Information about alert on kosher products
2020-11-13
Detailed information about organization
Issue
13 NOVEMBER 2020 - 26 CHESHVAN 5781 We would like to take this opportunity to share the following important updates: Pricing of Kosher certification on manufactured products We understand that it can be difficult for small, start-up businesses to become Kosher certified due to the costs involved. Therefore, we are introducing two new pricing categories for micro-enterprises, where the base cost has been significantly reduced to R500 per month or R1 500 per month for the new categories respectively, depending on the number of products and inspections required. The pricing will also be dependent on the size and complexity of the individual factory. Existing customers that fall into these new pricing categories will automatically revert to the lower fee from 1 December 2020 if applicable. Also, new companies that apply for certification will now slot into one of our four categories, based on their size, complexity and other qualifying criteria. The definition of a micro-enterprise is a company that has been in operation for less than a year or has a turnover of under R1M per year and limited to between 5 and 15 products. Please see the UOS website for the pricing matrix. Kosher Care In order to facilitate improved customer service, we have introduced a Kosher Care CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system, which allows us to monitor, track and measure all queries to BD Kosher. This CRM system tracks all incoming correspondence to BD Kosher by allocating a ticket number to each enquiry. This first phase of the system will assist us in tracking the turnaround time for the many queries we receive and identify any bottlenecks in the system with the aim of improving service levels. The first phase of the new CRM system will be introduced on 16 November 2020. The next phase of the Kosher Care CRM system will be deployed in the first quarter of 2021 and will allow us to survey our customers and community members re the level of service received. The deployment of the software will assist us in ensuring a positive experience for our customers. Independent Pricing Review Mediator for manufactured products After much input and guidance, the UOS board is in the process of appointing a panel of two independent community members and one board member with legal and business experience to review any complaints from food manufacturing companies with regards to either pricing or processing of the BD Kosher certification. This review option is only open to those companies who have fully exhausted a bona fide engagement with the Kosher department and still remain unsatisfied. The independent review panel will then mediate the issues between the parties. The appointment of the panel will be announced over the next week together with the correspondence details for those wanting to engage with the panel. We will be updating you with further developments over the next few weeks. ******************************************