A flavor may contain castorium, a beaver extract or civet, a cat extract. These ingredients, which do not appear on the label, may render the entire product non-Kosher. Finally, the product may have been produced on non-Kosher equipment. Generally, the consumer looks for a Kosher logo as a sign of supervision. There are scores of symbols in use by many different certifying agencies.
Different agencies subscribe to a wide range of standards and policies.
For example, one agency may visit a manufacturing facility once a year, while another may visit a factory of comparable complexity on a monthly basis. Some agencies accept as Kosher animal derivatives which have gone through significant chemical changes, while other agencies do not accept this position. Discerning Kosher customers will only purchase products with symbols that they trust and recognize. It cannot be copyrighted and the consumer generally does not know which, if any, supervising agency is providing the supervision. The actual cost of supervision is generally minimal.