The power of kosher

Winn-Dixie opened its first kosher deli last April. A year earlier, Big Y introduced its first kosher meat department. Albertsons employs a corporate kosher category manager, and the chain has been opening expanded selections of kosher foods. Online food purveyor FreshDirect features kosher prominently in its mix.

While kosher food has been included on supermarket shelves for years, it seems that it's becoming even bigger business in the supermarket industry.

"We're experiencing an explosion of requests in kosher supervision," confirms Moshe Elefant, executive rabbinic coordinator for the Orthodox Union, in New York. "It's very supermarket-driven. Supermarkets are trying to attract every kind of customer. They're also asking their suppliers to supply more kosher products." Additionally, supermarkets have continued seeking kosher certification for their private label products, he says.

Many in the Jewish community observe the laws of kosher, which are known as kashrut. Increasingly, however, certification symbols from agencies like the Orthodox Union have attracted non-Jews as well, including Seventh-day Adventists and Muslims, both of whom have their own special dietary requirements, or those who just consider kosher products to be healthier.

Additionally, products certified as OU, that is, parve—neither meat nor dairy—are being sought out by lactose-intolerant shoppers.