Standards and Regulations

Cooking meat and dairy together is not kosher. Three times in the Torah, cooking a kid in its mother's milk is specifically prohibited (Exodus 23:19, 34:26, Deuteronomy 14:21). This Talmud explains their general prohibition—the prohibition against cooking meat and dairy together and against eating such a mixture. The common modern standard categorizes foods as meat, dairy, or non-meat, non-dairy. The latter is more commonly considered parve, meaning neutral. Since the biblical prohibition specifically mentions young goats, the meat of mammals logically falls into the meat category. The meat of birds is considered meat, while fish is considered parve.

There are some restrictions on the use of Israeli products. The fruit of trees cannot be eaten in the first three years. Israel's harvest must be tithe-ed, otherwise the entire crop will be considered non-kosher. Stores selling fruits and vegetables in Israel usually display a kosher certificate, which must be from the beginning of the current month.

Outside of Israel, consumers generally accept that all fresh produce can be considered kosher and can be purchased in all stores without restriction.

In principle, all fresh fruits and vegetables are kosher. Jewish law requires careful inspection and cleaning to ensure they are free of insects, which are generally not kosher. Many Jews avoid eating broccoli because it may contain insects and is difficult to clean.

Dried cereals, baked goods, canned fruits and vegetables, frozen vegetables, and dried fruits such as raisins may also contain small amounts of non-kosher elements.

While rabbis generally advise against consuming products without hechsher (the mark of kashrut certification), certain processed products are considered acceptable to most Jews: plain tea, salt, 100% cocoa, carbonated water, certain frozen fruits, including berries, and coffee, which have undergone only minimal processing from their natural state.

Generally, Jews do not drink wine produced by non-Jews. Kosher wine, grape juice, and all products containing wine or grape juice must be produced by Jews. Once the bottle of wine or juice is opened, it must be under Jewish control. If a non-Jew touches the bottle after it is opened, the contents are no longer permitted to be consumed.

The kosher market plays a vital role in today's world. In the US, there are 65,000 different kosher foods, and more and more consumers are using the kosher logo as a purchasing criterion. Learning more about the kosher market can greatly benefit businesses.