Non-Jewish consumers are often intrigued by the little encircled “Kosher” certification symbols that are found on food packages, predominantly in the ethnic food areas, but also on general all-American foods throughout the store.

Some of these regular year-round markings get an additional seasonal P, assuring that they contain no forbidden (to Jews) leavening and are therefore strictly Kosher for Passover. This critical P upgrade is often highlighted in specially designated Passover sections or aisles for several weeks during the spring.

Kosher symbols vary. Many feature a letter of the alphabet such as a “U,” or a Hebrew letter, or a combination of both, representing the initials of a certain synagogue grouping or supervising agency. The most obvious and prominent Kosher symbol is the encircled “K” which stands for OK Kosher Certification, respected within the Jewish community as highly reliable and competent. (Note: a regular K without a circle is an unregistered look-alike that has no authorized Kosher certification).

“Kosher” does not mean that it is produced by a Jewish manufacturer; actually most Kosher items today are produced by non-Jewish companies who seek out the certification to broaden their marketability.

(The reverse is true in the weeks following Passover, when observant Jewish consumers will patronize kosher certified foods produced by non-Jewish companies that didn’t violate the Jewish ownership prohibition of leavened bread during the eight-day Passover holiday. The Mechirat Chametz sale, once featured in a Forbes issue describing the pre-Passover transfer of ownership to satisfy the Kosher laws, is fully explained in the current Kosher Spirit magazine [www.kosherspirit.com] published by OK Kosher Supervision.)

“For those of us who aren't Jewish, “kosher” is generally relegated to half-understood Woody Allen punch lines,” says Michael Y. Park in a recent article on the subject. Indeed, a comical “Hulk Hogan Koshermania” on Youtube demonstrated the hilarious ignorance that related the “Kosher” concept to “Kosher” pickled cucumbers and coarse salt.

“Due to increasing sensitivity to ‘pure’ foods, kosher is becoming an organic certification for some consumers,” says David Rossi, vice president of marketing for R.A.B. Food Group. “Amid the abundance of today’s health claims, Kosher is perceived as being cleaner, purer, better. Consumers prefer kosher foods, even though they don't personally keep the kosher rules.”

Non-Jewish consumers represent a growing 30% segment of the kosher market. Some of us may recall New York’s “You don’t have to be Jewish to love Levy’s Bread” ad blitz during the 60’s.

“We see a growth of ethnic goods across the board. Not everyone who eats Asian food is Asian, so why should only Jews buy kosher?” Rossi says. “We take a brand and try to project it beyond the 5.2 million Jewish consumers in the country.”

Candace McMenamin, who owns an auto-repair shop in Columbia, S.C., uses kosher foods for health reasons. “I use kosher chicken broth because it seems healthier,” she said. “My boys like it, and they like the potato pancakes, but I don't know if they'd try that fish.”

There are now 86,000 kosher-certified products (only 50,000 in 1996). A recent survey showed that only 21% of the 10 million Americans who buy kosher do so for religious reasons.

Newer kosher products now include better kosher wines - no more sickly sweet wines - exotic cheeses and snack foods. The trend continues for established mainstream companies to go kosher. Smirnoff Ice in Israel recently became kosher, and Absolut vodka recently received kosher certification.

While seemingly similar to the Muslim halal, kosher standards are far more scrupulous and encompassing. Unlike the myth that “the Rabbi blesses the food,” “Kosher” means adhering to strict rabbinic rules and food preparation procedures, and which type of foods can be eaten. Pork, rabbit and shellfish, among other meats, are strictly forbidden, as is mixing dairy products with meat, or preparing food on manufacturing lines and kitchen surfaces or with utensils that were also used to prepare products that are taboo.

Animals have to be slaughtered in a specific humane way, and rabbis supervise critical areas of the production, such as the lighting of ovens for bread and pastries, and cooked items, and the making of wine.

“Kosher” has become an English idiom that’s not necessarily related to food. When you say “something's not kosher” it means that a certain condition or behavior smacks of not being 100% right ethically or morally.

Like a “Good Housekeeping” seal, there's a general perception that kosher is a higher-quality product. It's twice watched. Its standards and restrictions surpass those of the FDA.

The Jewish dietary laws have helped keep a perilously surrounded culture unified and independent, not only healthier. “It's basically a religious issue,” said Marion Nestle, chairwoman for New York University's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies and Public Health. “It is difficult to argue that the food is more nutritious. It’s basically about a religious tradition that goes back for several millennia, some of which makes sense, and some which doesn’t from a nutritional standpoint.”

Vegetarians and consumers with food allergies benefit from seeking out the kosher symbol. A reliable DAIRY or PAREVE kosher designation assures that it absolutely does not contain any meat or meat derivatives, which is critical to vegetarians.

“It doesn't mean it couldn't have any artificial colors or ingredients, though it does mean products are very carefully scrutinized,” Rossi said. “Kosher foods don't have fat or calorie requirements, and it isn't that a product is kosher that's low-fat or low-sugar. It's not being positioned as a diet food to keep down weight, for example.”

Non-Jews occasionally partake of Kosher Jewish foods, with the exception of “Gefilte fish,” says Rossi. “We’ve yet to find the breakout idea for selling gefilte fish to a non-Jewish consumer. But as crazy as it sounds, we think about it.”