What is the name of the individual who presides over the preparation of Kosher foods?

Question

I used to do catering for a lot of Jewish celebrations and we would always have someone in the kitchen looking over us to make sure that we were preparing the food correctly and using the proper ingredients. He wasn't a rabbi but someone of similar importance!

Answer 1

Roscocde above is correct.  The supervisier is a "mashgiach".  If he/she is always on the premises, he's called a "mashgiach tamidi."

Answer 2

I understand the concerm of the religious leaders.,, setting down strict rules to protect the  health of the community 2000 years ago,, with no refrigeration and proper disenfecants or antibiotics.. But they did not even understand the physiology of the digestive system... As blood = the soul of the animal..

Additional Rules

There are a few additional considerations that come up, that you may hear discussed in more sophisticated discussions of kashrut.

Bishul Yisroel

In certain circumstances, a Jew (that is, someone who is required to keep kosher) must be involved in the preparation of food for it to be kosher. This rule is discussed in depth under Food Fit for a King on the Star-K kosher certification website.

Cholov Yisroel

An ancient rule required that a Jew must be present from the time of milking to the time of bottling to ensure that milk from kosher animals did not become mixed with milk from non-kosher animals. Milk that is observed in this way is referred to as Cholov Yisroel, and some people will consume only Cholov Yisroel. However, in the United States, federal law relating to the production of milk is so strict that many Orthodox sources accept any milk as kosher. You will sometimes see high-level discussions of kashrut address whether a product is Cholov Yisroel or non-Cholov Yisroel. See a more complete discussion under Cholov Yisroel: Does a Neshama Good on the Star-K kosher certification website.

Mevushal

Most kosher wines in America are made using a process of pasteurization called mevushal, which addresses some of the kashrut issues related to grape beverages. See The Art of Kosher Wine Making on the Star-K kosher certification website.  Kashrut

Answer 3

A Mashgiach is a person who supervises the preparation of Kosher foods.