Empire Kosher facts for kids
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| Subsidiary Brand | |
| Industry | Food distribution |
| Founded | 1938 |
| Founder | Joseph N. Katz |
| Headquarters | Mifflintown, Pennsylvania |
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Key people
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Rabbi Israel Weiss, VP for Rabbinic Affairs |
| Products | Chicken, Turkey, other prepared foods |
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Number of employees
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750 |
Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc. is a big company in the United States that makes kosher poultry. Kosher food follows special Jewish dietary rules. Their main office, where they hatch chicks, and their processing plant are all in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania.
Contents
Empire Kosher: A History of Growth
Starting Small: The Early Years
Empire Kosher began in 1938 in Liberty (village), New York. It was started by Joseph N. Katz, who was a Jewish immigrant from Austria. His family, including his son Murray, ran the company for the first 50 years.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Katz family brought rabbis from Mandatory Palestine and Europe. These rabbis helped make sure the food was kosher. The company first operated out of a garage. Its name, "Empire," comes from the nickname for New York State. In the 1950s, Empire became known for new ideas in kosher food.
Moving and Growing Bigger
In the early 1960s, the company moved to Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. This is about 40 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Joseph Katz bought a processing plant there. He made the plant bigger to meet the needs of more and more Jewish families. Empire was the first kosher food company to sell its products in regular supermarkets.
Challenges and Changes
In 1986, a fire damaged the plant in Mifflintown. The Katz family spent nearly $20 million to rebuild and make the plant modern. Later, in 1992, the company was sold to a company called Apollo Management. After that, it was sold again to another company.
New Owners and More Growth
In 2003, a group of investors led by Greg Rosenbaum bought Empire. They updated and expanded the plant even more. By 2009, the company could make more than twice as much food. Today, Empire processes many chickens and turkeys each week. This makes it the largest producer of kosher poultry in the U.S.
Empire's workers are part of a union. The company has also given kosher food to food pantries. In 2011, Empire's CEO received an award for his good work. The company has also been praised for how it treats animals and for its environmental efforts.
How Empire Kosher Makes and Sells Food
Raising Chickens and Turkeys
Empire says it hatches its own poultry eggs at its plant in Mifflintown. All its chickens and turkeys are raised on small family farms. These farms are within 90 miles of the Mifflintown plant.
Empire states that its quality control checks are very strict. They say their poultry also meets these important standards:
- The animals eat only vegetarian feed.
- They are raised without antibiotics.
- They are raised without growth hormones.
- Each animal can be traced back to the farm where it grew up.
- The animals are not kept in cages and can roam freely.
- Empire passes regular checks by outside groups. These checks look at animal welfare.
Empire also offers a line of Organic products. The company recently started a "Green Kosher" campaign.
Making Food Kosher
A team of 65 rabbis supervises the kosher slaughter process in Mifflintown. The rabbis live in special housing at the plant during the week. The plant also has its own mikvah (a ritual bath) and shul (a synagogue). Empire poultry is raised, slaughtered, and processed according to kosher rules. It is certified by the Orthodox Union and Rabbi Yechiel Babad.
As part of the kosher process, salt is used to clean blood from the animal. This salting can make the poultry more juicy. Some people who don't eat kosher food still prefer Empire Kosher poultry because of this taste.
Where to Find Empire Products
You can find Empire products in many national and local supermarket chains. These include Trader Joe's, Shaw's, Safeway, and Giant. Empire is also sold at many Costco stores. You can also buy it from several online grocers. Empire sells its Kosher Valley brand only at Whole Foods.
In 2010, Empire bought the Kosher Valley brand from another food company. In 2015, The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. bought Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc.
See also
- Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the meat industry in the United States
