Cost of keeping kosher forces people to vegetarianism

Keeping kosher in South Africa is becoming increasingly expensive, putting pressure on households that want to maintain Jewish dietary laws. In some cases, to manage financially, people have opted to eat less or no meat. 

From meat and cheese to imported products, the price difference between kosher and non-kosher food has grown sharply in recent years, raising questions about accessibility. 

Though South Africa’s Jewish community remains committed to kosher observance, many households are feeling the strain of rising food prices and a weakening rand. Kosher certification, limited suppliers, and import restrictions have all contributed to higher costs, particularly for meat and dairy. 

Johannesburg businessman Ivor Blumenthal posted on Facebook on 14 September asking if he was the only one who felt like keeping kosher had become almost impossible to afford. 

“What started as a noble commitment to observance now feels like it’s propping up entire industries,” Blumenthal said. 

He was inspired to make the post because he had seen many young families in Johannesburg contemplate not keeping kosher as they simply couldn’t afford to put food on the table. 

Blumenthal showed in a comparison photo non-kosher chicken at Pick n Pay retailing at R64.99 per kilo, whereas a kosher chicken is 150% more expensive, at R164.99. 

A Johannesburg Jewish mom told the SA Jewish Report that she was choosing to go partially vegan rather than stop being kosher. Asking not to be identified, she said that she had kept kosher since she was a child, and wanted to keep a kosher home into adulthood. 

“I’m finding it hard to have decent, healthy meals nightly and for school as the cost of chicken and meat is outrageous,” she said. “If I went non-kosher, I could feed my family for the full week on the same budget with protein options nightly. Currently we have two nights of protein, excluding Shabbat, and the rest we opt for vegan or Italian style meals, but my family really don’t enjoy the vegan options”. 

Rabbi Dovi Goldstein, the managing director of Kosher SA, the kashrut department of the Union of Orthodox Synagogues of South Africa, says, “Companies put a price on their products based on their costs and what they believe they are worth. Ultimately, the market controls it. If it’s expensive, people don’t buy it or they’ll shop elsewhere.” 

Goldstein said that from a food-service perspective, as in restaurants, cafés and bakeries, mashgiach fees, staff, and insurance all factor in setting the price of food items. 

“In industrial kosher, which is the vast majority of those 65 000 products on the shelf, there is no mashgiach present. So the cost of kosher, I would say, is pretty much negligible or makes absolutely no difference to the ultimate price,” he said. 

“I would never want to be non-kosher in my home,” said Blumenthal, “My children have been brought up in that way. They are proud, religious, Zionist Jews. And I thank G-d every day for the fact that I’ve managed to do that for my family. But I interact with people who just don’t have that benefit.” 

Said the anonymous Johannesburg mom, “I listen to friends and community members, and more and more are feeling the pinch. School fees have once again risen, so has medical aid, and these are two things people prioritise as they have no choice. It’s sad that schooling, medical, and other costs like electricity and taxes are putting families in a position where they need to choose between keeping kosher or having food on their table. 

“More and more people in the community are choosing non-kosher or vegan options to survive,” she said. 

However, as many contemplate going vegetarian to keep kosher, Goldstein emphasised its importance, saying that it was “one of the basics of our faith, a basic law, a basic halacha. It’s something that we’ve adhered to over three and a half thousand years. Like Shabbat and our festivals, Kashrut is an absolute cornerstone of our religion. It’s almost an unbreakable part of our faith.” 

This is part of the reason why the Beth Din is constantly monitoring the companies it works with and to ensure that their kosher certification is accurate for the type of product. 

For example, the Ina Paarman vanilla cake mix changed its formula so it was considered dairy and no longer parev, he said. 

Companies are constantly reformulating products. It could be due to new legislation, or suppliers not being available anymore, meaning that ingredients aren’t available. It could also just be to make it a better product,” said Goldstein. 

He said a few years ago, Jelly Tots stopped being kosher for about 18 months as Beacon wanted to put in more real grape juice so that Jelly Tots would have a fruitier flavour. Goldstein went to find a certified kosher grape juice supplier, and it became kosher again.