Kosher and halal dairy ingredients
23 February 2012 – The kosher certification for dairy supply products and the halal certification for sweetened condensed milk are the latest additions to the range of quality standards of WS Warmsener Spezialitäten. Customer specific recipes, even halal and kosher, can be developed and produced for the food industry (producers of bakery products, confectionery, delicatessen and convenience food).
“Consumer awareness and the demand for food that complies with religious traditions and laws is on the rise“ is how Renate Wortmeyer, marketing and sales manager WS Warmsener, describes the current market situation. With these certifications the company from northern Germany can provide food manufacturers with a solid starting position for developing promising market areas.
About 18 million Jews worldwide actively follow the religious laws on the preparation and consumption of food and drinks. Therefore the kosher certification in accordance with the Jewish dietary laws (Kashrut) is becoming more and more important, even for the production of dairy products.
All cream and yogurt products made by WS Warmsener Spezialitäten are certified according to kosher regulations. Lactose free supply products and dairy products based on native starch are also part of the product range available to innovative food industry customers. For the production of confectionery, bakery products, delicatessen, sauces, salads and convenience food, manufacturers can rely on customer specific intermediate products.
Wherever gelatine is part of the recipe, a substitute is used for kosher products. This procedure does not in any way affect the superior characteristics of the yogurt and cream products and the delicatessen for industrial processing.
Recipes and supply products which comply with Islamic laws are now increasingly sought after by food manufacturers who want to be successful on the international growth markets. Sweetened condensed milk with various fat content levels, even caramelised (without added caramel) is the basic ingredient for trendy confectionery and pastries. Halal certification is a recognition that the products are permissible under Islamic law and that these products are thus edible, drinkable or usable by Muslims (halal). With about 1.57 billion members, Islam is the second biggest religious community in the world, only second to Christianity.
As part of the certification procedure, the certification authority also takes a close look at the production lines and packaging. Technical alcohol, for example, as an ingredient incorporated in the multi-layer bag-in-box packaging proved to be an obstacle for the halal certification. Wortmeyer sums up the experience of the quality assurance team “The procurement of raw materials and supply products has become more of a challenge with the certifications in place.“
