Kosher Food Tips
Even if you're not Jewish, the existence of kosher food is a huge benefit to vegetarians. When you buy kosher you can be assured that an item designated definitely won't be made with any type of meat products. And, finding kosher items is simple if you follow the tips below:
- Shop at bakeries and stores that are certified kosher markets. These are a lot easier to find in some cities than others.
- Look in your local supermarket for a kosher food aisle, which should have a fair amount of staple kosher items.
- Before heading out to a market or restaurant call to ask about the type of foods they carry or serve.
- Look on informative kosher sites like Kashrut.com and KosherConsumer.org and read about the kinds of products that are kosher.
Many well-known companies actually manufacture their food products in accordance with kosher laws.
Careful with That Kosher
Many people think that any kosher product that is pareve is vegetarian, this is a common misconception. The general definition of "pareve" refers to food products that are categorized as neither milk nor meat. Many people automatically assume this means that the items are vegetarian. However, pareve certified ingredients may contain animal products, such as eggs and fish.
Kosher law is a very complex thing and the bones and skins used in gelatin production, even if they are not slaughtered according to “kosher” specifications, can still be considered pareve by some of the certifying agencies. Before you grab those kosher items off of the shelf in good faith be sure to read the labels thoroughly. If you're not careful you might consume animal products without even knowing.
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