United States Kosher Food Market Report
Overview
Kosher foods, although based on one of the world's oldest dietary laws, are among the fastest growing current trends in food processing. The United States (U.S.) is an epicenter for kosher foods because it is home to 40% of the world's Jewish population, roughly 5.2 million consumers. What makes the American kosher market particularly profitable is that kosher foods are increasingly attractive to the non-Jewish population, who now make up the leading and fastest-growing consumer base for kosher products. This increase in popularity has provided the U.S. kosher market with a value of US$12.5 billion in 2008. It is predicted that this value will increase to US$13 billion by 2013.
The popularity of kosher foods among non-Jewish consumers is due to both the relative availability of kosher-certified products and to the perception that kosher-certification provides an additional level of quality assurance, beyond typical government inspection. 55% of American consumers buy kosher because they believe kosher food products to be safer and healthier. Only 38% of consumers buy kosher because they want vegetarian products and 24% because they want dairy free products. This demonstrates greater diversity among the consumer market for kosher foods; thus, providing significant opportunities for Canadian companies who wish to enter the kosher market.
