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Kashrut Dairy equipement and Meat


Rabbi David Sperling

Av 2, 5774
I accidentally used a sauce that says "dairy equipment", but is certified parev (with a picture of meat on the package that is very misleading) to cook a meat dish in a slow cooker. I realized only the day after. Was the food kosher? Is the slowcooker kosher? Could there be a problem with the utensils used to cook and eat (it would have been hot at first contact I think). Thank you
Shalom, Thank you for your question. In order to answer your question we need to understand what is meant (halachically) by the term "made on dairy equipment". This term is commonly used by kashrut authorities to indicate that the parve food was made on (clean) dairy equipment and has the status of "nat bar nat". That is, the dairy taste has undergone two transfer stages – firstly the dairy was cooked in the pot, then, after the pot was cleaned, it was used to cook the parve food. This second stage of cooking transfers a very weak taste of the dairy to the parve food. What is the law of this food – may it be cooked with meat or not? This is a point of argument between the Sephardim and the Ashkanazim. The Sephardim rule that the dairy taste is so weak that it is permitted to mix it with meat. Accordingly, they would allow using the sauce made on dairy equipment in a meat recipe. The Ashkanazim rule that one should not mix even this weak dairy taste food with meat in the same recipe. (However, they allow eating it even immediately after meat food). None the less, after the fact, if someone did in fact mix it with meat, (as in your case) it may be eaten. So, in conclusion, parve sauce made on dairy equipment may be mixed and cooked with meat food if one is a Sephardi Jew. The Ashkanazi Jews must refrain from mixing the sauce with meat, but if it was mixed with meat (as in your case) the food, and utensils are all kosher. (And even an Ashkanazi may eat such sauce immediately after eating meat). Blessings.
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