Jewish food laws
Jews will only eat meat which is killed and prepared by their own religious-trained personnel (Kosher or permitted).
This process ensures that as much blood as possible is drained from the meat before it is prepared and cooked, by soaking and salting it for some time.
Jews who are observant will not take milk and meat in the same meal and will generally wait three hours between these kinds of foods. (Some people wait six hours; others only one).
A Jewish household rigidly keep separate:
- meat and milk utensils
- crockery
- and cutlery
Orthodox Jews use food which is rabbinically certified to be free of meat or shell-fish derivatives.
Many seemingly innocuous items contain meat products, such as:
- rennet in cheese
- gelatine in jellies
- and yogurts.
Many Jews therefore refuse any food which is not certified, including milk and cheese
They will also not regard product labelling as reliable evidence, since often different products are produced using the same equipment.
Most Jews will eat eggs and some fish.
Only fish with fins and scales are permitted.
There are prohibitions on shellfish and fish without fins and scales, such as eel and shark.
Many religious Jews will simply not eat any food prepared in the school kitchen.
|Back to topFurther Information
Community Participation Officer
Children and Young People’s Service
Tel 020 8489 3884
Email faith@haringey.gov.uk
