nonkosher

Nonkosher refers to foods or products that do not conform to kashrut, the Jewish dietary laws described in the Torah and developed in rabbinic literature. In everyday usage, nonkosher items are avoided by observant Jews who follow kashrut, while non-Jewish people may eat them without restriction. The term is often contrasted with kosher, meaning prepared or certified as compliant with halachic standards.

Nonkosher foods can arise from several sources. Some stem from the origin of the product: animals that are not considered permissible to eat under kashrut, such as pork and other non-kosher mammals (for example, pigs), camels, and hares/hares’ relatives; seafood without fins and scales (such as shellfish) and birds of prey are generally not kosher. Insects are typically not kosher, although a few locust species are discussed in traditional sources. Other sources involve preparation or processing: meat and dairy are not to be mixed, and meat must come from a animal slaughtered according to halacha (shechita); utensils and equipment that have absorbed nonkosher substances may render a kosher-processed item nonkosher without proper kashering; some additives, flavorings, or gelatin may originate from nonkosher sources. Additional considerations include specific rules for certain foods, such as wine that has been handled by non-Jews (stam yeinam) or products requiring special supervision.

Kosher certification and labeling play a key role in identifying nonkosher items. Many products carry a hechsher or other kosher certification to indicate compliance, while items lacking certification or explicitly marked nonkosher are avoided by those who observe kashrut.