
The H.J. Heinz Company was the first large food manufacturer to mass produce a kosher-certified product for the grocery shelves in 1923. Heinz Vegetarian Beans were the first kosher version of their popular canned pork-and-beans.
Other early adopters of this religious certification were WM. Wrigley, Jr. (chewing gum manufacturer), Beech-Nut, Inc., Best Foods, Inc., Dugan Bros., Pepsi-cola, Borden’s Sour Cream, Proctor & Gamble’s Crisco, Hellmann Mayonnaise, Kellogg’s cereal, Garber Eagle Oil Co., and interestingly, Ben Trotsky Caterers (brother of Leon Trotsky, owner of New York City restaurants. See below list from 1942:
