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Kosher Requirements

A Guide to Kosher Requirements

Kosher food is food that’s fit for consumption by observant Jews. In fact, the word kosher means “fit” or “proper” in Hebrew. Contrary to popular belief, kosher requirements have nothing to do with a rabbi blessing the food. Kosher requirements are based on principles that are set forth in the bible.

According to Jewish dietary laws, food is divided into four categories:

  • Meat
  • Dairy
  • Pareve (neutral)
  • Non-kosher

The meat category includes poultry, as well as animals that chew their cud and have split hooves, such as cattle and sheep. In order for meat to meet kosher requirements, it must be slaughtered by a trained ritual slaughterer and then be soaked and salted to remove the blood. A rabbinic supervisor must oversee this entire process for the meat to be considered kosher.

The dairy category includes milk and its derivatives. Milk that comes from a non-kosher animal, such as a pig or camel, is considered non-kosher. Even a small amount or derivative of a meat or dairy product puts it in the meat or dairy category. Food processed with equipment that was previously used to process a dairy product is also considered dairy unless the equipment undergoes kosher sterilization with a rabbi’s supervision.

Any kosher foods that do not fall under the meat or dairy categories are considered pareve products. Products that fall under the pareve category include fish (with scales and fins), plants, and eggs. Pareve products can be mixed or eaten together with meat or dairy products, but meat and dairy products cannot be mixed or eaten together. Fish, however, cannot be mixed with or eaten with meat. Raw fruits and vegetables are considered part of the pareve cateogry, but they must be free of all pest infestations since Jewish dietary laws forbid the ingestion of insects.

Non-Kosher Foods

Foods that are considered non-kosher include:

  • Shellfish
  • Insects
  • Birds that don’t fall under the poultry category
  • Animals and birds that haven’t been slaughtered according to Jewish laws
  • Mixture of meat and fish
  • Mixture of meat and dairy
  • Foods and ingredients manufactured with non-kosher processing methods

Ingredients that can never be considered kosher include civet, castoreum, and ambergris. Ingredients that may or may not be kosher, depending on their origin and how they are processed, include whey, amino acids, oils and fats, milk solids, vinegar, and juice concentrates.

Kosher Requirements for Supervision

It’s commonly believed that a rabbinic supervisor must be present at all times to certify that a food production process is kosher, but according to modern kosher requirements, a rabbi does not have to be present as long as production complies with rigid guidelines. Exceptions to that rule include meat preparation, cheese production that uses rennet, and grape juice/wine production, for which the entire process must be handled by rabbinic supervisors.

Eating Out

According to kosher requirements, one should not eat at non-kosher restaurants. It is important to only patronize food establishments that conform to one’s kosher standards. The task of adhering to kosher standards is even more complex in a restaurant because many different ingredients are used and large quantities of food are made. So, prior to dining out, make sure that a reputable rabbinic supervisor is in charge of overseeing the restaurant’s operations.