It is no secret that kosher meat costs more. But why? On the supply side, the kosher meat industry is as utilitarian in its methods as the non-kosher meat industry. Moreover, in the wake of the Rubashkin's scandal, a number of independent kosher abattoirs have sprung up, so there is plenty of supply. By some estimates, more than a million kosher chickens are slaughtered each week. (See the article above by Eugene White.) Yet even in a city such as Los Angeles, with a host of competing kosher markets, the price of a kosher piece of polka is significantly higher than the comparative non-kosher products of Perdue.
In these belt-tightened times, it is hard to figure what to do. Recently, on account of the steep increase in gas prices, I have started using a website http://gasbuddy.com/ to search for the cheapest gas in my area. (It's also an iPhone app.) The website gives real-time (or close to it) quotes from competing gas stations. From there, one selects the best quote and heads for the pump. I was thinking how good and pleasant it would be if something similar existed for the Kosher consumer. Of course, I am no programmer, but I do like adventure, and this is what I found on a mid-morning Pico Blvd. excursion (4/29/2011).
Kosher Club (4817 West Pico Boulevard)
Empire Chicken $2.69-2.99 lb
King David Chicken $2.69-2.99 lb
Turkey Drumstick $1.99 lb
Kedem Grape Juice $5.99 (large bottle)
Glatt Mart (8708 West Pico Boulevard)
Agristarmeat Chicken $2.79-3.59
Chai Poultry Chicken $3.69
Fabrengen Grape Juice $5.49
Livonia Glatt Market (Pico & Livonia)
Agristarmeat Chicken $2.79-$3.29 lb.
Turkey Drumstick $2.19 lb.
Fabrengen Grape Juice $5.99
Ralph's (9616 West Pico Boulevard)
Empire Chicken $3.99-4.19 (Club Card)
Kedem Grape Juice $3.89 (Club Card)
Results: Kosher Club swept in the poultry department. While Ralphs came in first for grape juice.
Now where do we go from here?
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