STAR-K Certification has enjoyed a successful and harmonious relationship with Turkey for over 25 years, providing kosher certification for scores of Turkish companies. The STAR-K symbol appears on everything from Turkish-produced beans to candy, condiments, fruits, vegetables, juices, jams, honey, oils, nuts, pasta, pickled products, rice, sauces, teas, and vinegars.
STAR-K kashrus administrator, Rabbi Tzvi Rosen, was invited to Izmir in mid-May to address members of the Aegean Exporters’ Association. Together with STAR-K’s Middle East/Europekashrus coordinator, Rabbi Dovid Stein, he delivered a seminar, “Kosher Certification: Your Worldwide Partner for Successful Marketing.” In attendance was Izmir’s rabbi, Rabbi Mordechai Katan, and approximately 30 Turkish manufacturing companies.
Utilizing a colorful STAR-K PowerPoint presentation, entitled “Understanding the World of Kosher Naturally,” the rabbis explained kosher basics, kosher marketplace opportunities, issues regarding the certification of various kosher specialty products, the parallel growth of organic and kosher, requirements and considerations when producing kosher/natural organic products, the kosher certification process and the advantages of the STAR-K/QAI twin kosher/organic certification program.
“Turkish companies have a keen interest to expand their markets and they feel that a necessary tool to assist them in that is kosher certification,” said Rabbi Rosen. “I feel that our seminar has built a bridge and a healthy rapport between the exporters union and STAR-K.”