From farm to home: How leading dairy producers prepare for Passover

Kosher manufacturers use technology, expert planners to provide high quality Passover foods

Some have preparing for Passover down to a science as a means to stay organized despite all the stress amid locating and buying food that is kosher for Passover, cleaning the home, preparing for Seders and keeping the celebrations up for eight days. It’s no easy feat.

For food manufacturers, the science of Passover preparation means tremendous logistical work. At Tnuva, the world’s largest kosher food manufacturer, the ancient and complex laws of kashrut meet the most modernized food production techniques unlike at any other place. The company delivers top-notch dairy products that meet a high standard of quality and freshness in Israel and North America.

“The whole process starts immediately after Passover, for the next Passover,” says Rabbi Yaakov Borow, manager of Tnuva’s ingredient kashrut approval department. “Passover is basically always on the mind of Tnuva’s development, marketing and kashrut teams. A committee of representatives from nearly every department sits to discuss all the issues and prepare throughout the year,” Borow explains.

Scrupulous preparations

When it comes to planning, there are three major components. First, Tnuva needs to order and coordinate the needed products such as cultures, enzymes and stabilizers. This includes analyzing products to determine which elements may need altering for Passover. Second, all milk requires filtering to ensure that there is no trace hametz from the farm. Finally, production lines need to be thoroughly cleaned and “kosherized.”

“For every Tnuva product, we come out with a Passover version,” explains Borow. “Many products are virtually acceptable for Passover all year while other products require altering the stabilizers or other ingredients used. We work with Tnuva’s technologists to change product recipes accordingly so that they meet high quality assurance and kashrut standards.”

The whole development requires extreme attention to quality and details as well as meticulous coordination with suppliers, manufacturers, kashrut authorities and marketers. The actual ordering of materials and preliminary production can begin as early as October and is complete by January, Borow says. Certain products for Passover already are made by January, especially in the case of those requiring a longer aging process.

The milk way

All year, pure milk, unlike its derivative products, is automatically considered kosher for Passover, says Borow. But as Passover approaches and manufacturers are preparing the holiday lines, filtering is checked to ensure that any remnants of hametz from the farm are not detected in the milk, which if present would cause milk to be prohibited for consumption on Passover. A computerized system verifies that properly filtered fresh milk is received at the dairies and indicates whether it is acceptable for Passover before it even leaves the farm. The kosher-for-Passover milk is funneled to the Passover production lines at the plant, with a mashgiach (kosher inspector) supervising the whole process.

At the plant

The computerized system not only ensures that milk is hametz-free but it also is the quality control indicator for freshness. With decades of experience, Tnuva has engineered remarkable and advanced methods to uphold quality, freshness and taste standards. The dairy production plants are designed with detailed structures and methods to make milk for consumption or for an array of cheeses, yogurts, puddings and other milk byproducts.

Everything at each Tnuva production facility is streamlined using technology. Production lines are “kosherized” in shifts in order to produce favorite dairy products in a timely and organized way. For Passover products, production lines that make cheeses are cleaned scrupulously and examined to guarantee that no non-Passover particles remain. However, for products made using high temperatures, the “kosherizing” is a more exhaustive process that includes detailed cleaning and using heat to make the line kosher. A logistics team consults with kashrut authorities to assure this is done properly.

For the consumers

The kosher symbols and the “Kosher-for-Passover” identification make it official and tell the public that they can trust the product for consumption during the holiday. In North America, Tnuva products bear the Orthodox Union’s Kosher for Passover certification and authorization for consumption on Passover from the Vaad Mehadrin, a strict hashgacha that represents a diverse group of rabbis from various factions of Orthodox communities. The Vaad Mehadrin works closely with Tnuva on all kashrut issues to ensure that a high standard of kashrut is met.

The extensive process to make cheese kosher for Passover is in honor of giving consumers fresh, tasty and kosher options for Passover. “Passover production improves every year based on solving the problems of the previous year and repeating the successes of prior years,” Borow says. “It takes lots of attention to detail and commitment to quality and the customers’ needs.”

This is especially true because the Jewish holidays are an important time for families to celebrate together, and Passover, like nearly all holidays, is concentrated on food and traditions.

“During the Jewish holidays, we experience an increase in sales, particularly from consumers who do not observe a kosher diet on a daily basis, but look for kosher items for major holidays, like Passover,” says Yoram Behiri, president and CEO of Tnuva USA. Typically, Tnuva sees a major increase in sales during Passover.

“During Passover, our core consumers eat matzah, and they look for the perfect matzah companion – such as Tnuva’s Cheese Spreads and Tnuva’s Quark Creamy Soft Cheese,” Behiri says. “These are easy to spread onto matzah without it breaking and provide a great taste for adults and children alike. Tnuva’s Light Edam and Swiss pre-sliced cheeses are excellent for those looking to balance their diet during Passover.” 

Fresh and tasty from the Land of Milk and Honey, you can find Tnuva’s kosher-for-Passover products at local kosher specialty shops, major chain grocery stores and select Costco branches across North America.

DANIELA BERKOWITZ is a native Floridian who now resides in Israel. She enjoys cooking, traveling in Israel and writing about Jewish issues.