Halachic Guidelines for Unusual Foods and Ethical Eating

This article presents Torah-based laws and guidance regarding consuming various unusual items, and also stresses the importance of respecting others when observing stringencies.

Human Products

• Human skin may not be swallowed. Therefore, people who have the habit of biting the skin around their fingernails, or biting off dry skin from their lips, should be careful not to swallow it.
• Fingernails should preferably not be swallowed either, though the rabbinic authorities are divided on the question of whether this is an absolute prohibition. What is most important regarding fingernails is that they are not discarded onto the ground, as they pose a spiritual danger to people who step on them (especially pregnant women). They should be either disposed of in the garbage or flushed in the lavatory.
• Mother's milk is for nursing babies and adults may not eat it directly from the body. If it has already been expressed into a cup or bottle, it may be drunk.
• Babies may nurse from their mothers until the age of four, according to most halachic opinions (although some say that boys should stop nursing by the age of two). However, if a baby was weaned or weaned himself entirely for 48 hours (some say 72), the baby may only resume nursing if he or she is under the age of two.

Animal Milk

• Milk from non-kosher animals, such as donkeys or camels, is strictly prohibited by Torah law, as anything that comes from an impure animal is itself impure. Even a sick person may not drink it unless there is life-threatening danger.
• Milk that was milked by a non-Jew with no Jewish supervision may not be drunk, as it is impossible to tell whether milk from a non-kosher animal was mixed into it.
• In cases of great need, one may drink packaged and sealed milk labeled as coming from cows even without kosher supervision, given that government regulations forbid adding unlabeled ingredients. 
• Milk powder produced by non-Jews may be used, according to many halachic authorities.

Bees and Bee Products

• Honey, as long as it is pure and has kosher certification, may be eaten as it is not a product of bees but is rather produced by bees.
• Kosher certification is vital even if the honey is labeled 100% pure, as counterfeit products containing ingredients such as flour are often discovered on the market.
• Royal jelly is permitted for consumption, although some claim that it contains not only flower nectar but also gland secretions from bees. This is because royal jelly alone is inedible (due to its foul taste), so when it is mixed with forty-times its quantity in honey, it may be eaten.

Fish Products

• For a fish to be kosher, it must have both fins and scales. 
• There is a millennia-old tradition, dating back to the times of Moshe Rabbeinu, that a fish that has scales also has fins (the reverse is not necessarily the case). Therefore, even if the fins are not visible but scales are, the fish is permitted.
• Fish oil, even from non-kosher fish, is permitted according to many halachic authorities for frail people who need it for their health. It is preferable to consume it in capsules if possible.

Supervision and Certification

• One should not eat at a restaurant unless it has kosher certification. This applies even if the owner is a Torah-observant Jew. 
• Certificates should preferably be read carefully to make sure they have not expired (they are customarily renewed each year) and that they are legitimate and not counterfeit.
• If you typically eat only from a more stringent certification but you are a guest in someone’s home where a different certification is used, you should not refuse to eat if this will embarrass your host.
• If you are hosted by someone who does not observe the laws of kosher food, you may not eat, even if the person will be offended. Even if the person uses packaged goods with kosher certification, there are many other pitfalls such as leafy vegetables that may harbor dozens if not hundreds of insects and so forth.

Kosher with Sensitivity

A group of young men were once invited to a Sheva Brachot meal (a festive meal held in the week following a wedding), hosted by a widow. She served chicken and other dishes, but when the young men discreetly inquired in the kitchen about the level of kosher certification she used, they found out that it did not meet with their usual standards.

They therefore did not eat anything, and the next day, they proudly told their rosh yeshivah, Rabbi Ben Zion Abba Shaul, expecting him to earn his praise. Instead, he sighed and said:

“You were stringent in kashrut but lenient regarding a Torah prohibition: ‘Do not afflict any widow or orphan’ (Shemot--Exodus 22:21).”

Keeping kosher is a vital component of a Torah-observant life; the ramifications of eating non-kosher food are spiritual as well as physical. While we take care with what we eat, we should take similar care with how we eat and how we treat those around us.