Kosher certification is a mark from a recognized certifying body confirming that a food product was prepared according to Jewish dietary law. Grub Company carries two separate kosher certifications across its meat snack lineup, and they're not the same designation, so it's worth knowing which product carries which.
Kosher Certification on Grub Company's Biltong
Biltong, the air-dried beef snack, is kosher certified across every flavor and format Grub Company sells: Original, Peri Peri, and Loaded Garlic. This applies whether you buy an individual bag or get it as part of the Shalach Manos Basket, where one bag of each flavor is included alongside kosher wine. The product listings state kosher certification for biltong specifically, without the additional Glatt designation that applies to the jerky line.
Glatt Kosher Certification on the Meat Candy Jerky Line
Meat Candy, Grub Company's beef jerky line, is certified Glatt Kosher by Harav Weissmandl and Aleph K, across both flavors, Hickory Kickory Dock and Baa-Baa BBQ Sheep. "Glatt" specifically refers to meat from an animal with smooth, undamaged lungs, historically a stricter beef standard. The term is now often used more broadly to describe a stricter overall kashrut standard, not only the original lung-smoothness definition. Either way, Glatt Kosher is a stricter kosher meat standard than standard kosher certification, and it's the designation Meat Candy carries specifically, distinct from biltong's kosher certification.
A shopper who specifically looks for Glatt certification when choosing a kosher gift would check for it on the Meat Candy jerky line, since that's where Grub Company names it. Someone assembling a Shalach Manos Basket, by contrast, is working with biltong, which is kosher certified but not marketed with the Glatt designation.
Who Certifies These Products
Meat Candy's Glatt Kosher certification comes from Harav Weissmandl and Aleph K, named directly on Grub Company's product listing for the jerky line. Aleph K is a kosher certification agency, and Harav Weissmandl is the certifying rabbinic authority named alongside it. This is the specific certifying pairing behind the Glatt Kosher claim on Meat Candy, biltong's kosher certification is stated separately on its own listing without the same named certifiers attached in the source material.
What This Certification Doesn't Cover
Neither biltong nor Meat Candy jerky carries halal certification. Halal and kosher are separate certification systems with their own requirements and their own certifying bodies, and kosher or Glatt Kosher status on a product doesn't extend to a halal claim. If halal certification matters for your purchase or gift, these products haven't been confirmed to meet it, regardless of their kosher or Glatt Kosher status.
The short version: biltong is kosher certified, Meat Candy jerky is Glatt Kosher certified by Harav Weissmandl and Aleph K, and neither line carries halal certification. Check the specific product you're buying rather than assuming one certification applies across the whole lineup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Grub Company's biltong Glatt Kosher, or just kosher?
Grub Company's product listings state biltong is kosher certified across all flavors and formats. The Glatt Kosher designation, a stricter kosher meat standard, is stated specifically for the Meat Candy beef jerky line, certified by Harav Weissmandl and Aleph K. The source material doesn't apply the Glatt designation to biltong, so don't assume the two lines carry identical certification.
What does "Glatt Kosher" actually mean?
Glatt specifically refers to meat from an animal with smooth, undamaged lungs, historically a stricter beef standard within kosher slaughter requirements. The term is now often used more broadly to describe a stricter overall kashrut standard beyond that original definition. Either way, Glatt Kosher sits above standard kosher certification as a stricter bar, which is why Meat Candy's Glatt Kosher status is called out separately from biltong's standard kosher certification.
Who certifies Meat Candy as Glatt Kosher?
Harav Weissmandl and Aleph K are named as the certifying authority and agency behind Meat Candy's Glatt Kosher status, both flavors, Hickory Kickory Dock and Baa-Baa BBQ Sheep. This certification is specific to the jerky line and is named directly on the product listing, separate from whatever certification process applies to biltong.
Is Grub Company's beef jerky or biltong halal certified?
No, halal certification has not been confirmed for either product line. Biltong is kosher certified and Meat Candy jerky is Glatt Kosher certified, but kosher and halal are separate certification systems, and meeting one doesn't confirm the other. If you need halal certification specifically, neither line currently carries it.
Does the Shalach Manos Basket include Glatt Kosher biltong?
The Shalach Manos Basket includes biltong, which is kosher certified according to Grub Company's product listing. The Glatt Kosher designation is stated for the Meat Candy jerky line specifically, not for biltong, so the basket's biltong content carries standard kosher certification rather than the Glatt designation named on the jerky products.
Why does Meat Candy have a different certification than biltong?
The product listings state the certifications separately: biltong as kosher certified, Meat Candy as Glatt Kosher certified by Harav Weissmandl and Aleph K. Different products can go through different certification processes even within the same company, and Grub Company's listings reflect that each line's certification was verified and stated on its own terms rather than as one blanket claim across the catalog.
