With everyone’s increasing awareness for health concern issues, the words “Kosher" and “Organic" are pretty much becoming household names, particularly in Northern America region.

By definition, kosher foods refer to foods that conforms to the regulations of Jewish religion while organic foods refers to food production standards without the use of antibiotics, pesticides, artificial or sewage sludge fertilizers, bioengineering or ionizing radiation. Although, some organic foods can be kosher or some kosher foods can be organic, kosher foods and organic foods are not the same. For example, Vegetables are always kosher but to be organic, it should not be subjected to chemical fertilizers, etc.

Kosher foods offer earthly benefits as well as heavenly benefits. Kosher foods are very closely monitored. (1) The produce undergoes washing and checking to make sure it is bug-free. (2) Animals subjected to kosher slaughter are never forcefully knocked unconscious before slaughtering, and all mammals and fowl must be slaughtered in a specific fashion avoiding the unnecessary pain to the animal. After slaughtering, the animal is cut open and its lungs and other organs are inspected for any signs of disease. As a general rule, to decrease the likelihood of diseases, younger animals are used to produce kosher meat. Younger, disease-free animals translate to healthier, safer meat. No stunning combined with younger animals means it is nearly impossible to transmit Mad Cow disease into kosher meat. [1] [2] Kosher poultry cannot show any signs of being pecked, sick or injured. They're never plunged into hot water (a theoretical source of bacterial contamination), but are washed in cold water before being soaked, salted, and washed again. Experts in the koshering process say the extensive use of salt helps kill bacteria. [3]

Not only is certified Kosher food clean, healthy and tastefully packaged, but the food bearing Kosher sign is widely accepted as superior quality food. Kosher certification has given consumers extra assurance of quality and purity, as such; food companies with the kosher seal of certification have been have seen an increase in consumers and sales.

As of 2009 Kosher Supervision Guide, there are 991 kosher symbols and agencies in the world. The seemingly overwhelming number of kosher agencies can be confusing. Halakha or Jewish law is not all black and white; rather, in many instances there is an entire parameter of correctness ranging from the very lenient to the super strict. To put it simply, Jewish dietary laws are often defined differently in different jurisdiction. [4] To better assist you, we compiled kosher symbols and agencies that are most commonly found in grocery or supermarkets.

Many people think that organic movement is new. However, the movement began back in the 1900s in response to the trends of using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides in the early days of industrial agriculture. Originally, organic foods were considered a fad observed by the eccentric few. Today, the sales of organic foods are increasing yearly by about 20%. [5] Although there are no definite claims as to whether organic foods are more nutritious than conventional food, among the many benefits of going organic are (1) reduce the toxic chemicals in the air, water, soil, and our bodies, thereby having (2) better health and (3) protecting future generations. And because organic foods do not contain any additives, you can savor the true essence of the food.

In some countries, organic standards are formulated and overseen by the government. The United States, the European Union and Japan have comprehensive organic legislation, and the term "organic" may be used only by certified producers. In the United States, certification is handled by state, non-profit, and private agencies that have been approved by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). [6]

Mutual Trading offers wide variety of kosher certified products and organic products. Go to Product Listing to see our complete kosher and organic products.

[1] US News - http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2008/01/11/is-kosher-food-safer.html
[2] Kosher Blog - http://www.kosherblog.net/2006/11/02/faq-is-kosher-meat-better/
[3] La Times - http://articles.latimes.com/2004/feb/02/health/he-kosher2
[4] Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashrut
[5] Organic Trade Association -
[6] Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_certification