Kosher Certification in India for Food Manufacturers and Exporters
Kosher certification is issued by private kosher certification agencies, not by any Indian government body. Exporters of food ingredients and products take it when overseas buyers ask for it. We organise your FSSAI, export registrations and document file, and work with the agency you choose.
What it is
Kosher means food that meets the Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut. Kosher certification is a kosher agency’s confirmation that a product, its ingredients and the way it is made meet those laws. Certified products carry the agency’s symbol, called a hechsher, on the pack. Kosher foods fall into three groups: meat, dairy and pareve (neither meat nor dairy).
There is no Indian law, government scheme or official authority for kosher certification. No single body governs it anywhere in the world; more than 1,100 agencies were operating worldwide by 2014, from large international organisations to local rabbis. Each agency sets its own standards, fees and symbols, and the symbols are the agencies’ trademarks.
In practice, the request usually arrives in an email. Picture a Faridabad spice grinder that has shipped to a Gulf importer for years. A new buyer in the United States sends a supplier form, and one line asks for a kosher certificate. That one line is where this process starts.
Who it applies to
Ingredient suppliers
Makers of spices, flavours, oils, food chemicals, guar gum and similar ingredients selling to food companies abroad, whose buyers need kosher inputs.
Packaged food exporters
Snack, confectionery, bakery, pickle and ready-to-eat brands supplying retailers or importers who ask for a kosher symbol on the pack.
Contract manufacturers
Units producing for overseas private labels, where the brand owner’s buyers specify kosher certification.
Why it matters
Buyers ask for it
When a buyer’s specification says kosher, the order depends on it. The requirement is commercial, set by the buyer, not by Indian law.
Ingredient traceability
The agency traces each ingredient back to its source. You end up with a supplier file that other buyer audits will also ask for.
Wider shelf access
Some importers and retailers stock only kosher-certified products. A symbol they recognise lets you sell to them.
Documents required
Business and licences
- FSSAI licence or registration
- Import Export Code (IEC), if you export
- GST registration and PAN
- Company, LLP or firm registration papers
Product and ingredients
- List of products to be certified
- Full ingredient list for each product, with supplier names
- Supplier specifications and any existing kosher certificates of ingredients
- Draft labels
Plant and process
- Plant address and layout
- Process flow for each product
- List of equipment and what else runs on it
- Cleaning procedures
Kosher certificate vs FSSAI licence
| Kosher certification | FSSAI licence | |
|---|---|---|
| Issued by | A private kosher agency | Food Safety and Standards Authority of India |
| Legal status | Voluntary; required by buyers, not by Indian law | Mandatory for food businesses under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 |
| What it checks | Compliance with kosher dietary law: ingredients, equipment, process | Food safety and hygiene |
| Cost | Set by the agency under its contract | Fixed government fee |
Here is the catch: kosher certification sits on top of your Indian licences, never in place of them. A unit exporting food still needs its FSSAI licence and an Import Export Code, and products on APEDA’s schedule need APEDA registration too.
How it works
Confirm what your buyer accepts
Ask the buyer which kosher agencies or symbols they recognise. This decides which agency you approach.
Send the application to your chosen agency
The application covers your company, plant and products. The agency then appoints a coordinator who handles your file.
Host the ingredient review and plant visit
The agency checks every ingredient. It also sends a rabbinic field representative (mashgiach) to see the plant, equipment and process, and processing and travel fees may apply. Say a Kundli snack unit fries in an oil bought from three suppliers: each one’s specification goes in the file.
Fix the gaps, then sign the contract
You may need to swap an ingredient or change a cleaning or production step. The agency then offers a contract setting out its requirements and fees.
Get labels approved and stay compliant
Labels with the symbol are approved before printing. Approved ingredients and products are listed in schedules, and the agency’s representative visits from time to time.
Timelines
No statutory deadline
Because kosher certification is private, there is no government timeline. Time taken depends on the agency, your number of products and how many ingredients need checking.
Before the first shipment
Plan backwards from the buyer’s first order date. Ingredient swaps and label approval both need lead time.
Ongoing, under contract
Certification continues under the agency’s contract and fee terms, with periodic inspections. Any new ingredient or product needs approval before use.
What happens if you get it wrong
Unapproved ingredients
Using an ingredient that is not on your approved schedule can put the product, or the certification itself, at risk under the agency’s contract.
Symbol misuse
Kosher symbols are the agencies’ trademarks. Printing one on a product the agency has not certified is misuse of that mark.
Lost orders
If the certificate lapses or does not cover the product shipped, the buyer can reject the consignment.
Frequently asked questions
Who issues kosher certification in India?
Private kosher certification agencies issue it; no Indian government body does. There is no Indian law or official scheme for kosher certification, and no single authority worldwide either, with more than 1,100 agencies operating by 2014. Each agency sets its own standards, fees and symbol. Ask your overseas buyer which agencies they accept before you apply, and you will not have to certify twice.
Is kosher certification mandatory for exports from India?
No, Indian law does not require it. Kosher certification is a commercial requirement that comes from your buyer. Your mandatory registrations are the usual ones: an FSSAI licence for the food business, an IEC for exporting, and APEDA registration if your products are on APEDA’s schedule. If a buyer asks for kosher, add it on top of these, and your shipment meets both legal and commercial checks.
What does pareve mean on a kosher label?
Pareve means the product contains neither meat nor dairy. Kosher foods fall into three groups: meat, dairy and pareve. The group is shown with the agency’s symbol and matters to consumers who keep meat and dairy apart. Many Indian plant-based ingredients, such as spices and oils, may qualify as pareve if the equipment and process meet the agency’s rules.
What does a kosher agency inspect?
The agency checks the ingredients, the production process and the equipment. It traces each ingredient to its source and sends a rabbinic field representative, called a mashgiach, to inspect the plant. Visits continue after certification at intervals the agency decides. Keeping supplier certificates and cleaning records organised makes each visit routine.
How much does kosher certification cost?
There is no government fee; the cost is whatever the agency charges under its contract. Agencies typically charge an annual fee based on how often they inspect and their administrative costs, and some add one-time set-up fees or processing and travel fees for the first plant visit. Fees vary between agencies and plants. Get a written quote from the agency before you commit, so the full cost is clear.
Can a plant that also handles non-kosher products get certified?
Often yes, but under the agency’s conditions. The agency reviews which equipment is shared and what else runs on it, and may require separation, cleaning steps or changes in production order. Some products may not be certifiable on shared lines. Share the full equipment list at the start, and the agency can tell you early what will work.
Is kosher certification the same as halal certification?
No. Kosher follows Jewish dietary law and halal follows Islamic dietary law, and each is issued by different bodies under different rules. In India, halal is also mostly private, though meat exports labelled halal need i-CAS Halal certification under a DGFT notification. A product can hold both if it meets both sets of rules. We can plan the paperwork for both together.
What does Taxhint do in kosher certification?
We handle the Indian registrations and the paperwork: FSSAI licence, IEC, APEDA and GST, plus the document file of products, ingredients, suppliers and process flow that the agency asks for. We coordinate with the agency you choose. Inspections and the certificate itself come from the kosher agency and its rabbis, not from us. A complete file means fewer back-and-forth queries from the agency.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
Kosher certification itself carries no government fee. The agency’s charges are set in its own contract. Government fees apply only to the Indian registrations that go with it, such as FSSAI and the IEC (₹500).
Ready to begin?
Tell us what you make and who your buyer is, and we will get your licences and kosher document file ready for the agency.