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This chapter explains what modern kosher and halal production, trade and consumption are. More specifically the chapter introduces religious consumers as well as the relationship between globalised markets, production, regulation and audit culture. The chapter ends with reflections on methodology and organisation of the book.

This chapter serves as an introduction to Judaism/kosher and Islam/halal in the UK and Denmark respectively. The main function of these discussions is to give the reader a broader historical and societal context for exploring kosher and halal in greater empirical detail in subsequent chapters; we also discuss broader similarities and differences between kosher and halal in the UK and Denmark.

This chapter explores the manufacture and production of kosher and halal meat (both red meat and poultry) in London and Manchester in the UK and also Denmark with specific reference to audits/inspections, legislation, networking, product innovation and certification. The reason for focusing on the UK in particular is, firstly, the UK has large Jewish and expanding Muslim communities as well as some well-known kosher and halal certification bodies. At the same time this market is far more complex than the market in Denmark.

Within the last couple of decades, the trend in both kosher and halal production is that these globalising religious markets have moved beyond meat to include enzyme production, for example, as enzymes are part of a wide range of types of foods and drinks. This chapter explores how multinational companies that are both kosher and halal certified understand and comply with rising requirements in respect to issues such as certification, staff policies, science and innovation, for example – and how non-meat products such as enzymes are produced and qualified as kosher and halal.

In this chapter we explore how Jewish consumers in the UK and Denmark understand and practice kosher consumption in their everyday lives. Many Jewish groups are fastidious about their everyday kosher consumption and this point has reinforced regulation of global kosher production and regulation. A specific focus in this chapter is how consumers make sense of the issues raised in previous chapters, that is, buying/eating meat and non-meat products in a changing global context.  Another important theme explored is how Jewish consumers understand and practice their everyday (kosher) food consumption in our two case countries.

In focusing on the consequences of globalising kosher and halal markets this book has demonstrated that similarities and differences between kosher and halal consumption, production and regulation in different national contexts are not well understood, and that to better understand global kosher and halal markets they must be explored at different levels of the social scale. This conclusion is organised around three keywords from the book’s title: religion, regulation and consumption. We conclude on these themes by bringing in a few examples from preceding chapters and by reflecting on the ‘bigger picture’ these conclusions evoke. 

Opening with personal story of drinking Coca Cola at Passover seders, traces intertwined story of kosher certification of Coca Cola and incorporation of scientific knowledge into kosher certification through the interventions of Rabbi Tobias Geffen and the almost known lay chemist Abraham Goldstein.

Drawing heavily on the experiences with kosher meat by his mother and grandmothers, presents the decline of kosher beef from the 1930s-1980s through the family and person experiences of Harry Kassel, the principal wholesale kosher meat distributor in the US 1960-1980. Includes discussion of New York State Kosher Law Enforcement Division, the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen, and the Commack Kosher Meat case that invalidated states laws regulating kosher food.

This chapter discusses the Jewish community during the difficult wartime years, when many families suffered the tensions of absent fathers in the armed services and children removed through evacuation. The latter was in the event relatively short-lived and children returned to their schools which were soon reopened. The remarkable story of the Kindertransport is reviewed and life stories given of successful relocation to Leeds. The reception given to those fleeing from Nazi persecution was not always wholly welcoming. The impact of rationing is discussed and the difficulties both housewives and servicemen had in keeping to their kosher dietary rules.