The world is becoming increasingly focused on health and wellness, exploring ways to improve dietary behaviors and adopt more health-conscious attitudes. The recent spikes in kosher food sales that may generate a market worth 26.21 billion by 2028 indicate people’s increased awareness of their well-being, creating demand for more diversified and healthier options on supermarket shelves.
There’s a rising need for products with more nutritional value and use high-quality ingredients. Companies that can meet this demand will take a bigger slice of the market, establishing their dominancy as leaders on the kosher scene.
What was once exclusively linked with the Jewish culture as kosher has been kept by Jews for thousands of years and is now gaining traction in more and more settings. You can now experience some fine kosher dining in a restaurant known for delivering quality services and delicious meals, try different meal recipes from the myriad available on the internet at home, and experiment with ingredients according to your liking – as long as you don’t mix dairy and meat.
From the travel to hospitability industry, more companies and businesses are including kosher-certified foods in their offerings to cater to and retain a broader customer base. But what is driving the success of kosher-certified foods? Are they as healthy and tasty as it’s generally perceived?
Kosher diets help health-conscious individuals stay away from some unhealthy foods
While kosher foods are a staple of the Jewish diet, Jews aren’t the only ones enjoying these goods. More and more people are starting to implement kosher rules and ingredients in their daily dietary plans or turning to restaurants that offer a variety of healthy and tasty kosher meals with quality ingredients in favor of the cheese-stacked burrito. Individuals are growing increasingly aware of the importance and need to adopt a more health-centric lifestyle and make better decisions in this regard. Establishments that meet this pressing demand have decoded the secret key to business prosperity and success. Indeed, the definition of unhealthy foods differs from individual to individual, with some being more tolerant while others are stricter when eliminating harmful products from their diets. But for many reasons, including the following, kosher products are a go-to for health-conscious customers seeking to improve their dietary habits, despite the higher price point that often comes with them.
- Customers seek the comfort of knowing that their bought products undergo many inspections and use quality processes before arriving on their plates. For instance, kosher meat and poultry undergo a salting process that removes any blood strain from the product and destroys bacteria like salmonella. Kosher products undergo several inspections and follow strict rules to ensure kosher laws are respected, dairy foods and meats aren’t combined, product labels are accurate, and the list can go on.
- Kosher diets don’t restrict many foods, allowing almost every grain, fruit, and vegetable, making it easy to create a healthy diet. However, several ingredients may not work for some people. For instance, kosher foods have a lot of sodium, meaning those sensitive to this ingredient should keep those products at bay.
Indeed, just like any other regime, kosher diets can deliver several health benefits if approached correctly and by following the users’ lifestyle and health sensitivities. If you want to follow this widespread diet, make sure you’re creating meals that provide the nutritious elements your body needs to function well. Kosher diets can be just as healthy as you make them out to be.
The growing prevalence of gluten allergies or intolerances drives kosher food sales up
Kosher diets bring several health benefits that are hard to overlook, being especially beneficial for individuals with food sensitivities like allergies and intolerances. Gluten sensitivity is an increasingly common condition drawing a lot of attention from the public and scientists, with studies showing that between 0.5% and 6% of the world’s population may suffer from it. People sensitive to gluten may have symptoms after eating grains that contain gluten but don’t have a wheat allergy or celiac disease. Even though scientists are yet to fully understand how gluten sensitivity works, and there is more progress to be made until the best remedy is found, there seems to be a good alternative for those who want to prevent the related symptoms felt from suffering from this condition.
Kosher foods are very well supported by people with gluten and dairy intolerances, as well as celiac disease, preventing unpleasant symptoms from appearing. Plus, more consumers put kosher packaged foods in shopping carts, driving market growth in this sector. Consumers favor organic products and transparent labels more than ever. Now, you can find kosher food products in all kinds of manufactured goods like gushers, wraps, and crackers, or confectionery or bakery products like muffins and pies.
The booming propensity for ethical sourcing is driving the market growth for kosher cuisine
Sustainably, ethically, and locally sourced ingredients have been front and center for brands and consumers, focusing more on health and wellness and less on the price of the products or personal efforts to grow them. 85% of people worldwide have welcomed sustainability in their purchasing behavior in the last period, whether by increasing their ingredients at home, buying sustainably-produced take-outs or pre-made meals, or visiting restaurants and eateries that place this element at the forefront of their ambitions. Additionally, there’s a growing demand for allergen-free products, which have already created a great customer base. Tree nuts, soy, wheat, dairy, and more on the list of allergens lack increasingly more products designed for individuals with allergies.
The list of rules for eating Kosher is extensive. Yet, consumers are comfortable with the existing strict laws.
Usually, the rules of Kosher diets come down to the following:
- Meat and dairy can’t be mixed or consumed together. A few hours must pass between the meals, usually three to six hours, but ultimately depending on the individual’s choice.
- Poultry and beef can only be consumed when a trained slaughterer handles the slaughter.
- Blood is removed from the meat by using salt.
- No pork or shellfish are allowed.