Zohran Mamdani, New York City's mayor, and his administration have not reached out to the Orthodox Union's kosher division or Kof-K Kosher certification regarding kosher food offerings at city-operated grocery stores the administration is planning, both agencies confirmed to JNS.
The city released a request for proposals on July 27 for five city groceries, with one location in each borough. The proposal requires operators to "consistently stock items across standard grocery departments, including but not limited to meat, dairy, seafood, frozen foods, shelf-stable goods, produce, prepared foods and household items."
Operators must also provide a "product mix" That "must cater to diverse dietary needs," Which includes "kosher, halal, gluten free, dairy-free, vegan, diabetic options." The city set an October 16 deadline at 4 p.m. For proposal submissions and allocated $70 million for the project, with plans to sell items at 30% below typical retail prices.
OU Kosher stated it had received no communication from City Hall about the initiative. According to the OU, retailers typically do not need to consult a kosher certification agency when reselling packaged products already bearing kosher certification. However, if the city-run stores plan to repackage products or operate kosher-supervised departments, the OU would need involvement - something the OU said it has not identified in the city's proposal.
A Kof-K spokesman said the agency has also not heard from the city. Kof-K describes itself as "one of the most widely known kosher certification and supervision agencies in the world," Working with food producers and manufacturers globally. The agency reports a 50-year history, 4,000 clients, annual certification of 300,000 products, and 300 employees worldwide.