ABSTRACT
CONTENTS 11.1 Introduction ............................................................................................. 286
11.1.1 Kosher and Halal Laws ........................................................... 286 11.1.2 Kosher and Halal Market ........................................................ 289
11.2 Kosher....................................................................................................... 290 11.2.1 Kosher Dietary Laws................................................................ 290 11.2.2 Allowed Animals ...................................................................... 291 11.2.3 Prohibition of Blood ................................................................. 292 11.2.4 Prohibition of Mixing of Milk and Meat .............................. 294
11.3 Kosher: Special Foods ............................................................................ 296 11.3.1 Grape Products.......................................................................... 296 11.3.2 Jewish Cheese (Gevinas Yisroel) .............................................. 296 11.3.3 Cholev Yisroel .............................................................................. 297 11.3.4 Yashon (Old) and Chodesh (New) Flour ................................. 297 11.3.5 Early Fruit .................................................................................. 297 11.3.6 Passover...................................................................................... 298
11.4 Kosher: Other Processing Issues .......................................................... 299 11.4.1 Equipment Kosherization........................................................ 299 11.4.2 Jewish Cooking and Jewish Baking....................................... 301 11.4.3 Toveling (Immersing Equipment Purchased
from a Gentile) .......................................................................... 301 11.4.4 Tithing and Other Israeli Agricultural Laws ....................... 302
11.5 Kosher and Allergies.............................................................................. 302 11.6 Halal.......................................................................................................... 304
11.6.1 Halal Dietary Laws................................................................... 304 11.6.2 Prohibited and Permitted Animals........................................ 306
11.6.3 Prohibition of Blood ................................................................. 307 11.6.4 Proper Slaughtering of Permitted Animals.......................... 307 11.6.5 Meat of Animals Killed by the Ahl-al-Kitab.......................... 309 11.6.6 Prohibition of Alcohol and Intoxicants ................................. 310 11.6.7 Halal Cooking, Food Processing, and Sanitation ................ 311
11.7 Both Kosher and Halal........................................................................... 311 11.7.1 Science......................................................................................... 311
11.7.1.1 Gelatin........................................................................ 311 11.7.1.2 Biotechnology ........................................................... 312 11.7.1.3 Pet Food..................................................................... 313 11.7.1.4 Health ........................................................................ 313
11.7.2 Regulatory.................................................................................. 313 11.7.2.1 Dealing with Kosher and Halal
Supervision Agencies .............................................. 313 11.7.2.2 State Regulations...................................................... 316 11.7.2.3 Animal Welfare ........................................................ 316
References and Additional Readings ............................................................. 317
The objective of this chapter is to describe the kosher and halal laws as they apply in the food industry, particularly the United States, with a special emphasis on how these laws might affect food safety and related issues. To understand their potential impact on food safety, one must have some understanding of how kosher and halal foods are produced, and how important kosher and halal compliance is to consumers.