Before I begin my question I need to explain specifically what and how rennet is made. Rennet are enzymes scraped from the stomach of an animal, and is used to help give cheese it's texture. So my first assumption was "it's assur because of basar vchalav and non kosher if it's not from a kosher animal." However when I looked at the specifics my mind was thinking otherwise. I found that it can't be basar vchalav or non kosher because it's not an ochel by itself. And it's only used as an additive for texture and not flavoring. That being said, is there a problem eating non kosher-certified cheese other than gevinas akum? If not, what prevents us from using animal rennet in kosher cheese?
Asked
Active
Viewed 458 times
3
-
http://beta.hebrewbooks.org/tursa.aspx?a=yd_x4367 – Double AA Mar 12 '14 at 13:10
-
1Where did you find that it can't be non kosher? – Double AA Mar 12 '14 at 13:10
-
It is customary to use calf's rennet, or in some cases, sheep and goat, as those are the animals which provide milk for the cheese; this info comes from my non-shomer kashrut relatives. – Noach MiFrankfurt Mar 12 '14 at 13:15
-
1Your title seems different than your question. In the title you are questioning rennet, and in the question you are questioning cheese. – Gershon Gold Mar 12 '14 at 14:12
-
http://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/29213/kashrut-of-rennet-for-cheese-difference-between-rennet-and-gelatin – Gershon Gold Mar 12 '14 at 14:13
1 Answers
3
The prohibition of eating "Non Kosher cheese" is called "Gevinas Akum". This has nothing to do with Kashrus. Even if all the ingredients are Kosher 100%, one may not eat cheese made by a non Jew due to Gevinas Akum.
See Rabbi Jachter for a complete explanation.
Gershon Gold
- 139,471
- 12
- 231
- 553
-
I figured the only problem was gevinas akum. However that wasn't my question, my question was assuming the cheese is NOT gevinas akum. – David Feigen Mar 14 '14 at 11:45
-
-
"That being said is there a problem eating non kosher certified cheese other than gevinas akum" so yes, I did state it in my question – David Feigen Mar 21 '15 at 20:00