OK Kosher Certification is one of the more prominent agencies granting kosher certification for food products.
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Early history
In 1935, Abraham Goldstein founded Organized Kashrut Laboratories (OK Labs) to meet the American Jewish community's need for Kosher food products. In 1968, Rabbi Bernard Levy purchased OK Labs. He was already involved in kosher certification several years prior to the purchase. At the time, it was certifying a relatively small number of companies, but under his leadership, the organization began to grow, certifying companies internationally. Rabbi Levy instituted several improvements in the methods employed by kosher certifying agencies to verify the nature of products. Until then, many ingredients of products were assumed to be kosher, without visiting the company of each one. His policy was to travel to each company to see how the production was done first-hand. This led him to further investigate other companies, as many ingredients were composed of other sub-ingredients. As the organization grew, and the workload increased, Rabbi Levy's son, Rabbi Don Yoel Levy, joined the OK to help expand the organization.
Today
After the death of Rabbi Bernard Levy in 1987, his son Rabbi Don Yoel Levy assumed leadership of the organization. With more than 10 million consumers seeking kosher products in the United States alone, the kosher food industry has seen rapid growth in the past two decades, with sales reaching $165 billion in 2002 1. Today the OK Certifies over 140,000 products, produced by over 1500 companies worldwide, including food giants such as Kraft, Snapple, and ConAgra. It employs over 350 Rabbis worldwide 2. Besides giving Kosher Certification, the OK actively promotes education and observance of kosher laws and attitudes. Its headquarters are in Brooklyn, New York, with offices in Europe and Israel. The OK is also an active sponsor of the Jewish Children's Museum.
