach/supervisor e-signatures under Part 11. Label control links approved art to the eligible SKUs and enforces symbol/qualifier logic at print and apply. End-to-end genealogy and EPCIS events give single-click trace for audits and mock recalls.

Upstream, Change Control governs ingredient substitutions and seasonal shifts; training records tie user permissions to kosher-critical tasks. Downstream, Finished Goods Release blocks shipment until all kosher gates (ingredients, equipment status, label checks, supervision sign-ons) are green; exceptions route through Deviation/NC to CAPA. Dashboards track status adherence, label incidents, and time-to-trace so leadership sees risk in real time—not after the fact.

10) FAQ

Q1. What’s the fastest way to add kosher to an existing line?
Start with supplier/material master cleanup, define equipment status and changeover procedures with the agency, lock label art, and implement barcode-controlled picking and label prints. Pilot with a small SKU set and expand once controls are stable.

Q2. Can one kettle run dairy in the morning and pareve in the afternoon?
Only if the supervising rabbi approves a validated kashering procedure and records are complete. Otherwise dedicate the vessel or re-sequence to avoid the changeover.

Q3. Do flavors and enzymes always need kosher certificates?
Yes—and scrutinize carriers and processing aids. Store agency, certificate, and expiry in the item master; block receipts and picks on mismatch.

Q4. How do we handle Passover production?
Use seasonal BOMs and suppliers, segregated storage, strict changeovers, and line locks under agency supervision. Enable effective-date controls so non-Passover lots cannot be picked during the Passover window.

Q5. What proves a kosher claim during an audit?
The in-force certificate listing the SKU and plant; supplier certificates for each ingredient lot; eBMR records of kashering and supervision; correct label art application with reconciliation; and end-to-end genealogy linking inputs to shipped cases.

Related Reading
• Foundations & Governance: Document Control | Change Control | Audit Trail (GxP) | Data Integrity
• Execution & Records: Electronic Batch Record (eBMR) | QMS | Barcode Validation | Batch Genealogy | Finished Goods Release
• Risk & Monitoring: HACCP | Allergen Segregation Control | EPCIS Traceability Standard | Internal Audit