In the Jewish faith tradition, special attention is paid to food. According to Jewish dietary laws, or kashrut, which are based on the Torah, Jews are not permitted to eat certain types of food, such as pork and shellfish, nor can they eat meat that has not been ritually slaughtered. In addition, meat and dairy can never be combined.
Foods that Jews are allowed to eat are called kosher foods. Chickens are considered to be kosher, as long as they are slaughtered and inspected as prescribed by the Jewish dietary laws and salted afterward to remove the blood. This means that, under most circumstances, chicken eggs are kosher, too. (Note: Not all poultry breeds are considered kosher. Consult with a rabbi or check the egg carton for a hechsher, or kosher certification symbol, before you buy eggs not laid by chickens.)
Traditionally, Jewish rabbis advised individuals and small business owners when kosher food questions arose. However, in the growing global economy, it became difficult for individual rabbis to trace foods to production facilities or investigate ingredient sources, particularly flavorings and seasonings. A different approach was needed.
Today, commercially produced foods and beverages are certified by a kosher certification agency, such as the Orthodox Union or the Chicago Rabbinical Council. A certification specialist reviews all aspects of production, from individual ingredients to food production equipment, to determine whether a specific food product is kosher. Certified products’ packaging carries a hechsher so consumers can easily identify kosher foods and beverages.
Special circumstances with kosher chicken eggs
In general, according to rabbinical writings and Jewish tradition, chicken eggs are kosher. However, there are some specific situations you should be aware of before you cook and consume chicken eggs.
If you are cracking eggs to cook them, you should check each egg for blood spots. Eggs with a blood spot should be discarded, even if the egg is known to be unfertilized. Consuming roasted or boiled eggs is permitted, even though you can’t check the yolks before cooking. Jewish dietary laws forbid the consumption of peeled eggs that have been stored overnight unless they have been combined with other ingredients, such as salt or mayonnaise. This means you will need to add at least one kosher ingredient to peeled hard-boiled eggs before storing them. In the case of raw eggs that have been removed from their shells and stored overnight, rabbinic opinions disagree, according to the Orthodox Union. This is a situation where you might wish to err on the side of caution and discard the eggs or seek counsel from a rabbi.
Due to geographical and safety concerns, it’s impossible for individual consumers to inspect the eggs used in commercially packaged liquid and powdered egg products. Per the Chicago Rabbinical Council, the only way to ensure that you are using kosher liquid or powdered eggs is to purchase products that are certified kosher and carry the hechsher.
