The Difference Between Kosher and Non-Kosher Food (Part 2)

Cooking meat and dairy products together is not Kosher. The Torah three times specifically forbids cooking a kid in its mother's milk (Exodus 23:19, 34:26; Deuteronomy 14:21). The Talmud explains their general prohibition - forbidding cooking meat and dairy together and forbidding eating this mixture. The modern general standard divides food into meat, dairy, or non-meat and non-dairy. The latter is more often considered pareve, meaning neutral. Just as the biblical prohibition specifically mentions a young goat, the meat of mammals is logically classified as meat, the meat of birds is considered meat, while fish is considered pareve.

Vegetables

There are some restrictions on the use of Israeli produce. The fruit of a tree may not be eaten in the first three years, and the crops harvested in Israel must have tithes taken, otherwise the entire crop is considered non-Kosher. Stores in Israel selling fruits and vegetables usually must show Kosher certification, and this certificate must be from the current month.

Outside Israel, consumers generally accept that all fresh produce can be considered Kosher and can be bought without restriction in all stores.

In principle, all fresh fruits and vegetables are Kosher. Jewish law requires careful inspection and cleaning to ensure there are no insects inside, as insects are generally not Kosher. Many Jewish people do not eat broccoli, because there may be insects inside that are hard to clean off.

Processed products

Dry grains, baked products, canned fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, and dried fruits such as raisins may also contain small amounts of non-Kosher elements.

Rabbis generally advise against consuming products without a hechsher (the mark of kashrut certification). Some processed products are expected by most Jews: plain tea, salt, 100% cocoa, carbonated water, certain frozen fruits including berries, and coffee, which have undergone only some basic processing from their natural state.

Wine and grape products

Jews generally do not drink wine produced by non-Jews. The production process of Kosher wine, grape juice, and all products containing wine or grape juice must be carried out by Jews, and after a bottle of wine/juice is opened, it must be controlled by a Jew. If it is touched by a non-Jew after opening, the contents of the bottle are no longer permitted to drink.

The Kosher market holds a very important position in today's world. In the US market, there are 65,000 different Kosher foods, and more and more consumers use the presence of a KOSHER mark on a product as one of their purchasing criteria. Learning relevant knowledge greatly benefits a company's development in the Kosher market.