KLBD Kashrut Division London Beth Din

HALACHA
Halacha is the Hebrew word for the Jewish Law, the collective body of Jewish religious law, including biblical law and practices that Jews are bound to follow, directives of the Rabbis, customs and traditions.

HASHGACHA
Hashgacha is a Hebrew word generally referring to kosher supervision or certification.

HECHSHER
Hechsher refers to the kosher certification of a kosher product or ingredient.

KOSHER DAIRY CHOLOV AKUM (also known as Cholov Stam)
This refers to the kosher certification of dairy productions, including cheese and milk powder, which have been ascertained to be derived from milk from a kosher animal (e.g. cow, goat, buffalo).

KOSHER DAIRY CHOLOV YISROEL (also known by some as Dairy Super Kosher)
Cholov Yisroel refers to all dairy productions, including cheese and milk powder, which have been under constant rabbinical supervision from the time of milking.

KOSHER PAS YISROEL
Pas Yisroel refers to baked goods (e.g. biscuits, bread, cookies) which are baked under full-time supervision by the kosher supervisor.

KOSHER BISHUL YISROEL
Bishul Yisroel refers to foods (e.g. fish, rice) which are cooked under full-time supervision by the kosher supervisor.

KOSHER PAREVE (sometimes known as Parve or Parev)
Pareve means neutral, indicates a product which contains no derivatives of poultry, meat, or dairy ingredients. Jews are not allowed to eat milk and meat (including poultry) in the same meal. Therefore a neutral or pareve product can therefore be eaten with either a meat, or dairy meal. Examples of pareve items include all fruits, vegetables, eggs from kosher birds, kosher fish, etc and their derivatives.

KOSHER FOR PASSOVER (sometimes known as Kosher Le Pesach)
Kosher for Passover refers to foods and food ingredients acceptable for use during the Passover holiday which require special preparation. Generally for Passover, Jews are not allowed to eat any food of grain (wheat, barley, oat, spelt, rye) or its derivatives.

KOSHER FOR PASSOVER KITNIYOT
Kitniyot refers to legumes. Some examples (of Kitniyot) are rice, corn, peas, mustard seed, and the whole bean family (i.e. kidney, lima, garbanzo, etc.). Although not of grain origin, many Jews do not eat any legumes for Passover. However in Middle Eastern communities, corn, soy, rapeseed, peanut and beans are allowed for Passover and they are called Kosher for Passover Kitniyot. The word Kitniyot means legumes which differentiate it from the normal Kosher for Passover which contains no legumes at all. Therefore in Kosher certification of products, the terms Kosher for Passover and Kosher for Passover Kitniyot are used to indicate a product's Passover status.

KOSHERING OR KOSHERIZATION
The term Koshering or Kosherization is a creation of modern English referring to the process of changing the status of equipment which had been used with non-kosher ingredients or products, to use with kosher ingredients or products.

MASHGIACH
Mashgiach in Hebrew refers to a kosher supervisor, a rabbi, one who is trained to supervise kosher food and ingredient productions.

MEHADRIN
Mehadrin refers to the most stringent level of kosher supervision.

PASSOVER
Passover or Pesach in Hebrew - is the Jewish holiday commemorating the exodus from Egypt, observed around March, April or May depending in the Jewish lunar calendar.

NON-PASSOVER - CHOMETZ
Chometz refers to food products containing any grain (wheat, barley, rye, oats, or spelt) or grain derivative, not specially prepared for Passover use. Jews are allowed to eat grain products but they have to be prepared under strict guidelines so as not to become leavened.