Kosher and Halal at a Glance

 

 

By The Associated Press- Nov 22, 2007

Judaism and Islam have similar rules about the proper ways to slaughter meat and prepare food, but there are significant differences.

The following foods are prohibited under kashrut, Jewish dietary laws, commonly known as kosher:

_Meat from animals that don’t have cloven hooves and don’t chew their cud (pigs, camels, rabbits).

_Sea creatures that do not have both fins and scales (lobsters, crabs, clams).

_Birds of prey or scavengers.

_Rodents, reptiles, amphibians and insects.

Other major restrictions:

_All blood must be drained or broiled out of meat.

_Meat and dairy must not be eaten together. (Fish and dairy together are permissible, such as lox with cream cheese.)

_Utensils must also be kosher, and a utensil retains the qualities of a food that’s cooked in it or served from. In other words, a pan used for chicken soup can only then used for meat dishes, and cannot be used for dairy.

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“Halal” is an Arabic word that means lawful or permitted. The following foods are considered “haram,” which means unlawful or prohibited:

_Pork and its byproducts.

_Animals improperly slaughtered.

_Animals killed in the name of anyone other than Allah.

_Alcohol and intoxicants.

_Carnivorous animals, birds of prey and land animals without external ears.

_Blood and blood byproducts.

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Sources:

Judaism 101: http://www.jewfaq.org/kashrut.htm

Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America: http://www.ifanca.org/halal

Source: http://ap.google.com/article/
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