What is Kosher?

The word kosher is a Hebrew word that means fit or proper. It refers to food that meets the requirements of Jewish Dietary Law.

The body of laws governing such requirements is called Kashrut or Kashrus. The product adhering to these guidelines is called Kosher. Jewish dietary laws originate in the Written and Oral Torah (the Bible) and are further expounded upon by the Rabbis of the Mishnaic and Talmudic era .

Two factors play fundamental roles in determining the kosher status of a product:

a. The source of the ingredients
b. The status of the production equipment.

A common misconception is that kosher reflects the conferring of a blessing on food by a Rabbi. There is no truth to this whatsoever. Although Jewish ritual does require the recitation of a blessing prior to the consumption of food, there is no blessing which can make the food itself kosher or un-kosher.