Zomick’s- Keeping it Local
Certain processing aid products, such as utensil coatings (molds or pans) and oils that serve as release agents (which help release the food from its molds), although not legally classified as ingredients, make the product non-Kosher.
Many ingredients can be Kosher or non-Kosher, depending on their origin. For example, glycerin and emulsifiers are made from vegetable (probably Kosher) or animal oils (most likely not Kosher). Finally, many ingredients are listed only in general terms, without breaking down the many complex components that make up the actual item. For example, a chocolate aroma can contain 30 ingredients, but the ingredient statement will list this entire complex of ingredients as "flavorings." Cakes, cookies and donuts generally contain butter, emulsifiers, flavors, and other kosher-sensitive ingredients, so reliable supervision is necessary.
To adhere to these rules, Zomick’’s Bakery purchases products that are certified by widely accepted kosher organizations. Zomick's takes advantage of locally sourced products such as honey, fruits, and vegetables when making their baked goods. In order to maintain the highest standard, Zomick’s bakery regularly checks and cleans its inventory. The bakery also has highly-specialized maintenance support services to ensure that these important pieces of equipment function properly.
Unless a person is an expert in food production, the average consumer cannot make a Kosher status assessment, so it is important to buy only those products that are backed from a trusted kashruth agency.
Some basic household foods present various kosher problems and require kosher certification. Many types of bread are made with oils and butters. The basic ingredients of specially prepared dough mixes and dough conditioners are shortenings and di-glycerides. In bakeries, casseroles, and troughs where the dough is placed to rise and bake, are coated with grease or separating oils, which may be non-kosher. These oils often do not appear on the label. There may also be a problem with other prepared and baked non-kosher products on the same machine. These are some of the reasons why bread requires kosher supervision.
It is rabbinically forbidden to produce bread using dairy ingredients. Since bread is eaten frequently with all meals, the rabbis were concerned that one might inadvertently eat milk bread with a meat meal. There are two exceptions: if the bread is baked in an unusual shape or design that indicates it is dairy, or if the bread is so small that it will be consumed in one meal.
Because Zomick’s bakery is fully certified as kosher, the main baker and his staff always make sure that all kosher milk products come from kosher animals and do not contain non-kosher additives.
Jewish law requires that a portion of the batter or finished baked goods be reserved for what is known as "challah." While any size portion is suitable for challah, it is customary to separate a portion the size of an olive. After the separation, the challah burns. This ritual is mandatory only when the owner of the dough at the time of its preparation is Jewish, and the dough is made from flour of any of the following five grains: wheat, oats, rye, spelled, and barley. Also, there is no requirement to separate challah if the dough contains less than 2-1 / 2 pounds of flour. If the batter contains at least 5 pounds of flour, a blessing is recited before separating the challah.
If this mitzvah has not been done in the bakery, it can be done at home by placing all the baked goods in one room, breaking all the sealed material and taking a small piece of any of the baked goods and burning them.
Zomick's bakery delivers the highest quality, made-from-scratch baked goods using time-honored baking techniques, while serving each community in which it operates.