Kosherfest

Last updated
Kosherfest
Kosherfest logo.png
StatusDiscontinued
GenreExhibitions
FrequencyEvery November
Venue Meadowlands Exposition Center
Location(s) Secaucus, New Jersey
Years active1989-2022
Inaugurated1989;34 years ago (1989)
FounderMenachem Lubinsky
Attendance6,000
Area80,000 square feet (7,400 m2)
Website www.kosherfest.com

Kosherfest was an annual, two-day [1] trade fair for the kosher-certified food industry held at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. Established in 1989, it included an exhibition hall, lectures, cooking demonstrations, a culinary competition between celebrity chefs, and new product awards. Kosherfest was considered a showcase for food trends and innovations in the kosher-certified food industry. The event was closed to the public, but admitted manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, buyers, caterers, retail stores, and media personnel, including photographers and food bloggers. Kosherfest was co-produced by Lubicom Marketing and Consulting and Diversified Communications. After its 2022 fair, Kosherfest was discontinued. [2]

Contents

History

Kosherfest was conceived in 1989 by Irving Silverman, who hired Menachem Lubinsky, President and CEO of Lubicom Marketing and Consulting, to market it. [3] It was originally called the International Kosher Food and Food Service Trade Show. [4] At its inaugural event, staged at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal, [5] there were 69 exhibitors and 700 attendees. [6] By 2001, the show was attracting 500 exhibitors and 12,000 buyers from across the United States and 29 countries at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. [7] [3] In 2014, 330 exhibitors and 6,000 registered attendees participated, filling all 80,000 square feet (7,400 m2) of the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. [8]

In 2004 Diversified Communications of Portland, Maine, began co-producing the event with Lubicom. [6]

Kosherfest announced that its 2022 trade fair was its last, and it was discontinuing. [9] [10] [11]

Location

In the 1990s, Kosherfest was staged at the Meadowlands Exposition Center, but moved to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in 1998, [4] where it convened continuously from 2003 to 2007. [12] In 2008 it moved back to the Meadowlands, [13] where it was held until it was discontinued.

Attendance

Attendance at Kosherfest was restricted to manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers, buyers, caterers, retail stores, and media personnel, including photographers and food bloggers. [7] [14] The majority of participants were from the US, however exhibitors cane from diverse countries including Finland, Argentina, and Japan. [15] In 2014, a majority of attendees were Orthodox Jews. [14] Kosherfest furnishes areas for daily prayer services and stations for ritual hand-washing. [14] [8]

Kosherfest was considered a showcase for food trends and innovations in the kosher-certified food industry. [16] At the first show in 1989, exhibitors displayed traditional kosher fare such as "gefilte fish, chopped liver, stuffed cabbage and kugel". [17] Between 1992 and 1997 the number of kosher-certified food products grew from 26,000 to approximately 41,000. [4] Along with the increase came more diversified fare, indicating that kosher "isn't just for Passover, or Jews, anymore". [18] Among the products on display in 1996 were kosher-certified venison, gumbo, imitation crab, and faux caviar. [18] The 2013 exhibition included kosher-certified kielbasa, "bacon" cheeseburgers, chorizo, Cajun beef sausage, and Asian sauces. [19] Additionally, some of the food developers and vendors were not Jewish. [19]

later trends seen at Kosherfest included gluten-free foods (in 2013, gluten-free products represented nearly 20% of the foods on display), [16] [17] [20] Greek yogurt, [21] organic food, [22] vegan offerings, and dairy-free products. [20]

Exhibition hall

With the abundance of free samples handed out by exhibitors in the exhibition hall, Kosherfest had been called "the world's biggest kiddush" [5] and "a cross between a professional trade show and the buffet line at your cousin's bar mitzva". [14] Samples ran the gamut from dairy to meat to pareve, including cheeses, sausages, sauces, pastries, ice cream, wine and liquor. [1] [19] [20] [13] Non-food samples included kosher breath strips, teeth whiteners, and kosher dog food. [23] Show policy was to allow each attendee to take home one bag of free samples, and leftover food was donated to local charities. [24]

Purveyors of food-service equipment, cleaning supplies, uniforms, paper goods, label printing systems, credit-card processing systems, and food-safety training also participated, [14] [21] as did kosher certification agencies looking to sign up new clients. [18]

Prizes

Kosherfest awarded prizes for best new kosher-certified products in 17 categories. [25] These included Best in Show award, the best new dessert, the best new packaging design, the best new snack food, the best new organic product, the best new beverage, the best new food service product, [13] best new dairy product, [19] best new sweet snack, the best new mix, [26] Best new dip, spread or salsa, the best new pre-cooked packaged meat, and best new pasta, rice and grain. [8]

At the 2013 event, Empire Kosher set a Guinness World Record with their display of the world's largest chicken nugget. [27]

Other events

In addition to the exhibition hall, Kosherfest featured lectures, book signings by kosher cookbook authors, cooking demonstrations, and a culinary competition featuring celebrity chefs. [14] [28] Concurrent with the trade show, a Kosherfest social media dinner and the Kosher Food Bloggers Conference were held in off-site locations. [14] Kosherfest was widely covered by media personnel reporting on kosher food trends. [20] [29] [30]

Related Research Articles

Kashrut is a set of dietary laws dealing with the foods that Jewish people are permitted to eat and how those foods must be prepared according to Jewish law. Food that may be consumed is deemed kosher, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the term that in Sephardic or Modern Hebrew is pronounced kashér, meaning "fit".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mashgiach</span> Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment

A mashgiach or mashgicha is a Jew who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment. Mashgichim may supervise any type of food service establishment, including slaughterhouses, food manufacturers, hotels, caterers, nursing homes, restaurants, butchers, groceries, or cooperatives. Mashgichim usually work as on-site supervisors and inspectors, representing a kosher certification agency or a local rabbi, who actually makes the policy decisions for what is or is not acceptably kosher. Sometimes certifying rabbis act as their own mashgichim; such is the case in many small communities.

Kosher foods are foods that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut. The laws of kashrut apply to food derived from living creatures and kosher foods are restricted to certain types of mammals, birds and fish meeting specific criteria; the flesh of any animals that do not meet these criteria is forbidden by the dietary laws. Furthermore, kosher mammals and birds must be slaughtered according to a process known as shechita and their blood may never be consumed and must be removed from the meat by a process of salting and soaking in water for the meat to be permissible for use. All plant-based products, including fruits, vegetables, grains, herbs and spices, are intrinsically kosher, although certain produce grown in the Land of Israel is subjected to other requirements, such as tithing, before it may be consumed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Specialty Food Association</span>

The Specialty Food Association, Inc. (SFA) is membership-based trade association in the United States representing 3,000+ member companies. The SFA was established in 1952 to foster trade, commerce and interest in the specialty food industry in the U.S., worth $148 billion as of May 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosher style</span>

Kosher style refers to foods commonly associated with Jewish cuisine but which may or may not actually be kosher. It is a stylistic designation rather than one based on the laws of kashrut. Generally, kosher-style food does not include meat from forbidden animals, such as pigs and shellfish, and does not contain both meat and milk in the same dish; however if such dish includes meat, it might not be kosher slaughtered. In some U.S. states, the use of this term in advertising is illegal as a misleading term under consumer protection laws.

The Islamic dietary laws (halal) and the Jewish dietary laws are both quite detailed, and contain both points of similarity and discord. Both are the dietary laws and described in distinct religious texts: an explanation of the Islamic code of law found in the Quran and Sunnah and the Jewish code of laws found in the Torah, Talmud and Shulchan Aruch.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Triangle K</span> Kosher certification agency

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kashruth Council of Canada</span>

Kashruth Council of Canada, is a kosher certification agency in Canada. It is best known for its kosher supervision service, with the COR symbol found on the labels of many commercial and consumer food products. The council serves 1,000 facilities that provide 70,000 products to Canadian consumers. As of September 2014, COR employs 70 full-time and part-time mashgichim who work in local food service and catering venues, plus approximately 30 mashgichim worldwide who supervise COR-certified manufacturing plants. COR supervises food at event venues such as the Rogers Centre, the Air Canada Centre and the Toronto Zoo. In total, COR certifies 53 restaurants in Toronto. COR, in conjunction with Liaison Culinary College, has a college accredited training program for its mashgichim.

Diversified Communications is a multimedia company, headquartered in Portland, Maine. The company provides market access, education and information through global, national and regional face-to-face events, digital products and publications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kosher restaurant</span> Restaurant serving food permissible in Jewish dietary law

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References

  1. 1 2 Heilman, Uriel (18 November 2014). "At Kosherfest, a mad dash to sample the 'facon'". Jewish Telegraphic Agency . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  2. ↑ "Kosherfest No More: Popular Food Show Says It is Discontinuing | Matzav.com". Matzav.com. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  3. 1 2 Sofer, Racheli. "Phyllis Koegel Keeps Corporate America Kosher". Ami , November 11, 2015, pp. 86-87.
  4. 1 2 3 Hesser, Amanda (3 December 1997). "Grappa to Scones, Kosher Diversifies". The New York Times. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  5. 1 2 Koegel, Phyllis (7 November 2013). "Kosherfest, Still Amazing 25 Years Later". Orthodox Union . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  6. 1 2 "Diversified Celebrates Kosherfest's 25th Anniversary". Diversified Business Communications. 2015. Archived from the original on 7 October 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  7. 1 2 Stein, Sima (30 November 2001). "Who needs pareve when Kosherfest is bigger than ever?". Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 Chernikoff, Helen (11 November 2014). "More International Exhibitors Than Ever Hit Kosher's Big Tradeshow". The Jewish Week . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  9. ↑ "END OF AN ERA: Massive Kosherfest Food Fair and Exhibition Shutting Down for Good". The Yeshiva World. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Julian, Hana Levi (31 May 2023). "KosherFest Kosher Food Trade Show Shuts Down Permanently". The Jewish Press. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  11. ↑ "After 33 Years, Kosherfest Trade Show to Cease Exhibition". jewishlink.news. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  12. ↑ "Kosherfest: America's Largest Kosher Trade Show Underway". Yeshiva World News. 12 November 2008. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  13. 1 2 3 Brickman-Levin, Rachael (3 December 2008). "Kosherfest 2008 is Heaven on Earth for Foodies". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Spiro, Amy (13 November 2014). "From carrot cake macaroons to white truffle pâté". The Jerusalem Post . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  15. ↑ "Kosherfest 2016 Exhibitor List" . Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  16. 1 2 Margelovich, Liora (23 November 2014). "'Kosher, For Sure'-Ke$ha". QC Voices. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  17. 1 2 "Kosherfest Celebrates 25 Years". NewHope360.com. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 18 April 2016. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
  18. 1 2 3 Bruni, Frank (15 November 1996). "Foods Exert a Growing Appeal That Isn't Just for Jews". The New York Times . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  19. 1 2 3 4 Kaminer, Michael (17 March 2013). "More and More Creative Chefs and Entrepreneurs are Expanding the Range and Quality of Kosher Foods". New York Daily News . Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Schoenfein, Liza (13 November 2014). "Food Trends Abound at Kosherfest". The Forward. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  21. 1 2 "Secaucus, NJ – Back And Better Than Ever: Kosherfest 2014". Vosizneias . 12 November 2014. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  22. ↑ Ginsberg, Johanna (15 November 2007). "Organic Rules at Kosherfest '97". New Jersey Jewish News.
  23. ↑ Goodman, Matthew (14 November 2003). "THE FOOD MAVEN; Tasty Treats Few and Far Between at Kosherfest" . The Forward . Retrieved 6 October 2015.[ dead link ]
  24. ↑ Ross, Tova (14 November 2014). "Sampling the Latest Trends in Kosher Food". Tablet . Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  25. ↑ Berkowitz, Esti (7 October 2009). "500 Newly Kosher Certified Foods To Be Introduced At The 21st Annual Kosher Food, Beverage, Wine & Spirits Trade Show – Kosherfest 2009". Prime Time Parenting. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  26. ↑ Matten, Sharon (3 December 2014). "Kosherfest: Delights With That Special K". The Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  27. ↑ "Photos: World's largest chicken nugget on display in Secaucus". The Jersey Journal. 29 October 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  28. ↑ "Mazal Tov". The Jewish Voice and Opinion. 25 (3): 39. December 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  29. ↑ Weiss, Alfred (8 April 2004). "Abundance of Italian Food at Kosherfest Trade Show" . The Italian Voice. Retrieved 6 October 2015.[ dead link ]
  30. ↑ Hofman, Ethel (27 November 2002). "The Jewish Kitchen: A Kosher Product Kosherfest; Round-up" . The Jewish Exponent. Retrieved 6 October 2015.[ dead link ]
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