Rabbi Levy Zirkind supervises the cleaning of vessels with boiling water. "Everywhere the food goes, the water goes. It must be clean."

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FRESNO, Calif. — When Rabbi Levy Zirkind isn't leading his Orthodox Jewish congregation in prayer, he often can be found inspecting factories, doing everything from watching a 500-gallon container boil over with water to scouring product ingredient lists.

As head of Central California Kosher, a certification agency, Zirkind travels from one end of the state to the other, ensuring that products bearing the kosher symbol are prepared in accordance with Jewish laws.

He oversees everything from sanitizing food processing lines to keeping forbidden foods away from kosher products.

In all, Zirkind, of Fresno, Calif., supervises 65 companies for his agency and the Vaad Hakashrus of Northern California, a community-service organization.

Industry analysts estimate the kosher-food industry at $11.5 billion, having grown 10 percent to 15 percent annually over the past eight years. Much of that is fueled by non-Jewish consumers.

Traditional kosher foods such as gefilte fish and borscht have been joined by a legion of food products — from pickled relish to fruits.

The union's symbol, a "U" with a circle around it, can be found on hundreds of products.

"There has certainly been an unprecedented demand for certification," said Menachem Lubinsky, CEO of Lubicom Marketing, a market research firm in New York.

The makers of Flicks chocolate candy said many of its distributors require the Kosher label. The Fowler, Calif.-based candy maker sells its wafer-shaped treats in retail stores, candy shops and movie theaters nationwide.

Zirkind inspects the plant annually and sometimes does unannounced spot checks. He looks at all the shipping documents and ingredient lists for the products to make sure they do not contain non-kosher items.

"We do have to go through a lot, but it is worth it," said Debby Maldonado, office manager for Flicks. "For us, it's an extra level of security."

For large-scale food processors, the certification process can involve hours of work. A critical step is cleaning kettles and equipment to prevent cross-contamination.

A blowtorch gets rid of residue inside ovens, and boiling water is used to sanitize processing equipment.

At Pacific Choice Brands in Fresno, a maker of sauces, salad dressings and salsa for major national brands, Zirkind recently supervised the cleaning of a 500-gallon container with boiling water. The water must boil over the top before the equipment can be used for kosher products.

"The water must go through the entire system," Zirkind said. "Everywhere the food goes, the water goes. It must be clean."