Pareve

Pareve

File:Pareve OUKosher.JPG

The OU Kosher symbol indicating Pareve status

Pareve (also spelled "parve" or "parev") is a classification of food in kashrut, the set of Jewish dietary laws. Foods that are considered pareve contain neither dairy nor meat ingredients and are therefore neutral. This allows them to be consumed with either dairy or meat meals, in accordance with the separation of meat and dairy in Jewish dietary practice.

Kashrut and Dietary Laws

Kashrut is the body of Jewish law dealing with what foods can and cannot be eaten and how those foods must be prepared and consumed. The laws of kashrut are derived from the Torah, and they include prohibitions against eating certain animals, such as pork and shellfish, as well as rules about the separation of meat and dairy products.

Significance of Pareve

Pareve foods play a crucial role in maintaining the separation of meat and dairy in a kosher kitchen. Since pareve foods do not contain meat or dairy, they can be used in a variety of dishes and meals without concern for mixing these two categories. This makes pareve foods versatile and essential in kosher cooking.

Examples of Pareve Foods

Many foods are naturally pareve, including:

• Fruits and vegetables
• Grains and legumes
• Fish (though fish is not considered meat, it is often not eaten with meat in traditional Jewish practice)
• Eggs
• Nuts and seeds

Pareve in Food Production

In modern food production, many processed foods are labeled as pareve to indicate that they do not contain meat or dairy ingredients. This labeling is important for consumers who observe kashrut, as it allows them to easily identify foods that can be eaten with either meat or dairy meals.

Kosher Certification

Kosher certification agencies, such as the Orthodox Union (OU), provide certification for products that meet the standards of kashrut. The OU symbol with the word "pareve" indicates that a product is pareve and can be consumed with both meat and dairy meals.

Related pages

• Kashrut
• Kosher foods
• Jewish dietary laws
• Orthodox Union