Israeli Food Distributor Gets Kosher Milk From Michigan

HUDSON, Mich., April 2, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — One of the largest milk producers in the state — Vreba-Hoff Dairy — is providing kosher milk for an international food distribution leader headquartered in Israel.

This food distributor has ordered 500 metric tons of kosher whole milk powder from Vreba-Hoff. The Michigan dairy has 5,700 milking cows at its two Hudson farms. Under the contract, the dairy will ship 9.5 million pounds (1.15 million gallons) of whole milk to a kosher processing facility in Kentucky, which will convert the milk into powder and then ship to Israel.

“This is such a great opportunity for us and a dynamic new direction for our products,” said Peter van der Vegt, a business development advisor to Vreba-Hoff. “It is a great honor to do business with such an outstanding international distributor.”

“Kosher” refers to food products that meet the dietary requirements of Jewish law. Kosher certification guarantees that the source of the ingredient and the status of the production equipment meet certain requirements, including superior sanitation levels and on-site rabbinical supervision. The distributor has referred to the products as “super kosher” because the procedures the dairy is following far exceed kosher criteria. These products also often meet the strict dietary requirements of other religions, including Islam.

Producing kosher milk requires a significant commitment at Vreba-Hoff, which is also working hard to develop additional products for U.S. distribution and consumption for the kosher market.

“Our high standards for quality production and cow welfare did not make it difficult to meet the strict qualifications for ‘super kosher’ products. However, we did have to make some changes to earn this opportunity,” said van der Vegt. “This has been a great experience for us and we are proud that our Michigan milk will is being processed into kosher powdered milk, which will soon be used on the other side of the world.”

Vreba-Hoff Dairy, located in Hudson, Michigan, was founded in 1997. Its state-of-the-art dairy facility produces more than 20 million gallons of whole milk a year.

Vreba-Hoff Dairy

CONTACT: Cecilia Conway, +1-419-337-5000, or Peter van der Vegt,+1-574-320-8451, both of Vreba-Hoff Dairy