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 |
| Owner | Aterian Investment Partners |
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Number of employees
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750 |
Empire Kosher Poultry, Inc. is the biggest company in the United States that makes kosher poultry, like chickens and turkeys. Their main office, where they hatch eggs, and where they prepare the meat, are all in Mifflintown, Pennsylvania.
Contents
The Story of Empire Kosher
How Empire Kosher Started
Empire Kosher began in 1938 in Liberty, New York. It was started by Joseph N. Katz, who was a Jewish immigrant from Austria. Joseph and his family, including his son Murray, ran the business for about 50 years.
In the 1930s and 1940s, the Katz family brought rabbis from places like Mandatory Palestine and Europe. These rabbis were needed for the special kosher process. The company first worked out of a garage in Liberty, New York. The name "Empire" comes from the nickname for New York State. In the 1950s, Empire became known for new ideas in making kosher food.
Moving and Growing Bigger
In the early 1960s, the company moved to Mifflintown, Pennsylvania. This town is about 40 miles from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Joseph Katz bought a processing plant there and made it bigger. This helped meet the growing demand for kosher food. Empire was the first kosher food company to sell its products in regular supermarkets.
Challenges and Changes
In 1986, a fire damaged the production line at the Mifflintown plant. The Katz family spent nearly $20 million to rebuild and make the plant modern. In 1992, Empire was sold to a company called Apollo Management. Later, it was sold again to another company, J.W. Childs Associates.
New Owners and More Growth
In 2003, a group of investors led by Greg Rosenbaum bought Empire. The company updated and expanded its plant and production lines. By 2009, they could make more than twice as much food. Empire now processes many chickens and turkeys each week. This makes it the largest U.S. producer of kosher poultry.
Empire's workers are part of a union, the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1776. The company has also given kosher food to food pantries. In 2011, Empire's CEO, Greg Rosenbaum, received an award for his good work. Empire has also been praised for how it treats animals and for its environmental efforts.
In 2010, Empire bought the Kosher Valley brand. In 2015, another company, Hain Celestial Group, bought most of Empire Kosher. Then, in 2019, Aterian Investment Partners bought Empire from Hain.
How Empire Kosher Works
Raising Chickens and Turkeys
Empire says it hatches its own poultry eggs at its Mifflintown location. All of 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 standards:
- Animals eat only vegetarian feed.
- No antibiotics are used.
- No growth hormones are given to the animals.
- Animals can be traced back to the farm where they grew up.
- Animals are not kept in cages and can roam freely.
- Empire passes regular checks by outside groups. These include checks from stores like Whole Foods and Costco.
Empire also offers a line of organic products. The company recently started a "Green Kosher" campaign.
Kosher Rules and Processing
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 Jewish law. It is certified kosher by the Orthodox Union and other rabbis.
As part of the kosher process, salt is used to clean blood from the animal. This special process gives Empire kosher chickens and turkeys a unique taste.
See also
- Impact of the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic on the meat industry in the United States
