Kosher Chemical Guidelines

The following Kosher chemical guidelines were written by Rabbi Moscowitz and distributed to certified chemical manufacturers.

Kosher law has strict rules on which items people following a Kosher diet may eat, but the requirements for non-food chemical items and other items are greatly reduced. This document defines the terms "food application" and "non-food application" and outlines the different restrictions applicable to these groups. Please contact Rabbi Moshe Moscowitz at the cRc office to apply these guidelines in more detail to a specific factory and situation.

Food applications

Definition

Materials used directly or indirectly in food. Defoamers and flocculants are examples of chemicals used indirectly with food and must comply with the stricter food-application regulations.

Requirements

The requirements for raw materials in food applications can be divided into two areas - origin and equipment - as follows:

1. Origin

All raw materials must be inherently Kosher, which usually requires that they contain no animal, poultry, fish, cheese or grape components. For example, stearic acid derived from animal fat is not Kosher. Whether a raw material meets Kosher standards can be verified in the following ways:

- Kosher certification issued by a well-known Kosher certification body.

- Raw materials known to come only from Kosher sources, such as water, salt, sugar, phosphoric acid, polyethylene. We call such materials "Group 1"; they can be purchased from any supplier even if that supplier is not Kosher-certified. The Group 1 status of a raw material is determined by cRc.

Many raw materials used by chemical companies are synthetic, so they easily meet the "origin" criterion of Kosher law.

2. Equipment

The equipment used for processing must not be contaminated by non-Kosher materials. Equipment used to process non-Kosher raw materials at temperatures above 120°F can be restored to Kosher status only after being "Koshered." The Koshering process is similar to high-temperature sterilization and must usually be carried out under the supervision of a rabbi.

Kosher transport is part of the equipment requirement. If unpackaged liquid raw material is transported in a tanker or rail car previously used to transport non-Kosher material, it may lose its Kosher status. To maintain Kosher status, transport should be in a Kosher-certified vehicle and/or after the tanker or rail car has been "Koshered." The receiving company should ask the shipper for evidence of a Kosher vehicle and/or cleaning by the shipper. cRc does not require verification of Kosher transport for Group 1 materials.

Case

A prime example of a Kosher-sensitive raw material is glycerin. Glycerin extracted from animal fat does not meet the origin criterion because it is produced from a naturally non-Kosher raw material. Vegetable glycerin meets this criterion but needs Kosher certification to ensure it is not produced on the same equipment as animal-based glycerin, or that the equipment has been Koshered between animal and plant products.

Non-food applications

Definition

Materials that have no direct or indirect contact with food. Items in this category include cleaning agents, packaging and boiler-treatment chemicals. [Even if packaging material is in direct contact with food, it should be regarded as a non-food application.]

Requirements

Raw materials used for non-food applications need only meet the origin criterion outlined in the section above, without needing to determine whether the equipment used is Kosher.

Group 1N

When used for non-food applications, many ingredients fall into Group 1 (Kosher from any source), but for food use they are not Group 1. To identify these raw materials, cRc uses the name "Group 1N" to indicate that, for non-food applications, a given raw material is Group 1N. For companies producing certified non-food products, this designation gives them the flexibility to purchase these raw materials from any source (including suppliers whose Kosher source is uncertified).

Sodium lauryl sulfate is an example demonstrating the importance of the Group 1N designation. The sodium and sulfate parts of this compound do not cause any Kosher problem. The lauric acid component is usually separated from vegetable oil (so it meets the origin criterion), but may be produced on the same equipment as animal fat. Therefore, sodium lauryl sulfate is designated Group 1N, meaning it can be purchased from any source for non-food use (because it meets the origin criterion), but requires Kosher certification if it is to be used in Kosher food (to ensure it meets the equipment criterion).