Pinoy food exporters urged to tap global kosher market

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc. (Philexport) is urging Filipino food exporters to take advantage of  the huge opportunities presented by the multibillion-dollar global kosher food market.

Joel Weinberger, president of international kosher inspector PS Kosher Food Works Inc., was quoted by Philexport as saying that  global demand for kosher-certified products is growing at an average rate of  12 to 15 percent a year to around $42.5 billion to $43.6 billion.

Philexport said tapping the global kosher market would allow local food exporters to boost their revenues and expand their businesses.

Kosher refers to the selling or serving of food ritually fit according to Jewish dietary law.

Citing a report by Mintel consumer research, Weinberger said sales of kosher foods in the US, which comprise a third of the worldwide market, reached $12.65 billion. The US  accounts for 11.5 million kosher consumers. 

Apart from the US, Weinberger said Western Europe particularly France and the United Kingdom, Israel and Russia are significant markets for kosher products.

Weinberger said Philippine food products that have huge potentials in the  global kosher market include coconut-based products such as  coconut sap vinegar, dried fruits, fruit jams and fishery products like tuna and   sardines.  

“Companies that are using it (kosher)   are growing... It is hard to get into the market if you have to introduce a product which is not yet known. But if you make the product kosher, it makes it interesting to consumers who can afford to buy a specialty product,” Weinberger said.

“The Philippines has a lot of room to grow and has a lot of opportunities (especially) because of the health benefits of its coconut-based products,” he added.

Weinberger said Jewish and even non-Jewish people consider kosher as a “health and safety validation.” Buyers also include those who are lactose-intolerant or have sensitivities to variety of ingredients.

“It is very conducive for Filipino exporters because very often, (places) where Filipino people live in the US overlap where the kosher markets are.  So you get market opportunities for example by selling in New York City which which has a lot of Filipinos and also is equally large kosher marketplace,”he said. 

To capture the lucrative market, Weinberger said exporters have to seek kosher certification which costs an average of $3,000 a year.  

“The cost to become kosher is not significant when they are looking at containers of (food) sales,” he said.