Supersmile is one of the first toothpaste and teeth whitening companies to receive the Orthodox Union Kosher Certification and symbol. Our Kosher toothpaste and other Kosher products are 100% Kosher-certified.
Since its launch, Supersmile has held the OU (Orthodox Union) Kosher seal of approval; respected as “the world’s best Kosher trademark.” The term Kosher is derived from the Hebrew term Kasher, and is defined as “proper, legitimate, or pure.” It applies to Jewish dietary laws and is separated into 3 categories: meat, dairy and pareve (meaning food that is neither dairy nor meat).
Mixing meat and dairy (eating one after the other or with each other in the same meal) in considered Treyf (non-Kosher, or unfit for consumption) while eating vegetables or pareve foods with either meat or dairy can be Kosher, so long as all of the ingredients consumed are Kosher-certified.
These days, monitoring and tracking food and other products, particularly meat and animal byproducts containing preservatives, is a strenuous task. There are countless steps involved. Thus, Rabbis are in charge of testing foods to ensure they adhere to Kosher standards—for example, whether or not the product is processed on Kosher equipment, if meat/animal products are clean or unclean and so forth.
There are over 600 Rabbinic coordinators in the OU staff, certifying over 500,000 Kosher products all over the world. Tracking information on products regarding ingredients and production activities, the OU maintains the highest Kosher standards for its certified brands.
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So what makes Supersmile teeth-whitening products earn our Kosher label?Unlike most other toothpaste and teeth-whitening brands, Supersmile products do not contain glycerin—an animal byproduct made out of fat from certain meat (such a beef or pork, for instance). In general, non-Kosher toothpaste ingredients include about 1/3 parts glycerin of their overall chemical make-up. Dr. Smigel states: “Those who are forbidden to eat pork or certain kinds of meats should beware of any toothpaste which isn’t Kosher yet contains glycerin.” |
In fact, many beauty products on the market contain glycerin as a lubricant—shampoo, conditioner and soap, to name a few. There has been some debate between Rabbis regarding the need for Kosher certification of toothpaste. Some believe that there is no need for it, claiming that toothpaste is not a food, while others assert that toothpaste should meet Kosher requirements.
Dr. Smigel explains that “there was no debate” concerning the need to Kosher-certify toothpaste. At Supersmile, we make sure that all our teeth whitening products are 100% Kosher-certified. [1]
[1] http://www.oukosher.org
