How do you know if the food product is kosher?

Answer 1

If you ever see a "U" with a circle around it, that indicates the food is kosher. Next time you are in the supermarket look at a box or bag of food and if you see a "U" with a circle around it means the food is kosher.

Answer 2

Nowadays, with manufacturing so complicated, the best way to know if food is kosher is to look for a kosher symbol. Be aware that not all 'kosher symbols' are reliable.http://www.crcweb.org/kosher/consumer/Agency_List.html is a pretty comprehensive list put out by the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Most people that keep kosher do not require a symbol on the milk, as the FDA has very strict regulations that only cows' milk be sold.

Answer 3

There are two ways to know whether food is kosher or not.

One is to acquire an understanding of the laws of kashrut, which decide whether or not any particular food is kosher or treif (not kosher). All vegetables are kosher (but must be carefully checked for insects, which are treif).

All fish, provided they have both fins and scales (so salmon, trout and carp are kosher. Shark, whale - traditionally categorised with fish due to the laws having been formulated in ancient times, though actually a mammal and swordfish are treif (shark and swordfish scales are modified teeth rather than actual scales, whales don't have scales at all).

Likewise, all birds are kosher unless they are Birds of Prey and satisfy certain rules including having been killed in accordance with shechita, the ritual method of slaughter designed to ensure a fast and painless death.

When it comes to meat, things become a little trickier as the laws are more complex. To be kosher, the meat must come from a kosher animal (one that both has cloven hooves and chews the cud). The animal must also be killed in accordance with shechita and must not have been killed by other animals. Once slaughtered, as much blood as possible is removed from the carcass, since blood is treif, and the carcass inspected to make sure it doesn't bear any of the blemishes on the lungs and other factors that would render it treif. The sciatic nerve is either removed or the hind quarters of the animal sold on to the non-kosher meat market for consumption by those who do not require kosher meat. Finally, before cooking, the meat is kashered - that is, steeped in salt to absorb any last traces of blood. Meat must also not be consumed with dairy products, though the period required before consuming one after the other varies between different communities.

This is just a brief over-view of kashrut - a full understanding requires in-depth study and so the commonest way to ensure meat and other foods are kosher is to look for a hechsher symbol. You may have noticed these on foods you've bought - common ones are a U in a circle, a K in a star, the letters KLBD and a whole host of others. If there's a little symbol of some type featuring Hebrew letters on your food's packaging, it's probably a hechsher. Obtaining a hechsher involves the manufacturer of the food arranging for a visit by a mashgiach, usually a rabbi who is qualified to inspect the production methods and ingredients before awarding the right to display a hechsher. Although the manufacturer will need to pay for this service, once permitted to advertise their product as kosher the cost is covered by increased sales as observant Jewish customers begin to purchase it and there is no increased cost passed on to non-Jewish consumers.

Answer 4

In the USA and Israel, almost all kosher products have a symbol on the label from an agency that certifies the kashrut. There are over 100 agencies, and the consumer must decide which of them he trusts, and learn their symbols. In other countries the Jewish community publishes a list of products known to be kosher, and the consumer takes this list with him when shopping.

Answer 5

Kosher information should be on the box.

Answer 6

You read the information on the label.