What foods aren't allowed in Judaism?

December 8, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the Torah, Jewish dietary laws, known as kashrut, dictate a wide range of regulations regarding food consumption. These rules specify which animals are permitted and which are forbidden, as well as outlining practices like the separation of meat and dairy.

Quick Summary

An overview of kashrut, explaining prohibited animals from land, air, and sea, detailing the prohibition against mixing meat and milk, and covering other restrictions like blood and certain grape products.

Key Points

Land Animals: Forbidden animals include pigs, rabbits, and camels, as they do not possess both cloven hooves and the ability to chew their cud.
Seafood: All shellfish (e.g., shrimp, lobster, crab) and fish lacking both fins and scales (e.g., catfish, eel) are not permitted.
Meat and Milk Separation: It is prohibited to cook or eat mammalian meat and dairy products together, requiring separate cooking utensils and waiting periods.
Blood: The consumption of animal blood is strictly forbidden, and a special process of soaking and salting is required to remove it from meat.
Specific Prohibitions: Other rules forbid certain fats and the sciatic nerve, as well as requiring that wine and grape products be made by observant Jews.
Shechita: Even for permitted animals and birds, slaughter must be performed according to Jewish law by a trained individual.
Passover Restrictions: During the Passover holiday, leavened products (chametz) are strictly prohibited.

The Foundations of Kashrut

Kashrut, the body of Jewish dietary laws, is a system rooted in the Torah and expanded upon by rabbinic tradition. These laws are not based on health or hygiene, but on holiness and religious discipline. The reasons for the prohibitions are multifold, interpreted by rabbinic scholars over centuries, focusing on compassion for animals and maintaining spiritual separation. Understanding the core tenets is essential to grasp which foods are forbidden.

Forbidden Land Animals

Jewish law prohibits certain land animals based on two characteristics: having cloven (split) hooves and chewing their cud. An animal must possess both traits to be considered kosher. This immediately disqualifies several common animals, most notably the pig.

Pigs: Pigs have cloven hooves but do not chew their cud, making them non-kosher (treif). This prohibition is explicitly mentioned in the Torah.
Other Forbidden Animals: Camels, rabbits, and hares are also prohibited because they chew their cud but lack cloven hooves.

Prohibited Sea Creatures

For marine life, the rules are simpler. A sea creature is only kosher if it has both fins and scales. The scales must be easily removable without tearing the skin. This rule eliminates all shellfish and many common fish.

Shellfish: All crustaceans and mollusks, such as shrimp, lobster, crab, and oysters, are non-kosher because they lack fins and scales.
Scaleless Fish: Fish like eels, catfish, and swordfish are also forbidden because they either lack scales entirely or have scales that are not easily removable.

Non-Kosher Birds and Other Creatures

Birds are another category with specific, though less clear-cut, rules. The Torah lists specific forbidden birds, but the list lacks a clear identifying characteristic like land animals or fish. Tradition has classified certain common poultry as kosher, while most birds of prey and scavengers are considered non-kosher. All reptiles, amphibians, and most insects are also prohibited, with a few exceptions for specific types of locusts.

The Prohibition of Meat and Milk

One of the most widely known aspects of kashrut is the prohibition against mixing meat and milk. This comes from the Torah's thrice-repeated commandment: "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk". Rabbinic interpretation expanded this to a complete separation of all milk and mammalian meat products, both in cooking and consumption.

Separation of Utensils: Observant Jewish households use separate sets of dishes, pots, pans, and cutlery for meat and dairy to prevent cross-contamination.
Waiting Periods: After eating meat, there is a waiting period (which varies by tradition, from one to six hours) before dairy can be consumed. After dairy, the wait before meat is much shorter, typically just a palate cleansing.

Other Prohibitions

Several other items and practices are forbidden in kashrut, including:

Blood: The consumption of blood is strictly forbidden, as it is considered the life force of the animal. This is why kosher meat undergoes a process of soaking and salting to drain all blood before cooking.
Certain Fats and Parts: Specific fats (chelev) from sacrificial animals and the sciatic nerve (gid hanasheh) are also forbidden.
Non-Jewish Wine: Wine and grape products must be made exclusively by observant Jews to be considered kosher, due to concerns about their use in idolatrous rituals in ancient times.
Leavened Products on Passover: During the festival of Passover, any food made with leavened grain (chametz) is forbidden, replaced by unleavened alternatives like matzah.

Non-Kosher vs. Kosher Food Preparation


Aspect	Non-Kosher (Treif)	Kosher
Meat Source	Any mammal or bird, regardless of slaughter method.	Only mammals with cloven hooves and that chew cud, or specific kosher birds.
Slaughter Method	Not regulated by kashrut.	Must be performed by a specially trained individual (shochet) using a specific, painless method (shechita).
Blood Removal	Not necessary.	All blood must be drained from the meat via a soaking and salting process.
Seafood	Any sea creature, including shellfish, eel, etc.	Only fish with fins and scales. All shellfish are prohibited.
Mixing Meat & Dairy	No restrictions.	Strict prohibition against cooking or eating meat and milk together. Separate utensils are used.
Wine	No restrictions.	Must be produced and handled exclusively by observant Jews.

Conclusion

Understanding what foods aren't allowed in Judaism goes far beyond simply knowing that pork and shellfish are prohibited. It involves a sophisticated and detailed system of laws, kashrut, that governs everything from the type of animal consumed to the way it is slaughtered and prepared. These rules dictate the fundamental structure of a kosher kitchen, emphasizing separation between meat and dairy. From the symbolic significance of avoiding blood to the rabbinic decrees regarding wine and other ingredients, these dietary laws form a deeply meaningful and enduring part of Jewish life. Adherence to these traditions reinforces a commitment to religious practice and cultural identity, even as food technology evolves. For more detailed information on Jewish law and practice, consult reputable sources like Chabad.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

Pork is forbidden because, according to the Torah, a kosher land animal must both have cloven hooves and chew its cud. A pig has cloven hooves but does not chew its cud, which disqualifies it.

The prohibition stems from the Torah's commandment, repeated three times, "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk". Rabbinic law expanded this to forbid mixing any kind of mammalian meat and dairy products, with some traditions having a waiting period after eating meat before dairy.

Only fish that have both fins and scales are permitted. This excludes all shellfish (shrimp, lobster, crabs, oysters) and fish like catfish, eels, and swordfish that lack either or both of these features.

The Torah states that blood is the life force of the animal and is forbidden for human consumption. To adhere to this, kosher meat is specially prepared through a soaking and salting process called meliḥah to drain the blood.

The vast majority of insects are forbidden. However, the Torah makes exceptions for four types of locusts. In practice, most observant Jews do not eat any insects due to the difficulty in identification and preparation.

Fruits and vegetables are generally considered kosher (pareve) in their natural state. However, they must be checked for insects, which are not kosher. Additionally, some grape products, like wine, have specific kosher requirements.

Due to historic associations with idolatrous practices, wine and other grape products must be made and handled exclusively by observant Jews to be considered kosher. Some wine is 'mevushal' (cooked) so it remains kosher even if handled by non-Jews.