Kosher Certification Symbols Guide
הכשרים
A hechsher (הכשר) is a rabbinical certification mark on food packaging showing that the product was produced under ongoing kosher supervision. This guide explains the most common hechshers you'll see in the US, Canada, Israel, and the UK — what each symbol means, who stands behind it, and how to read the suffixes (D, M, DE, P, Pareve).
How to Read a Hechsher
- Plain symbol = pareve (neither meat nor dairy)
- D or Dairy = contains dairy ingredients
- DE = pareve product, produced on dairy equipment
- M or Meat / Glatt = contains meat
- Fish = contains fish (fish and meat are not eaten together)
- P or Passover = certified Kosher for Passover
- Mehadrin = higher standard of kashrut supervision
Common Hechshers Explained
OU (Ⓤ) — Orthodox Union
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America · New York, USA
The world's largest kosher certifier — over 1 million products from 10,000+ plants in 100+ countries.
OU-D = dairy, OU-M = meat, OU-Fish = fish, OU-P = Pesach (kosher for Passover), plain OU = pareve.
Visit certifier →OK — OK Kosher Certification
OK Kosher (Lubavitch-affiliated) · Brooklyn, NY
Global certifier of tens of thousands of products; strong presence in food-service and industrial ingredients.
OK-D = dairy, OK-DE = dairy equipment (pareve but on dairy equipment), OK-P = Pesach.
Visit certifier →Kof-K (ⓀK) — Kof-K Kosher Supervision
Kof-K · Teaneck, NJ
Certifies thousands of products worldwide, especially strong in ingredients, flavors and industrial food.
Kof-K D, DE, M, P designations follow the same convention as OU.
Visit certifier →Star-K (★K) — Star-K Kosher Certification
Star-K (Baltimore) · Baltimore, MD
Widely accepted; leader in appliance kosher-mode certifications (ovens, dishwashers, Shabbat mode).
Star-D = dairy under Star-K supervision. Publishes seasonal Passover lists.
Visit certifier →CRC — cRc — Chicago Rabbinical Council
Chicago Rabbinical Council · Chicago, IL
Major American certifier; publishes highly regarded consumer alerts and the annual Pesach guide.
Also maintains lists of recommended fish, cheeses, and beverage brands.
Visit certifier →MK — MK — Montreal Kosher
Vaad Ha'ir of Montreal · Montreal, Canada
Canada's leading certifier; highly respected worldwide.
MK-D, MK-M, MK-P.
Visit certifier →COR — COR — Kashruth Council of Canada
Kashruth Council of Canada · Toronto, Canada
Largest Canadian certifier; oversees restaurants, caterers, and manufacturers across North America.
COR followed by a plant number identifies the certified facility.
Visit certifier →Rabbanut (רבנות) — Chief Rabbinate of Israel
הרבנות הראשית לישראל
Rabbanut HaRashit L'Yisrael · Israel
Baseline national certification in Israel — required for any establishment calling itself 'kosher.'
'Rabbanut Mehadrin' is a higher standard including stricter shechita, bug-checking, and Shemitta practices.
Visit certifier →Badatz Eda Chareidis — Badatz Eidah HaChareidis of Jerusalem
בד״ץ העדה החרדית
Eidah HaChareidis · Jerusalem
Among the most stringent (mehadrin min hamehadrin) hashgachot in the world.
Accepted by virtually all chareidi and many mainstream Orthodox consumers.
Badatz Beit Yosef — Badatz Beit Yosef
בד״ץ בית יוסף
Beit Yosef (Sephardic) · Israel
Sephardic mehadrin standard following the rulings of Maran R' Ovadia Yosef zt"l.
Preferred by many Sephardic communities, especially for meat.
Chug Chatam Sofer — Badatz Chug Chatam Sofer
בד״ץ חוג חתם סופר
Chug Chatam Sofer (Bnei Brak) · Bnei Brak, Israel
High-mehadrin certification widely accepted in the chareidi world.
Common on dairy, baked goods, and produce.
KLBD — Kosher London Beth Din
London Beth Din Kashrut Division · London, UK
Primary UK certifier; recognized internationally.
Publishes the KLBD Really Jewish Food Guide of accepted UK products.
Visit certifier →KF — Kashrus Federation (Manchester Beth Din)
Manchester Beth Din · Manchester, UK
Regional UK certifier, respected across Europe.
Triangle-K (△K) — Triangle K
Rabbi Ralbag family · New York, USA
Longstanding certifier — accepted by many but considered non-mehadrin by some communities.
Consult your rabbi before relying on this hechsher for meat.
K (plain letter K) — Generic 'K'
No single agency — 'K' cannot be trademarked · Various
A plain 'K' by itself does NOT identify the certifier and is not, by itself, a reliable hechsher.
Always check the packaging for the certifying agency's name (e.g., 'Kosher supervised by…').
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is a hechsher?
- A hechsher (הכשר) is a kosher certification symbol placed on food packaging by a recognized rabbinical agency (a hashgacha). It certifies that the product was produced under ongoing rabbinical supervision in accordance with Jewish dietary law (kashrut).
- What do the letters D, M, DE, P, and Pareve mean next to a hechsher?
- D = Dairy. M or Meat = Meat. DE = Dairy Equipment (the product itself is pareve but was made on dairy equipment). P = Kosher for Passover (Pesach). Pareve or Parve = neither meat nor dairy. Fish is usually marked Fish or F.
- Is a plain letter 'K' a reliable kosher symbol?
- Not by itself. The letter K cannot be trademarked in the US, so any company can print it. Check the packaging or the company's website to identify which agency stands behind that K before relying on it.
- Which hechshers are considered 'mehadrin'?
- Mehadrin certifications are those meeting higher standards — often including chalav Yisrael, pas Yisrael, bishul Yisrael, additional bug-checking, and stricter shechita. Widely accepted mehadrin hechshers include Badatz Eidah HaChareidis, Badatz Beit Yosef, Chug Chatam Sofer, Rabbanut Mehadrin, and (in the US) OU, OK, Kof-K, Star-K and cRc under mehadrin production.
- How do I find a certifying agency I don't recognize?
- Search the symbol on kashrus.org or your local Vaad HaKashrus website, or ask your local Orthodox rabbi. Reputable certifiers list all their products publicly on their websites.
- Are restaurants required to display a hechsher?
- A kosher restaurant should display a valid teudah (certificate) from a recognized mashgiach or agency, dated and current. If a certificate is expired, missing, or from an unfamiliar source, ask your rabbi before eating there.