As a Jew, I have a special place in my heart for all things kosher (especially anything found in a kosher deli). And apparently I'm not the only one. Much like my previous post that highlighted the fact that many non-Celiac Disease sufferers are opting for gluten-free products in their diet, I've also noticed a trend in the popularity of kosher products, even for those who have no religious connection.
The idea is that kosher products are in some way healthier or more environmentally friendly. In fact, a recent study found that the top reasons consumers chose kosher products were "food quality," "general healthfulness" and "food safety." ("I follow kosher religious rules" came in sixth.) But this is not entirely true.
While there are very strict guidelines that must be followed in order to declare something kosher, the rules do not specify how to raise the animals or what to feed them. So if you think you're eating an animal that was reared on organic grasses, you are probably mistaken.
According to kosher "law," the animals must be killed by hand with a sharp knife drawn across the neck. From there, the lungs are carefully inspected and the meat is de-veined, soaked in cold water and salted before being rinsed. This salting and rinsing process can reduce the presence of certain microbes, such as salmonella. And the de-veining may help as blood can be a breeding ground for bacteria. But kosher meat processing has additional contamination risks as well – such as the use of extra-strong plucking machines (because steam or hot water cannot be applied to get rid of stray feathers until after the meat has been salted), which can tear the skin of a carcass and open up sites for infection.
The bottom line is, while it may be more expensive, there's no real evidence that kosher meat is cleaner or healthier than non-kosher.
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