The Gemara, Pesachim 76b records that it is dangerous to eat meat and fish together. Aside from snacking here and there, some creative cooks leafed through the pages of mainstream cookbooks and found meat dishes that included marshmallows, and this brought up the following question. But it wasn’t only the children who ate the marshmallows. Much to the delight of Jewish children of all shapes and sizes, it was quickly mixed with other ingredients so that the kids could finally savor real marshmallows. This position was brought to Gedolei HaPoskim in Eretz Yisroel, who approved of this approach. However, the halacha does not apply to cases like gelatin where the fish will be processed to the point that it becomes a liquid and any potential non-kosher fish will invariably be thoroughly mixed into the overwhelming majority of kosher fish. canned tuna fish) where Chazal were concerned that someone might eat a bite-full of non-kosher fish. The question was posed to Poskim in the USA who ruled that the aforementioned Rabbinic requirement to inspect every fish only applies to fish which will be consumed intact (e.g. Due to the way the fish skins were transported and stored, this was close to impossible, and the question was whether there was any room for leniency. But others take a more strict approach regarding fish and hold that mid’rabannan a Jew must inspect every fish (or fish skin) to make sure it is from a kosher fish. Although there were plenty of fish skins to be had, how could the certifying Rabbis be sure that the skins they were using were from kosher fish? Some Rabbis were satisfied if the fish skins came from a factory which only processes kosher fish, where it is rather clear that the only skins available are those of kosher fish. The first order of business was to procure a large horde of kosher fish skins. But after enough consumers clamored for kosher marshmallows, some enterprising businessmen decided to test the market with some kosher gelatin, but this was made from fish skins. Kosher Fish GelatinĪlthough a small amount of kosher meat gelatin was made many decades ago, for years there was no truly kosher gelatin available. Thus, even those who argued that gelatin made from the hides of beef or from bones is kosher, would have a harder time defending that position as relates to gelatin made from pig hides. One exception is that the hides of domesticated pigs have the halachic status of meat, are considered edible and are most-definitely not kosher. However, just two halachos later, Rambam cites the Mishnah that states a number of exceptions to the aforementioned rule. Ma’acholos Asuros 4:18), and are only forbidden mid’rabannan. The halachic ramifications of this are as follows:Īnimal bones and hides are considered inedible and “kosher” even if they come from a non-kosher or non-slaughtered animal (see Rambam, Hil. For this reason, about 90% of American gelatin is porcine – made from pigs – and the higher-quality gelatin made from bones is reserved for the photographic industry. Manufacturers have found that if they made gelatin from the hide/skin of young pigs, they would require considerably less bating (see sidebar) than if they made it from animal bones. This article will focus on the more-recent developments regarding kosher gelatin. It is well known that a few generations ago the Poskim discussed whether gelatin made from animal bones is kosher, and the general consensus in the United States was that it is not kosher.
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