Does Kosher means these things as well?

Question

For Kosher meat and diary:

-cage free

- animal killed in a way that it feels the least pain

- no growth hormones (for more meat or milk)

- quality nutritious food is provided instead of the cheapest options

I don't drink normal milk and eggs if I'm not sure if they don't the requirements listen above. I'm also pescatarian (eat only seafood), but I was wondering if there is also Kosher Seafood.

Thanks for the answers :)

Answer 1

First of all, there is no such thing as food blessed by a rabbi.  That is a myth.

Secondly, all shellfish are non-kosher- but there are foods such as "imitation crab" that are very good and similar in taste to crab, but made from pollack.

As far as the rules of kosher (or kashrus/kashrut), there are many rules and details which are very extensive, the laws all derive from a few fairly simple, straightforward rules:

Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.

Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.

All blood must be drained from the meat or broiled out of it before it is eaten.

Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.

Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).

Utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.

Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.

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This website is a good one for explaination:

http://www.kosherbread.com/kosher.htm

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This is a great definition:

Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods we can and cannot eat and how those foods must be prepared and eaten. "Kashrut" comes from the Hebrew root Kaf-Shin-Reish, meaning fit, proper or correct. It is the same root as the more commonly known word "kosher," which describes food that meets these standards. The word "kosher" can also be used, and often is used, to describe ritual objects that are made in accordance with Jewish law and are fit for ritual use.

Contrary to popular misconception, rabbis or other religious officials do not "bless" food to make it kosher. There are blessings that observant Jews recite over food before eating it, but these blessings have nothing to do with making the food kosher. Food can be kosher without a rabbi or priest ever becoming involved with it: the vegetables from your garden are undoubtedly kosher (as long as they don't have any bugs, which are not kosher!). However, in our modern world of processed foods, it is difficult to know what ingredients are in your food and how they were processed, so it is helpful to have a rabbi examine the food and its processing and assure kosher consumers that the food is kosher. This certification process is discussed below.

There is no such thing as "kosher-style" food. Kosher is not a style of cooking. Chinese food can be kosher if it is prepared in accordance with Jewish law, and there are many fine kosher Chinese restaurants in Philadelphia and New York. Traditional Ashkenazic Jewish foods like knishes, bagels, blintzes, and matzah ball soup can all be non-kosher if not prepared in accordance with Jewish law. When a restaurant calls itself "kosher-style," it usually means that the restaurant serves these traditional Jewish foods, and it almost invariably means that the food is not actually kosher.

Food that is not kosher is commonly referred to as treif (lit. torn, from the commandment not to eat animals that have been torn by other animals).

http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

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Frau Asher Cat (JPA) Heathen - gills and fins are not acceptable.  Fish must have removable scales and dorsel fins.  And, the scales must be removed without tearing the skin of the fish for it to be considered kosher.

Good luck.  Hope this answers some of your questions.

Answer 2

yes, that and it is blessed by a rabi

Answer 3

Yes those are kosher requirements for meat and dairy

Kosher seafood is fish only, no shellfish.

also meat must come from an animal with cloven hooves that does not chew a cud as well as certain types of birds. The book of Leviticus tells which birds are not Kosher.

Also no not mix your milkplates with your meats.

There are also 3 types of insects that are considered kosher

Kosher food processing plants must be inspected by a rabbi

Answer 4

I don't think that cage free is neccesarily involved, but I think that it would be preferable.

I have no idea about growth hormones

the slaughter is supposed to be in a way that is considered to cause the animal the least pain possible. ideally the animal should have NO clue that its coming, and be "gone" before it realized it was even injured.  

Kosher seafood must be certain varietys of fish.   things like crab and lobster and such cannot ever be kosher.

>"that does not chew a cud "<

think you got that one backwards, pretty sure cows DO chew cud for example.

generally speaking, no predator species, and no species that in their natural wild state, their diet cannot be certain to be healthy as well. this part of why animals like cows are ok (purely herbivorous in their natural state) and pigs are not(pigs will eat essentially anything)

there is NO BLESSINGS INVOLVED. I do not know why people KEEP spreading that rumor.

Answer 5

Kosher slaughter is believed (at least by Jews and Muslims, who have similar practices) to cause the least pain.  The major arteries are all severed at once, stopping blood flow to the brain (a major source of pain associated with slaughter) and causing near-instant death.  

The other things you list are not requirements of kashrut.  They do make for healthier eating, and given a choice many people who keep kosher prefer them.  But they are not prohibited in any way.  Having said that, any animal that suffered illness during its lifetime can not be considered kosher - so it is in the best interest of a livestock farm to keep their animals healthy if they wish to sell in the kosher marketplace.

The Conservative Movement is currently trying to create something called a "hechsher tzedek" - basically a goodhousekeeping seal that says that a company meets certain environmental, fair labor, and animal welfare standards.  It is not halachically based (not strictly according to Jewish law), but more based on the Jewish values of how we should treat one another and the animals under our care.  So far the Orthodox movement has not signed on with this - they feel it would be very expensive to regulate, and an unnecessary interference of religion in American culture (after all, we have the FDA, OSHA, and various other government entities who should be overseeing all these issues already).  They believe it is the rabbinate's job to make sure things labelled kosher actually are, based on Jewish law, and that anything that is beyond the letter of the law, while a nice thing to strive for, is outside their ability to regulate.  So it's unclear whether the "hechsher tzedek" will succeed or not - the Conservative movement is passionate about it, which is a good thing, but they may not have the manpower or the respect that is necessary to carry such a massive undertaking through.  I suspect that if they do succeed, most people who keep kosher - and a good part of the population besides - would choose those products over ones without.  

While it's nice to believe that kosher food is healthier, and better, than non-kosher, the actual laws are not as far-reaching as I think you expect.  The laws are very simple - otherwise 100+ years ago there might not have been kosher meat at all.  But just because those extra safeguards are not required in order for something to be kosher, that does not mean that you have to do without cage-free, pasture-raised, or hormone-free choices.  There are plenty of kosher options that meet those extra strictures.  It's just our job as educated consumers to seek them out, the same as it is with people who don't keep kosher.

As others have mentioned, kosher seafood is limited to fish with fins and easily removable scales.

Answer 6

Kosher in how an animal is killed, has to do with one swipe of the blade across the cow's neck severing the arteries. It doesn't have anything to do with feeding a cow growth hormones. They are fed grain or whatever like any other cow. They also check the lungs of the cow to make sure it doesn't have any disease.

The only kosher seafood is Fish, but the Fish must have both fins and scales. Catfish, DogFish etc are out because they lack scales... all crustaceans are out... we can eat plants from the ocean... like seaweed.

I just wanted to add... the requirement is Fish that have FINS and SCALES... gills is a given and is not listed as the requirement even if all kosher fish do have gills.

Answer 7

Kosher sea food would be anything with scales and gills.  

Answer 8

i'm thinking true kosher really means vegetarian.

Answer 9

http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

That will give you an idea of what is kosher and what isn't and some good links for more detail descriptions.  Also what marks to look for to know if a food is kosher inspected.

Not all meat is kosher (free range or not) - does the meat have blood in it? Then it's not kosher. Does an egg have a trace of blood when you crack it open (fertilized) - it's not kosher.  Any trace of insects on fruit means non-kosher.

There is kosher seafood - it must have gills and fins (no shrimp, no clams, no lobster or catfish, etc).