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Do you have questions about being vegan? Send them
to Jo using this easy form.
She would be happy to address your individual concerns
as well as general inquiries about vegan ethics, philosophy,
practical applications, and living compassionately.
Jo cannot respond to questions about nutrition or
answer questions that have already been addressed in
the Archives
Jo will make every attempt to answer each question
personally, however, due to her schedule, this may not
be possible. If a reply is forthcoming, it could take
up to a few weeks, so please be patient. It is also
possible that your question will be answered directly
in the "Ask Jo!" column rather than an individual
response.
If you'd like to view previous questions Jo has
answered, visit the Ask Jo! Archives.
Can
Kosher Mean Vegan?
What do the kosher symbols on the front
of food products stand for and which ones mean that
the product is vegan?
The "U" or "K" symbol on a product means
that it is certified kosher. Kosher means that the item
was prepared in accordance with kashrut, Jewish dietary
laws, under the supervision and approval of a certifying
organization and rabbi. It does not indicate that the
food is vegan, as animal products may also be labeled
as kosher.
"Kosher parve" denotes that the food
is deemed "neutral," which means that it does not contain
meat or dairy products. Nevertheless, kashrut does not
interpret "meat" in the same way that vegans do. For
instance, fish and eggs are considered parve, so prepared
foods marked as "kosher parve" may contain either of
these as ingredients.
A "D" means that the food is designated
"kosher dairy." That is, it is certified kosher but
it contains dairy products or derivatives and, in accordance
with kashrut, is not permitted to be eaten with meat.
"DE" signifies that the food does not contain dairy
products directly but was prepared on equipment that
also is used to make foods containing dairy. In terms
of kashrut, these foods are considered "kosher dairy,"
even though the equipment is thoroughly cleaned before
each run and the product itself is dairy free.
A kosher symbol on food does not imply
that it is vegan. Kosher certification merely ensures
compliance with ritual animal slaughter and certifies
that meat and dairy products have not intermingled during
processing. There is no direct correlation between kosher
foods and veganism.
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