What Is OU Kosher and What Does the Orthodox Union Do?

OU Kosher is the kosher certification division of the Orthodox Union, a U.S.-based organization that has supervised kosher production since 1923. It certifies food and other products as kosher, meaning they meet Jewish dietary law, and it serves three audiences: companies seeking certification, consumers checking whether a product is kosher, and the broader food industry. If you are a manufacturer exploring certification, a consumer verifying a symbol, or a buyer researching kosher supply, OU Kosher is the body behind the familiar "OU" mark.

What OU Kosher actually does

The Orthodox Union describes itself as holding "the most trusted kosher certification in the United States," and its certification work is the core of what the site presents. Two functions matter most:

• Certifying companies. Food producers apply to have their products and facilities supervised so they can carry an OU kosher symbol. The site states it has certified over 1.3 million products globally since 1923.
• Informing consumers. OU Kosher maintains searchable lists and resources so shoppers can confirm whether a specific product or category is kosher.

The organization also publishes educational material on kosher law and practice, including a glossary of kosher terms, an explanation of kosher symbols, and guidance on topics like checking fruits and vegetables.

Who the site is built for

The homepage organizes its content around three groups, and knowing which one you are tells you where to go:

For companies: getting certified

If you produce food and want OU certification, the site frames this as a defined process rather than a one-step application. The relevant pages are Get Certified, Steps to Certification, and How does OU Supervision Work?, which together explain what supervision involves. The site lists a dedicated applications and new certification contact line at +1 (212) 613-8372, and a "Company Login" for existing certified companies to manage their accounts.

A practical note: the site does not publish pricing for certification on the pages shown, so cost is something you would need to raise directly with the certification office rather than assume from the website.

For consumers: checking a product

Consumers have several tools on the site:

• Product Search — look up whether a specific item is OU-certified.
• Kosher Alerts — notices about certification changes or issues, useful if you rely on a product being kosher.
• Specialized lists — including a Beer List, Cheese List, Pas Yisroel List, Yoshon Search, and a Kosher for Passover Product Search, each covering a category with its own rules.
• Consumer Hotline — listed as +1 (212) 613-8241 x3 for questions.

The site also notes that most Americans eat some kosher-certified food daily without realizing it, and that certification appears on over 60% of America's produced foods that are certified kosher — from Oreo to Coca-Cola. That context explains why the consumer tools exist: the symbol is widespread, and verifying it is a routine need.

The scale behind the symbol

Two figures from the site are worth keeping in mind when judging how much weight the OU mark carries:

• Over 1.3 million products certified globally since 1923.
• Over $150 billion of kosher-certified products consumed annually, with spending described as continuing to rise.

These numbers reflect the organization's reach rather than any quality claim about individual products — the OU mark indicates kosher status, not nutrition or taste.

What the site does not tell you

A few things are absent from the material shown, so treat them as open questions rather than assumptions:

• Certification fees are not listed.
• Timelines for completing certification are not stated on the pages referenced.
• Eligibility details for specific product types would come from the application process itself.

For any of these, the certification office phone number and the "Get Certified" application are the direct routes.

Bottom line

OU Kosher is the Orthodox Union's kosher certification arm, operating since 1923 and covering over 1.3 million products. Companies come to it to obtain or manage certification; consumers come to it to verify products and read alerts. If you need to confirm a product is kosher, start with Product Search or the Consumer Hotline. If you want your product certified, start with "Get Certified" and call the certification office, since pricing and timelines are not published on the site.