Kosher certification (OU and others)
Kosher certification (OU and others)
A certifying agency attests that the product is kosher, often with a letter alongside for the category.
What it looks like
A letter U inside a circle for the Orthodox Union, a K inside a star, a K inside a circle, or one of dozens of other agency marks.
What it means
Certification is agency-specific rather than universal — OU, OK, Star-K, KOF-K and many regional bodies each own their own mark, and the suffixes carry the detail: D for dairy, DE for equipment that also processes dairy, P for kosher for Passover, and Pareve for neither meat nor dairy. The important exception is a plain letter K on its own, which no one owns and which any manufacturer may print without oversight, so it is not evidence of certification by anybody.
Defined by Private certification agencies. Where a symbol differs between standards, the difference is described above rather than resolved — both versions are in circulation on real labels.
Other certification marks symbols
| Symbol | Means |
|---|---|
| Energy Star | The product meets US Environmental Protection Agency efficiency criteria for its category. |
| Fairtrade Mark | The certified ingredients were bought on Fairtrade terms, including a minimum price and a premium paid to the producer organisation. |
| OEKO-TEX Standard 100 | Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed. |
| Woolmark | The product is made from pure new wool and meets the Woolmark performance specifications. |
| NSF certification | Tested and certified by NSF against a public health or food equipment standard. |
| BSI Kitemark | BSI has tested the product and audits the factory that makes it. |
| GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit) | Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance. |
| Halal certification | A certifying body attests that the product complies with Islamic dietary rules. |
| USDA Organic seal | At least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic under the US National Organic Program. |
| EU organic leaf | At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules. |
| Crossed grain (certified gluten free) | Independently certified to contain no more than 20 parts per million of gluten. |
| Vegan Society sunflower | Registered with the Vegan Society: no animal ingredients and no animal testing at any stage. |
| Leaping Bunny | Certified cruelty free: no animal testing by the company, its suppliers or third parties after a fixed cut-off date. |
Common questions
- What does the kosher certification (ou and others) symbol mean?
- A certifying agency attests that the product is kosher, often with a letter alongside for the category.
- What does it look like?
- A letter U inside a circle for the Orthodox Union, a K inside a star, a K inside a circle, or one of dozens of other agency marks.
Related pages
- Halal certification A certifying body attests that the product complies with Islamic dietary rules.
- Vegetarian mark (India) In India, the product contains no animal-derived ingredient.
- Energy Star The product meets US Environmental Protection Agency efficiency criteria for its category.
- Fairtrade Mark The certified ingredients were bought on Fairtrade terms, including a minimum price and a premium paid to the producer organisation.
- OEKO-TEX Standard 100 Every component of the textile was tested for harmful substances and passed.
- Woolmark The product is made from pure new wool and meets the Woolmark performance specifications.
- NSF certification Tested and certified by NSF against a public health or food equipment standard.
- BSI Kitemark BSI has tested the product and audits the factory that makes it.
- GS mark (Geprüfte Sicherheit) Tested safety — a German voluntary mark requiring independent testing and factory surveillance.
- Halal certification A certifying body attests that the product complies with Islamic dietary rules.
- USDA Organic seal At least 95% of the ingredients are certified organic under the US National Organic Program.
- EU organic leaf At least 95% of the agricultural ingredients are organic under EU rules.
Sources
- Official vendor product documentation — At One Place