To be Kosher...
"Kosher" is a Hebrew word that literally means "fit" or "proper." When used in relation to food products, "kosher" means that the item in question meets the dietary requirements of Jewish law¹.These requirements are set forward by the Jewish faith, and the dietary restrictions are followed year round.
Though the Kosher Laws are very complex, the basics of Kosher guidelines can be broken down into the following categories, with a few examples for each.
1. Permitted and prohibited food sources:
- Only those with cloven hooves and chew their cud
- All shellfish is not permitted
- All rodents and insects are not permitted
2. Preparation of meat
- Meat must be slaughtered in accordance with Kosher Laws, which includes having a Rabbi on site to ensure that the highest standards of kashrus are maintained.
- Once meat has been properly slaughtered, it must undergo a process known askashering in order to drain it of blood, which the Torah prohibits for consumption³
3. Separation of meat and dairy
- Meat and dairy must not be eaten together
4. Kosher ingredients and utensils/equipment
- There must be no cross contamination between equipment and utensils that are used to process Kosher and non-Kosher food.
5. Kosher for Passover
- The special kosher requirements of Passover exclude all leavened grains, mixtures of grains or derivative products – all forms of "chometz" – from the Jewish Passover diet.⁴
Centra Foods’ oils are certified kosher by Star-K and our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is certified Kosher for Passover. Certificates are available upon request.
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¹²³⁴Source: http://www.kof-k.org/