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What is
Kosher?
 The
Hebrew word Kosher means fit or proper as it relates to Kosher dietary
law. Kosher foods are permitted to be eaten, and can be used as
ingredients in the production of additional food items.
The basic laws of Kashrus (a Hebrew word referring to Kosher and
its application) are of Biblical origin. For thousands of years,
Rabbinic scholars have interpreted these laws and applied them to
contemporary situations. In addition, Rabbinic bodies enacted protective
legislation to safeguard the integrity of Kosher laws.
Not too long ago, most food products were made in the family kitchen,
or in a small factory or store in the local community. It was relatively
easy to ascertain if the product was reliably Kosher. If Rabbinical
supervision was required, it was attended to by the rabbi of the
community, who was known to all. Today, industrialization, transcontinental
shipping and mass production have created a situation where most
of the foods we eat are treated, processed, cooked, canned or boxed
commercially in industrial settings, which can be located hundreds
or thousands of miles away from home.
What adds further complication is that it is generally not possible
to judge the Kosher status of an item on the basis of the information
provided in the ingredient declaration for a variety of reasons.
Unless a person is an expert in food production, the average consumer
cannot possibly make an evaluation of the Kosher status, which is
why it is important to purchase only those products that have the
endorsement of a reliable Kosher agency.
KOSHER AND NON-KOSHER MEAT & POULTRY
Meat
The Torah states that Kosher mammals are those which chew their
cud (ruminants) and are cloven-hoofed. The following animal species
are among those considered to be Kosher: Addax, Antelope, Bison,
Cow, Deer, Gazelle, Giraffe, Goat, Ibex and Sheep. In addition,
meat and poultry require special preparation, which will be discussed
below.
Poultry
The Torah does not enumerate specific characteristics to distinguish
permitted and forbidden birds. Instead, it enumerates 24 forbidden
species of fowl, while all other birds are considered to be Kosher.
Nonetheless, for various reasons, in practice we eat only those
birds which have an established tradition that the species is Kosher.
In the United States, the only poultry accepted by mainstream kashrus
organizations as Kosher are chicken, turkey, duck
and goose.
MEAT & POULTRY PROCESSING
Shechita
The Torah requires that meat and poultry be slaughtered in a prescribed
manner known as shechita. The trachea and esophagus of the animal
are severed with a special razor-sharp, perfectly smooth blade,
causing instantaneous death with no pain to the animal. Only a trained
Kosher slaughterer (shochet), whose piety and expertise have been
attested to by rabbinic authorities, is qualified to slaughter an
animal for Kosher consumption.
Bedika
After the animal has been properly slaughtered, a trained inspector
(bodek) inspects the internal organs for any physiological abnormalities
that may render the animal non-Kosher (treif). The lungs, in particular,
must be examined in order to determine that there are no adhesions
(sirchot), which may be indicative of a puncture in the lungs. If
an adhesion is found, the bodek must further examine it carefully
to determine its kashrus status. It should be noted that in addition
to fulfilling the requirements of halacha (Jewish law), the bedika
of internal organs insures a standard of quality that exceeds government
requirements.
Glatt Kosher
Though not all adhesions render an animal non-Kosher, some Jewish
communities or individuals only eat meat of an animal that has been
found to be free of all adhesions on its lungs. "Glatt"
literally means “smooth”, indicating that the meat comes
from an animal whose lungs have been found to be free of all adhesions.
Recently, the term "Glatt Kosher" is increasingly used
more broadly as a generic phrase, implying that the product is Kosher
without question.
Koshering
The Torah forbids the consumption of the blood of an animal. The
two Torah accepted methods of extracting blood from meat, a process
referred to as “Koshering”, are either salting or broiling.
Meat should not be placed in warm water before it has been “Koshered”.
Once meat is cooked prior to Koshering, it cannot be made Kosher.
Salting
The meat must first be soaked for a half hour in cool (not ice)
water in a utensil designated only for that purpose. After allowing
for excess water to drip off the meat, the meat is thoroughly salted
so that the entire surface is covered with a thin layer of salt.
Only coarse salt should be used. Both sides of meat and poultry
must be salted. All inside loose sections of poultry must be removed
before the Koshering process begins. Each part must be soaked and
salted individually.
If the meat or poultry was sliced during the salting process, the
newly exposed surfaces of the cut must now be soaked for a half
hour and salted as well. The salted meat is left for an hour on
an inclined or perforated surface to allow the blood to flow down
freely. The cavity of the poultry should be placed open, in a downward
direction.
After the salting, the meat must be thoroughly soaked, and then
thoroughly washed to remove all of the applied salt.
According to Kosher law, meat must be Koshered within 72 hours after
slaughter so as not to allow the blood to congeal. If meat has been
thoroughly soaked prior to the 72 hours limit, an additional seventy-two
hours time stay is granted to complete the first step of the salting
process.
Broiling
An alternate means of "Koshering" meat is through broiling.
Liver may only be Koshered through broiling, because of the preponderance
of blood in it.
Both the liver and meat must first be thoroughly washed to remove
all surface blood. They are then salted slightly on all sides. Subsequently,
they are broiled specifically on a designated liver-broiling perforated
grate over an open fire, which draws out the internal blood. When
Koshering liver, slits must be made in the liver prior to broiling.
The meat or liver must be broiled on both sides until the outer
surface appears to be dry and brown. After broiling, the meat or
the liver is rinsed off.
THE KOSHER BUTCHER
Years ago, salting of meat and poultry was performed in the home
of the consumer. More recently, the Kosher butcher performed salting
in the butcher shop. Today, the entire process of slaughtering,
bedika, nikkur and salting has shifted to the slaughterhouse. This
allows for uniform consistency of high standards. Nonetheless, the
Kosher butcher plays a critical role in distributing the product.
The butcher must be a person of integrity and the store should be
under reliable Rabbinic supervision.
Packaging
From the time of slaughter, Kosher meat and poultry must be properly
supervised until it reaches the consumer. A metal tag called a plumba,
bearing the Kosher symbol is often clamped on the meat or fowl to
serve as an identifying seal of supervision. Alternatively, the
meat or fowl is packed in tamperproof packaging with the Kosher
logo prominently displayed.
Cost
Because Kosher meat and poultry have many processing requirements
(shechita, bedika nikkur and salting), which must be performed by
specially trained individuals, the labor costs associated with Kosher
meat and poultry are significantly greater. This accounts for the
higher cost of Kosher meat and poultry.
• Educational Information from OUKosher.org
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