CLEAN FOODS


I was researching an unknown food ingredient to see if it had pork in it and found out some disturbing information.  I have tried to eat only biblically clean food, but found out that pork is often made into common ingredients that don't sound like they contain animal products at all.  This was very depressing and I started to wonder how it would be possible to eat clean food when these ingredients are so common.

I started to look through my pantry trying to weed out foods that might be unclean.  I looked at a box of instant mashed potatoes and found one of these mysterious ingredients that could be pork derived.  I thought I would use the Internet to research this brand and see what information I could find.  I noticed a symbol on the front of the box, it was not a k sign for kosher. I didn't know what it meant when I looked it up.  I found the phrase Orthodox Union. That sounded Jewish so I looked further, and found that it was a kosher symbol!

That meant that a rabbi had overseen the production of this product and researched the ingredients to make sure they are clean.  I found a website http://www.kosherquest.org/symbols.php that listed reliable kosher symbols. 

Much to my surprise many of the foods in my refrigerator and pantry are kosher.  When I go to the store now I look for these symbols and am so thankful that I can trust those foods. They are fairly common.  Many of the "Great Value" brand products at Walmart are kosher, also Hershey's chocolate bars, and literally hundreds if not thousands of other products. The symbols are often found on different areas of the label. Sometimes on the front, sometimes near the ingredients, and sometimes other places.  There are still those ingredients out there, but they are easier to avoid with this information.

Here is a list of ingredients that can contain pork:
Gelatin
Collagen
Glycerin
Mono and Diglycerides
Magnesium Stearate
Calcium Stearate
Enzymes found in cheese

The most difficult things to find that are clean are cheese, meat products, and medicines but with research it is possible to find out.  There are many websites that can help.  I often search to see if something is vegetarian.  Also Walmart.com has a feature that allows you to ask questions about any of their products. Also some churches post lists of clean and unclean foods.

Cheese is difficult because it is rarely certified kosher for technical reasons. Some cheeses that don't use porcine enzymes are Sargento Cheeses, Stella Mozzarella sold by the name Bakers and Chefs at SAMs Club, Cabot Cheese, here is a site that lists vegetarian cheese
http://cheese.joyousliving.com/CheeseListBrand.aspx

Here is a quote from Kraft's Website concerning Kraft Singles and Kraft Macaroni and Cheese only 
"The process of converting milk into cheese is dependent on coagulating through the use of an enzyme. The enzymes in this product are sourced from both microbial fermentations and animal sources.  The animal sources are cow, sheep, and goat." 

Many brand websites also have information about ingredients and places to ask questions. 

Many over the counter medicines, vitamins, and supplements can be purchased at
 
http://www.koshervitamins.com

Quoted from Colgate Toothpaste Website: "All Colgate Toothpastes and Toothbrushes that are marketed in the U.S., with the exception of Colgate Wisp and Colgate Max Fresh with Mouthwash Beads, are free of any animal-derived ingredients.  All glycerin used in our Toothpastes comes from only synthetic or vegetable sources"