Kosher designation requires multiple steps

The Washington Post reports on how a food company gets its product certified as kosher or kosher-for-Passover by the Orthodox Union:

¢ The company’s list of ingredients must be approved by the agency, which has a database of more than 200,000 ingredients already approved.

¢ The agency establishes a list of brand names and specific products that will bear the kosher or kosher-for-Passover symbols.

¢ Special instructions may be established for the use of equipment, which is necessary if the equipment is used both for kosher and nonkosher production. The instructions may require sanitizing the equipment or segregating production lines.

¢ A rabbi field representative is assigned to visit the plant to verify that the proper ingredients are being used and the special instructions are followed.