When attempting to eat biblically clean (according to what is
written in the Torah, as opposed to the rabbinic traditions), especially
when first coming into Torah obedience, there are many issues that may
not be apparent. Simply ordering the “beef” instead of the “ham”, for
example, does not guarantee that one will not inadvertently be eating
pork. Even looking at the ingredients label alone provides no
guarantees. I have made this list to help elucidate some modern food
processing issues.
Note: This listing is not meant for people who want to proceed without caution and simply “passively” “keep kosher”. This is meant for people who actually care about what they eat and don’t want to eat things that contain unclean animal products.
“Kosher” means “fit”, as in fit to eat, in this case. While the word has come to imply a certain rabbinic set of standards, I use the word interchangeably with “clean”, so please bear with my wordings. I fully recognize that the written Torah standard is not equivalent to the rabbinic standard (in some ways more strict, in some ways less strict). However, that being said, we encourage getting foods that are certified by reputable certification agencies, as they check for things that will not be apparent to us, or that we would be unaware of (see Lubricants section below, for example).
Non-Certified Products – When one recognizes some differences between the biblical standard and the rabbinic standard of kosher, such as with mixing of meat and dairy, it can be tempting to venture off on one’s own and try to figure out what is clean simply based upon ingredients labels and our own limited awareness. While this is reasonable in a sense, it is not necessarily possible to determine a product’s status simply by the ingredients label. Not everything is listed on the ingredients label, such as lubricants or release agents (see section below). Also, not every ingredient which is animal derived will explicitly indicate such (for example, magnesium stearate can be derived from pork, and the beef version might be tallow derived, see a vegan list elsewhere for more information). Likewise, even though most people truly have no idea on how most of these ingredients are produced and processed, we might be tempted to assume that "that's just a chemical" (a chemical made from what?) or incorrectly assume that we know its origin based upon the ingredient name. Therefore, we highly encourage going with credible certifications, with some exceptions (see Birds section, for example), rather than trying to verify a completely uncertified product.
It might be worth mentioning an incident from when I was still determining cleanness by contacting companies about "animal-derived ingredients". When asking a specific company about such before buying their product, I was told that there were no animal-derived ingredients. Upon purchasing their product, I noticed the ingredients listed "carmine", an insect-derived dye. I inquired about this and was told by the same representative that (paraphrase) "I didn't think you were concerned with insects". So, in trying to inquire from the company about these things, don't be overly trusting or presumptuous.
I know how some people get a dismissive and ignorant-sounding answer that they want to hear from a company representative and then just assume it's right. You know who you are, even if you have yet to acknowledge it.
Plain Script “K” or Plain Script “Vegan” – Sometimes packages will have a plain script “K” or “Vegan” marking on them. While these are supposed to imply kosher or vegan status to the product, it is unclear as to what standard is being followed (or if it is just a marketing gimmick by an unconcerned or otherwise ignorant manufacturer). In my experience, almost all of the plain script “K”s that I have investigated have been fairly definitively NOT clean (such as using pork gelatin in the product, for example). Likewise, the generic claims of being "Vegetarian" or "Vegan" are also questionable.
Lubricants, Release Agents, Cleaning Agents – These are NOT listed on a package’s ingredient statement. Machine lubricant or lubricants used in preparing the food could be animal derived or contain animal derivatives, and one would never know by just checking the ingredients listing nor by calling about the "ingredients". Credible kosher certifiers check for these things when they investigate a product, but it’s not something we can readily do without contacting the company directly about it (even then, it is difficult to get and know you have full disclosure). Companies will likely NOT volunteer this information when you are simply asking about the “ingredients” of a product.
Sugar, Molasses – (*edit - I no longer consider bone char to be problematic) Even the most strict and credible Orthodox certification agencies certify sugar that is processed using animal bones. We have interacted directly with companies regarding this issue, and it certainly does occur. While the animal bones seem to typically be from cattle, the problem is that the animals, at least in some specific cases, have died of natural causes. Consuming anything that dies (i.e., is not slaughtered) is prohibited by Deuteronomy 14:21. However, it would seem that the char is prevented from entering the food, being insoluble and effectively filtered out of the sugar as it is processed. Since it is not present in the food (otherwise the obtaining of the beloved American entirely white sugar would not be possible without black bits mixed in), I no longer consider it problematic.
Supermarket Meat – This is similar to the issue with lubricants/cleaners in packaged foods. At the local butcher here that we have spoken with, meats are processed separately such that, for example, no beef will be mixed with pork, but various agents are applied to work surfaces before meat processing begins. These are not actually cleaned off, but are allowed to dry on the preparation surfaces and inevitably come into contact with the meat as it is butchered and processed. One chemical in question does contain gelatin which could be derived from pork. The company who makes it has not given us any answer regarding its origin. These procedures and even the cleaners used are likely fairly standard for butchers. Likewise, non-certified wax paper can contain problematic ingredients and might get into the food while it is processed or while packaged.
Tallow – Beef suet could possibly be mixed in with hamburger meat. It is also used in packing McDonald’s french fries (see “Dining Out”), and it is commonly included in medicines as well. Just because all ingredients are "beef derived" doesn't mean it's ok.
Cheese – Cheese sometimes contains pork-derived ingredients such as pork rennet/enzymes. There are statements circulating the Internet which assert that only certain types of cheeses have the potential to contain pork-derived ingredients, but we have found that to be FALSE. Since Orthodox rabbis have non-biblical rules regarding cheese that are in some ways more restrictive than the actual Torah, there are few cheeses which are credibly certified and affordable. Check with the manufacturer thoroughly regarding this and any processing agents that could be used. I do not eat cheeses that are not credibly certified unless I made them myself.
Birds, Eggs (Chicken/Turkey/etc) – See Bird Species Identification: Is Chicken Kosher?
Produce - Fresh fruits and vegetables are oftentimes waxed, and these waxes can be unclean from my understanding. This can even include certain items that I would not suspect, such as sweet potatoes. I would suggest doing further research and finding a produce supplier that does not wax their products (some health food stores will sell both waxed and unwaxed).
Oil – Oil, such as olive oil, is sometimes transported in ship hulls that may have contained something unclean before. They do NOT typically clean them out before refilling, from my understanding. If the product is not credibly certified, these oils may have been mixed with something problematic. One certification agency we are aware of is said to certify oils that are processed with unclean oils as well (and they are not on the list of symbols mentioned below).
Dining Out – This is often an extremely risky behavior when attempting to eat cleanly, even in the biblical sense. There is practically no reasonable way to check every ingredient that could be used or come into contact with any given food item prepared at a restaurant or dining establishment. It is furthermore very presumptuous to think that things are kept well separated or that foods are handled in a respectful way when they are prepared at a restaurant. I have heard stories from those that work in food preparation about employees smearing food with pork because someone specifically requested that their order be free of pork (since the employees thought the customer was Muslim, etc). I have also heard stories where a manager was asked about whether the beef was kept separately from the pork, had the manager say yes, then proceed to serve the beef with a potato that was fried in pig lard (without the customer’s knowledge, at least until after the fact). Another example is that McDonald’s fries are packed in tallow. Things tend to not be cleaned after use either, so the cooking surfaces are going to be cooking the beef and the pork together oftentimes. Things also get mixed together, such as with pizza places adding cheese, then collecting any cheese that falls off of their pizzas and removing the pepperoni, sausage, etc, that had also fallen off, and then applying that same cheese to other pizzas later (even if you just order the “beef” pizza). Basically, we consider it very risky and practically unreasonable to try to dine out anywhere. There are too many factors at play, and you really do NOT know what is going on in the kitchen, nor can you reasonably know all of the ingredients without actually physically checking yourself. The waiters/waitresses/cookstaff at these places do NOT know what they are talking about either. Just like most people, they wouldn’t suspect that half the foods which contain animal-derived ingredients actually do. We would also be suspicious of “kosher” or "vegan" restaurants as well, since the standards are not necessarily going to be clear or strictly held.
Certain Kosher Symbols – Many different certifying agencies use a different set of standards for their certification. For example, some agencies certify products containing unclean insect-derived ingredients. There are certain agencies that should probably not be trusted. We tend to utilize the list of reputable agencies on Kosher Quest’s website, but with exceptions given on this list (such as egg or chicken ingredients). One popular certification agency that we do NOT buy products certified by is Triangle-K due to multiple things we have read and been told.
Various Ingredients – Check a credible and thorough vegan list on the Internet for more information. I would strongly discourage trying to assess the kosher status of a product based solely on its ingredient label, though (see Lubricants section above, etc).
Organic Certification - Oddly, some people seem to think that organic certification inherently means clean. It does not. This should likely be considered an entirely separate matter.
A Word on Vegan Standards - From what I have seen, when you get into the fine details of food production, many vegans seem to take the attitude of "it's impossible to avoid animal products", or that one should "avoid what is convenient" (much like how most people practice any faith). While I might guess that vegan certification holds itself to a higher standard than this, bear in mind that generic Internet claims of things being "vegan" should be taken skeptically. I know that I have witnessed a certain product being claimed to be vegan on Internet forums even though my contact with the manufacturer led me to believe otherwise. Also, just like anything else, there are many ignorant people making websites about veganism which do not know what they are talking about. So, if you are indeed looking for a vegan ingredient list, I would suggest finding one that actually details the origins of ingredients rather than one that makes generic claims with no explanation.
This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list, but is meant to demonstrate the need for investigation, as well as the potential for contamination or inclusion of unclean things. We discourage proceeding without caution if one genuinely wants to eat things that are kosher.
(From prior posting on Gr. 7/22/14, updated Gr 9/6/15)
Note: This listing is not meant for people who want to proceed without caution and simply “passively” “keep kosher”. This is meant for people who actually care about what they eat and don’t want to eat things that contain unclean animal products.
“Kosher” means “fit”, as in fit to eat, in this case. While the word has come to imply a certain rabbinic set of standards, I use the word interchangeably with “clean”, so please bear with my wordings. I fully recognize that the written Torah standard is not equivalent to the rabbinic standard (in some ways more strict, in some ways less strict). However, that being said, we encourage getting foods that are certified by reputable certification agencies, as they check for things that will not be apparent to us, or that we would be unaware of (see Lubricants section below, for example).
Non-Certified Products – When one recognizes some differences between the biblical standard and the rabbinic standard of kosher, such as with mixing of meat and dairy, it can be tempting to venture off on one’s own and try to figure out what is clean simply based upon ingredients labels and our own limited awareness. While this is reasonable in a sense, it is not necessarily possible to determine a product’s status simply by the ingredients label. Not everything is listed on the ingredients label, such as lubricants or release agents (see section below). Also, not every ingredient which is animal derived will explicitly indicate such (for example, magnesium stearate can be derived from pork, and the beef version might be tallow derived, see a vegan list elsewhere for more information). Likewise, even though most people truly have no idea on how most of these ingredients are produced and processed, we might be tempted to assume that "that's just a chemical" (a chemical made from what?) or incorrectly assume that we know its origin based upon the ingredient name. Therefore, we highly encourage going with credible certifications, with some exceptions (see Birds section, for example), rather than trying to verify a completely uncertified product.
It might be worth mentioning an incident from when I was still determining cleanness by contacting companies about "animal-derived ingredients". When asking a specific company about such before buying their product, I was told that there were no animal-derived ingredients. Upon purchasing their product, I noticed the ingredients listed "carmine", an insect-derived dye. I inquired about this and was told by the same representative that (paraphrase) "I didn't think you were concerned with insects". So, in trying to inquire from the company about these things, don't be overly trusting or presumptuous.
I know how some people get a dismissive and ignorant-sounding answer that they want to hear from a company representative and then just assume it's right. You know who you are, even if you have yet to acknowledge it.
Plain Script “K” or Plain Script “Vegan” – Sometimes packages will have a plain script “K” or “Vegan” marking on them. While these are supposed to imply kosher or vegan status to the product, it is unclear as to what standard is being followed (or if it is just a marketing gimmick by an unconcerned or otherwise ignorant manufacturer). In my experience, almost all of the plain script “K”s that I have investigated have been fairly definitively NOT clean (such as using pork gelatin in the product, for example). Likewise, the generic claims of being "Vegetarian" or "Vegan" are also questionable.
Lubricants, Release Agents, Cleaning Agents – These are NOT listed on a package’s ingredient statement. Machine lubricant or lubricants used in preparing the food could be animal derived or contain animal derivatives, and one would never know by just checking the ingredients listing nor by calling about the "ingredients". Credible kosher certifiers check for these things when they investigate a product, but it’s not something we can readily do without contacting the company directly about it (even then, it is difficult to get and know you have full disclosure). Companies will likely NOT volunteer this information when you are simply asking about the “ingredients” of a product.
Sugar, Molasses – (*edit - I no longer consider bone char to be problematic) Even the most strict and credible Orthodox certification agencies certify sugar that is processed using animal bones. We have interacted directly with companies regarding this issue, and it certainly does occur. While the animal bones seem to typically be from cattle, the problem is that the animals, at least in some specific cases, have died of natural causes. Consuming anything that dies (i.e., is not slaughtered) is prohibited by Deuteronomy 14:21. However, it would seem that the char is prevented from entering the food, being insoluble and effectively filtered out of the sugar as it is processed. Since it is not present in the food (otherwise the obtaining of the beloved American entirely white sugar would not be possible without black bits mixed in), I no longer consider it problematic.
Supermarket Meat – This is similar to the issue with lubricants/cleaners in packaged foods. At the local butcher here that we have spoken with, meats are processed separately such that, for example, no beef will be mixed with pork, but various agents are applied to work surfaces before meat processing begins. These are not actually cleaned off, but are allowed to dry on the preparation surfaces and inevitably come into contact with the meat as it is butchered and processed. One chemical in question does contain gelatin which could be derived from pork. The company who makes it has not given us any answer regarding its origin. These procedures and even the cleaners used are likely fairly standard for butchers. Likewise, non-certified wax paper can contain problematic ingredients and might get into the food while it is processed or while packaged.
Tallow – Beef suet could possibly be mixed in with hamburger meat. It is also used in packing McDonald’s french fries (see “Dining Out”), and it is commonly included in medicines as well. Just because all ingredients are "beef derived" doesn't mean it's ok.
Cheese – Cheese sometimes contains pork-derived ingredients such as pork rennet/enzymes. There are statements circulating the Internet which assert that only certain types of cheeses have the potential to contain pork-derived ingredients, but we have found that to be FALSE. Since Orthodox rabbis have non-biblical rules regarding cheese that are in some ways more restrictive than the actual Torah, there are few cheeses which are credibly certified and affordable. Check with the manufacturer thoroughly regarding this and any processing agents that could be used. I do not eat cheeses that are not credibly certified unless I made them myself.
Birds, Eggs (Chicken/Turkey/etc) – See Bird Species Identification: Is Chicken Kosher?
Produce - Fresh fruits and vegetables are oftentimes waxed, and these waxes can be unclean from my understanding. This can even include certain items that I would not suspect, such as sweet potatoes. I would suggest doing further research and finding a produce supplier that does not wax their products (some health food stores will sell both waxed and unwaxed).
Oil – Oil, such as olive oil, is sometimes transported in ship hulls that may have contained something unclean before. They do NOT typically clean them out before refilling, from my understanding. If the product is not credibly certified, these oils may have been mixed with something problematic. One certification agency we are aware of is said to certify oils that are processed with unclean oils as well (and they are not on the list of symbols mentioned below).
Dining Out – This is often an extremely risky behavior when attempting to eat cleanly, even in the biblical sense. There is practically no reasonable way to check every ingredient that could be used or come into contact with any given food item prepared at a restaurant or dining establishment. It is furthermore very presumptuous to think that things are kept well separated or that foods are handled in a respectful way when they are prepared at a restaurant. I have heard stories from those that work in food preparation about employees smearing food with pork because someone specifically requested that their order be free of pork (since the employees thought the customer was Muslim, etc). I have also heard stories where a manager was asked about whether the beef was kept separately from the pork, had the manager say yes, then proceed to serve the beef with a potato that was fried in pig lard (without the customer’s knowledge, at least until after the fact). Another example is that McDonald’s fries are packed in tallow. Things tend to not be cleaned after use either, so the cooking surfaces are going to be cooking the beef and the pork together oftentimes. Things also get mixed together, such as with pizza places adding cheese, then collecting any cheese that falls off of their pizzas and removing the pepperoni, sausage, etc, that had also fallen off, and then applying that same cheese to other pizzas later (even if you just order the “beef” pizza). Basically, we consider it very risky and practically unreasonable to try to dine out anywhere. There are too many factors at play, and you really do NOT know what is going on in the kitchen, nor can you reasonably know all of the ingredients without actually physically checking yourself. The waiters/waitresses/cookstaff at these places do NOT know what they are talking about either. Just like most people, they wouldn’t suspect that half the foods which contain animal-derived ingredients actually do. We would also be suspicious of “kosher” or "vegan" restaurants as well, since the standards are not necessarily going to be clear or strictly held.
Certain Kosher Symbols – Many different certifying agencies use a different set of standards for their certification. For example, some agencies certify products containing unclean insect-derived ingredients. There are certain agencies that should probably not be trusted. We tend to utilize the list of reputable agencies on Kosher Quest’s website, but with exceptions given on this list (such as egg or chicken ingredients). One popular certification agency that we do NOT buy products certified by is Triangle-K due to multiple things we have read and been told.
Various Ingredients – Check a credible and thorough vegan list on the Internet for more information. I would strongly discourage trying to assess the kosher status of a product based solely on its ingredient label, though (see Lubricants section above, etc).
Organic Certification - Oddly, some people seem to think that organic certification inherently means clean. It does not. This should likely be considered an entirely separate matter.
A Word on Vegan Standards - From what I have seen, when you get into the fine details of food production, many vegans seem to take the attitude of "it's impossible to avoid animal products", or that one should "avoid what is convenient" (much like how most people practice any faith). While I might guess that vegan certification holds itself to a higher standard than this, bear in mind that generic Internet claims of things being "vegan" should be taken skeptically. I know that I have witnessed a certain product being claimed to be vegan on Internet forums even though my contact with the manufacturer led me to believe otherwise. Also, just like anything else, there are many ignorant people making websites about veganism which do not know what they are talking about. So, if you are indeed looking for a vegan ingredient list, I would suggest finding one that actually details the origins of ingredients rather than one that makes generic claims with no explanation.
This is not meant to be an all-inclusive list, but is meant to demonstrate the need for investigation, as well as the potential for contamination or inclusion of unclean things. We discourage proceeding without caution if one genuinely wants to eat things that are kosher.
(From prior posting on Gr. 7/22/14, updated Gr 9/6/15)
