Any food product that is prepared under the laws of kashrut, the Jewish rules governing food products, is considered kosher. The kosher market, therefore, is only limited by rabbinical law. There are kosher products in every segment of the food industry, from ingredient products such as meat and poultry to processed foods and beverages, and almost every major manufacturer has at least some kosher products in its repertoire.

The kosher market can be considered as two separate markets: “mainstream and kosher” and “ethnic kosher.” “Mainstream and kosher products” are those foods that are kosher-certified but have little relevance or bearing on traditional kosher food ways. These kosher-certified products are as much at home on the shelves of consumers who have no interest in kosher foods as they are on the shelves of those consumers for whom the kosher symbol is important. “Ethnic kosher foods,” on the other hand, are products that are “kosher by design”—such items as gefilte fish, matzoh, schav and borscht (both types of soup), and other traditional ethnic Jewish food products. “Ethnic kosher foods,” like other ethnic foods, are consumed by anyone interested in those specific flavor profiles and foods.

While the overall “mainstream and kosher” market (including fresh and processed foods) accounts for more than $100 billion in sales, these sales may not be indicative of the “market” for kosher foods, since the majority of consumers buy these products not because they are kosher, but for some other reason. On the other hand, sales of some “ethnic kosher foods” are so low that it is extremely difficult to track them.

As a way of highlighting the difference between the “mainstream and kosher” market and the “ethnic kosher” market, this report examines a representative sample of segments in which kosher and non-kosher products can be found in FDM and natural supermarket channels. Segments in which kosher certification is likely to be absent or extremely limited (e.g. meat snacks, meat- or seafood-based soups) are not included.

For each of the five segments analyzed in this report (cookies, chocolate confectionery, snacks, sugar confectionery, and crackers), both total dollar sales and dollar sales of the kosher component are given. Top manufacturers in each segment and their top-selling products are also itemized, and estimates of the total kosher sales of each top manufacturer are provided. The report also highlights (where possible) sales by small, “ethnic kosher” manufacturers in each segment. Even if sales figures are not available for these smaller manufacturers, their brands are discussed in as much detail as possible.

The report focuses primarily on sales through food, drug, mass merchandisers (excluding Wal-Mart), and natural food supermarkets. Detailed sales through specialty kosher supermarkets, convenience stores, and other venues in which kosher foods may be purchased (e.g. delis, specialty stores) are not given, except as topline estimates, as brand sales for these channels are not available.

This report focuses on kosher-certified foods from the following segments:

Cookies

Chocolate confectionery

Salty snacks

Sugar confectionery

Crackers

Only foods that have been kosher-certified by one of the recognized kosher certification agencies are included in the data. Foods that contain products that may be considered to be kosher, but that are not kosher-certified by one of these agencies, are not included.