When you see "KJ" on a package at Satmar Meats of Boro Park, it refers to Kiryas Joel, the Hasidic village in Orange County, New York, and to the kosher supervision that carries its name. This page explains what that supervision involves, who provides it, and what to check when you buy.
What "KJ" Stands For
Kiryas Joel is a Hasidic village in Orange County, New York, named for Rabbi Joel Teitelbaum, the Satmar Rebbe, who established the community in the early 1970s. It holds the largest concentration of Yiddish-speaking Satmar Hasidic Jews in the world.
KJ Poultry grew out of that community. More than twenty-five years ago, residents began processing a small number of chickens each day because no commercial product then on the market met the standard they kept. The Grand Rabbi of the community asked a local businessman to build a proper facility, and KJ Poultry opened in Monroe, New York in 2003.
The Supervision Behind KJ Poultry
Who provides the hashgacha
A hashgacha is the rabbinical certification of a food product together with the ongoing supervision that backs it up. The certifying authority places a mashgiach on site and verifies that production continues to meet the standard it has certified.
KJ Poultry holds supervision from:
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Rabbi Getzel Berkowitz, Dayan of Kiryas Joel, providing continuous on-site supervision from within the community
- The Orthodox Union (OU)
- Star-K
- The Sephardic Beit Din of America
Federal inspection
The plant operates at 7 Dinev Road in Monroe, New York under continuous United States Department of Agriculture inspection and holds USDA Establishment Number P31727. Federal inspection covers sanitation and public health. Kosher supervision is a separate and additional layer, and it checks things federal inspection does not.
The scale of the operation
KJ Poultry opened in 2003 processing around 4,000 chickens a day. It now handles up to 40,000 birds daily and approximately 80,000 turkeys a year, with more than 250 employees. It is the largest kosher poultry processing plant in New York State. The plant is kehila owned, meaning it belongs to the community itself, and a portion of its proceeds funds Torah education in the village.
What Happens on the Processing Line
Blade inspection at fixed intervals. A shochet uses a chalef, a blade that must be perfectly smooth. At KJ, shochtim inspect their blades at short fixed intervals through the shift rather than at the end of it. Any nick, however small, takes the blade out of use immediately.
Cold processing, not hot scalding. Most poultry plants loosen feathers with a hot-water scald after slaughter. Kosher law does not permit this, because heat sets blood into the meat before kashering can draw it out. KJ processes at cold temperatures throughout, so the bird is never heat-treated before it reaches you.
Manual internal inspection. Bodkim, trained inspectors, examine the internal organs of each bird. They check the lungs for adhesions and the legs and joints for ruptured tendons. This is a hands-on check that automated sorting equipment does not perform.
Melicha. Soaking and salting draw blood out of the meat, followed by rinsing in fresh water. The process must begin inside the halachic window after slaughter, which is why a serious operation keeps records of both times.
Community accountability. The shochtim, mashgichim and floor staff are drawn largely from Kiryas Joel itself. The people producing the food and the people eating it belong to the same community, and that shapes decisions on the floor.
Glatt and KJ Are Two Different Things
These two terms get used together so often that they are easy to confuse.
Glatt is Yiddish for smooth. It describes the condition of the lungs after inspection: free of adhesions. Glatt is a standard, and several different certifying authorities certify meat as glatt.
KJ is a hashgacha. It is the supervision that certifies a product meets the standards it claims, glatt among them.
So glatt tells you what was checked. KJ tells you who checked it and under whose authority. When a product here is described as KJ glatt kosher, it is naming both.
What to Check When You Buy
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Look for the mark on the package, not only on the storefront. A sign in a window is not a certification.
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Read the product name. Items under KJ supervision are labelled accordingly.
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Ask which hashgacha applies to the specific item. Poultry and beef do not necessarily carry the same supervision. If the certification on a particular item matters to your household, ask before ordering.
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Ask about salting times. A shop that keeps records of slaughter and salting can answer this directly.
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Ask the staff. Any butcher confident in their supervision will tell you exactly what certifies each item.
Shop KJ Certified Products
Learn More About KJ
Frequently Asked Questions
What does KJ stand for on kosher meat?
KJ stands for Kiryas Joel, the Hasidic village in Orange County, New York. On poultry it refers to KJ Poultry, the community-owned processing plant in Monroe, New York, and to the rabbinical supervision it operates under.
Who certifies KJ Poultry?
Rabbi Getzel Berkowitz, Dayan of Kiryas Joel, provides continuous on-site supervision. The plant also holds certification from the Orthodox Union (OU), Star-K and the Sephardic Beit Din of America.
Is KJ chicken glatt kosher?
Yes. Glatt refers to lungs found free of adhesions on inspection, and bodkim at the plant inspect every bird.
Does KJ chicken contain antibiotics?
No. KJ raises its chickens without antibiotics and without growth-promoting drugs, on a vegetarian corn and soy feed that contains no animal by-products.
Where can I buy KJ certified meat in Brooklyn?
At Satmar Meats of Boro Park, 5301 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219. Call or WhatsApp 718-435-8200. Local delivery covers Brooklyn and parts of New Jersey, and nationwide shipping is available.
How do I know the product I received is KJ certified?
The certification appears on the package. If anything is unclear when your order arrives, call 718-435-8200 and the store will confirm it.
Order KJ Certified Meat
Browse KJ chicken and the full beef selection online, or call the store on 718-435-8200. Visit in person at 5301 New Utrecht Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11219.
Same-day local delivery is available on orders placed before 1:30 PM, and nationwide FedEx overnight shipping covers all fifty states. See Delivery for local zones and Shipping Policy for nationwide orders.
