What is Pareve?

Foods that are neither meat nor dairy are called pareve (also "parevine") in Judaism. This means that they contain absolutely no meat or dairy derivatives, and have not been cooked or mixed with any meat or dairy foods. The reason behind needing to know if foods are pareve or not is that Jewish law prohibits mixing meat and milk. Pareve foods can be eaten together with either meat or dairy foods. Common pareve foods are eggs, fish, fruit, vegetables, grains and juices in their natural, unprocessed state. Processed pareve foods typically include pasta, soft drinks, coffee and tea, and many types of candy and snacks. Processed products, however, must have reliable kashruth supervision. Dark chocolate might be pareve; milk chocolate definitely is not. Although commercially produced pareve breads are more widely available than before, care must be taken to be absolutely sure they are certified "pareve" by reliable supervision (trust us, you don't want to make a salami sandwich on bread containing whey). Fruits and veggies must be checked to ensure against the presence of small insects and larvae (yum!). Eggs must also be checked for blood spots (fertilization).