Kosher certification: how a small food maker gets certified

What kosher certification is and who issues it

Kosher certification is a contract between a food business and a kosher certification agency. The agency checks that every ingredient, every piece of equipment and every step of production meets kosher law, then lets the business print its symbol on approved products. OU Kosher puts the standard this way: every ingredient of a product and the way in which it is processed must be kosher compliant.

Each symbol is a mark owned by the agency that issues it. OU describes its symbol as a federally and internationally registered trademark for kosher certification, and it may only be used with the express written permission of the Orthodox Union Kosher Division. The four agencies below are named because they publish their process; they are scheme owners described from their own pages, not recommendations. Many other agencies exist, and buyers, stores and distributors may prefer one symbol over another, so ask your buyers which symbols they accept before you apply.

The table compares what each agency publishes about the first steps and fees. Read on 3 Oct 2026.

How to get kosher certification, step by step

The four agencies use different names for each stage, but the order is the same. OK Kosher says the process takes several weeks, start-to-certified.

1. Pick the agency your buyers accept

   Ask the stores, distributors or online marketplaces you sell to which kosher symbols they accept. A symbol your buyers do not recognize adds cost without opening the sale.

2. Apply

   cRc says its application asks basic questions about your company, plant, products and ingredients. It also notes that applying does not obligate you to accept kosher certification, and STAR-K charges no application fees for the initial review.

3. Send your ingredient list

   Every ingredient is checked, including ones you do not plan to use in kosher products. STAR-K says all ingredients in the plant, whether or not they are slated for kosher use must be evaluated. Keep the supplier name and, where the agency asks for one, the supplier's kosher certification letter for each ingredient ready.

4. Host the first inspection

   A rabbi visits to see your equipment and process. OU bills a processing fee and a travel expense fee before this visit. STAR-K bills billed for travel and other expenses, and says in most cases the fees are credited towards your annual certification fee.

5. Review and sign the contract

   The contract lists approved ingredients, approved products, equipment rules and the fee. OU calls the ingredient list Schedule A, which is a listing of kosher ingredients that are acceptable for use in your product, and the product list Schedule B, which is the list of brand names and specific products that will be authorized to bear the symbol.

6. Get labels approved and keep up the program

   With OU, new product labels carrying the OU symbol may then be submitted for our final approval. After certification, regular, periodic visits will be made by a Star-K Rabbinic field representative, and no new ingredient may be used in the plant without prior approval of STAR-K.

What the ingredient and kitchen review looks at

The review covers three things. STAR-K lists them as a) all ingredients used in the plant, b) plant equipment, and c) manufacturing processes. A small maker usually spends most of the effort on ingredients, because each one needs proof of its kosher status. Some raw materials need no certificate: STAR-K names intrinsically kosher ingredients, such as cane sugar, corn meal, vanillin.

Equipment matters as much as ingredients. If the same oven, mixer or kettle is used for both kosher and non-kosher food, the agency sets rules for it. OU writes special instructions that relate to the use of equipment, which is necessary if a plant engages in both kosher and non-kosher production. STAR-K says non-kosher equipment usually can be restored to a kosher state, a process called kosherization, and that only a trained Rabbi is competent to oversee the procedure.

Products also get a status: meat, dairy or pareve. STAR-K calls pareve products that contain neither meat nor dairy ingredients. Its dairy category includes products that contain no dairy ingredients but are heat-processed on equipment that was utilized for the production of products that do contain dairy ingredients, so shared equipment can change how your product is labelled.

• A full ingredient list with supplier names, including items you use only in non-kosher products.
• Kosher certification letters from your suppliers for ingredients that need them.
• A list of equipment and what is made on each piece.
• Your product names and the labels you plan to print.

Can a home or shared kitchen be kosher certified?

None of the four agencies publishes a rule that bans or allows home kitchens. Each one decides after its own review. STAR-K reviews each application to judge whether certification is feasible, at no cost: the review is done at no cost to your company. cRc says a rabbi will come to your facility before it sets a program.

A home kitchen is hard to certify because the review covers everything made there. STAR-K checks all ingredients in the plant, whether or not they are slated for kosher use, so family meals cooked on the same stove and pans count. A kitchen used only for the business, with its own equipment and ingredients, gives the agency less to review than a family kitchen.

A shared or commercial kitchen raises the same question about other tenants. The agency needs to know what else runs on the equipment you use and may require kosherization before your production runs.

Kosher certification does not replace food-safety permits. A home kitchen still needs to qualify under your state's cottage food law, and a shared kitchen needs its own health permit. Those rules vary by state and city.

Kosher certification cost: how agencies set the fee

None of the four agencies publishes a price list for manufacturers. The fee is quoted after the agency knows your ingredients, equipment and location, and it is written into the contract. What the agencies do publish is how the fee is built.

• Application: STAR-K charges no application fees for the initial review, and cRc offers a free online application.
• First visit: OU bills a processing fee and a travel expense fee before the inspection. STAR-K bills billed for travel and other expenses. OK Kosher charges restaurants and caterers a processing fee of $500.00 before the first visit.
• Annual fee: OK Kosher gives a quote in the form of an annual fee, not based on how many products you have, or on the size of your output. It includes the frequency and cost of conducting customized inspections to each facility site, so distance from the inspector matters.
• Contract: OU drafts a contract that will include all OU requirements and fees. cRc's program and costs are outlined in a contract that specifies the requirements and obligations of both parties, and once the signed agreement and fee are returned, cRc says we will send you your letter of kosher certification.

Example: a baker with one dedicated kitchen, ten ingredients and two products asks three agencies for quotes. The useful comparison is the total for the first year (visit expenses plus the annual fee) and what is included, such as how many visits a year, rather than the application fee alone.

Kosher claims and the law

A kosher claim on a label or in an ad is a factual claim, and federal advertising law applies to it. The FTC requires a reasonable basis for advertising claims before they are disseminated, and this covers express and implied claims, however conveyed. Without that basis, the claim is an unfair and deceptive act or practice in violation of Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act. In practice, write "kosher" or print a symbol only for products your agency has approved in writing.

Some states add kosher-fraud laws. New York's Kosher Law Protection Act of 2004 requires manufacturers, producers, packers, and distributors of food which is certified as kosher to register, and filing must be done 30 days in advance of offering or distributing food as kosher in New York. Under Agriculture and Markets Law § 201-a, packaged food sold as kosher cannot be sold until the producer or distributor has registered with the department the name, current address and telephone number of the person certifying the food as kosher, and kosher labels on packaged food are put on by the manufacturer or packer at its premises. Any ad that calls food kosher shall identify the name of the person or entity certifying the product as kosher. Restaurants, caterers and food carts that sell food as kosher must post a kosher registration form at their business in a location readily visible by consumers.

Other states have their own kosher statutes or none, and cities can add rules. This page is general information, not legal advice. Check your state's agriculture department or attorney general before you sell food as kosher.

How this page is kept current

Every agency step and fee term on this page was checked on 3 Oct 2026 against the agency's own certification page. Agencies change their process and fees, so this page is re-checked every six months. Before you apply, confirm the current terms with the agency.

Where Nation fits

Questions about kosher certification