[VIDEO & PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

Hundreds of food officials from 19 countries and more than 25 states gathered for the 23rd Kosherfest, which opened Tuesday, for two days at the Meadowlands Exposition Center.

This year’s kosher food trade show is featuring a plethora of new products, many of which will receive awards for being named the best in their category at the show. Tishbi Passion Fruit and Strawberry Champagne Preserve was selected as the best new product at Kosherfest.

Canada, Israel and Argentina will highlight the growing international presence of exhibitors and visitors at Kosherfest. Canadian rabbis will discuss the growing number of Canadian products that have gone kosher of late in a session on Tuesday afternoon. Israel’s huge pavilion will feature many new exhibitors. Israel’s Chief Rabbi Yonah Metzger will visit the show as will Israel’s New Economic Minister to North America, Nili Shalev. On Wednesday, the second day of the show, there will be a culinary competition by top respected kosher industry chefs who will compete in a session coordinated by The Center for Kosher Culinary Arts.

YWN PHOTO ALBUMS: Click HERE for photos taken by Hillel Engel for YWN.

Click HERE for photos taken by Shimon Gifter.

Click HERE for photos by Yitzy Engel.

Click HERE to watch this video on a mobile device.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)