Kosher Technical Criteria: Meat, Dairy and Pareve

Kashrut divides all foods into three groups: meat (fleishig), dairy (milchig) and pareve (neutral). Meat and dairy products cannot appear in the same meal, be processed with the same equipment, and are often prepared on separate production lines.

Pareve covers items considered neither meat nor dairy, such as eggs, fish, fruit, vegetables and grains. Pareve products are valuable in industry because they can be used with both meat and dairy meals; however, they may lose this status if processed with meat or dairy equipment.

Permitted animals are also part of the criteria: ruminants with split hooves (cattle, sheep) are allowed, while pork and shellfish are forbidden. Fish must have fins and scales. The source of additives such as gelatin, emulsifiers and enzymes is examined one by one.