Kashrut is a set of Jewish laws that prescribe which foods are permitted to be eaten and how they must be prepared and eaten. Kosher foods are those that meet the standards of Kashrut and are fit to eat.

Those that want to choose Kosher foods can look out for the Kosher Certification. For foods to be considered certified the food undergoes an examination of the ingredients, including the production and the preparation process (Parliament of Australia 2021). Kosher foods are generally categorised into three main categories: Meat, Dairy and Pareve.

When analysing the meat process, manufacturers must maintain kosher integrity during their production methods. There are specific animals that are considered safe to be consumed, however meat to be kosher must be prepared by the process of shechitah which is the method of slaughtering animals for consumption, this is to be performed by a skilled professional.

Sources of dairy must come from a kosher animal and must not be mixed or consumed with meat or poultry products.

Pareve foods mustn’t contain dairy or meat, these foods are considered to be fruits, vegetables, grains, juice, eggs (from a kosher animal) and fish (that have both fins and scales – must not be eaten with meat) (Authority 2017). If you are interested in finding out more about what ingredients individual Pareve products contain read our “How to Read a Food Label in Australia” guide to help educate yourself.