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To be kosher, a fish must have both fins and scales. The lack of either characteristic renders that species of fish unkosher. Examples of unkosher fish include shark, catfish and eels. All shellfish, such as clams, oysters, crabs, lobster, and shrimp are not kosher. All sea mammals, such as dolphins, whales and seals are not kosher. All other sea animals, such as octopus, squid and jellyfish are also not kosher.
Seaweed and other sea plant life are all kosher.The kashrut of swordfish and sturgeon are controversial, as they have scales as young fish, but lose them later in life. Orthodox authorities have ruled that these fish are not kosher, but many Conservative rabbis rule that they are kosher.
Fish is not considered to be meat, but rather neutral or 'pareve'; however, the laws of kashrut require fish and meat to be consumed separately. Unlike the separation between milk and meat, a separate set of dishes is not required, but dishes must be washed in between. Thus at a Sabbath meal, where traditionally there is a fish course and a meat course, there will always be a separate fish fork and fish plate, to avoid having the inconvenience of rinsing mid-meal. The Beth Yosef also forbids eating fish with dairy products; though most authorities attribute this to a printing error, some (particularly Sephardi Jews from Syria) follow this ruling.
Eggs from kosher birds are kosher; they are also considered pareve (neutral, neither milk nor meat). Traditionally, eggs are examined in a glass cup to ascertain that they contain no blood. Eggs containing blood in the white may be used according to Sephardi halakha if the blood can be removed, but the egg must be discarded if any blood is found on the yolk. Ashkenazim generally do not distinguish between blood in the white or on the yolk. Partially-formed eggs found inside slaughtered birds may be eaten, but they must undergo the same process of blood removal as the animal, and these eggs are considered to be fleishig (status of meat) in Ashkenazi Judaism.
Most such goods are usually permissible since manufacturers add only water and spices during the packaging process. Sometimes, however, fruits or vegetables are prepared with milk products or with non-kosher ingredients such as non-kosher meat broth. Orthodox Judaism thus holds that canned and frozen goods should generally not be consumed unless there is a hechsher (mark of rabbinical certification of kashrut) on the product. Conservative Judaism often is more lenient, and holds that a careful reading of the ingredients is sufficient.
Products made from grape juice, including wine, are only Kosher if produced by Jews. This is said to derive from the ritualistic religious use of wine by nonJews (as well as Jews); an entire vinyard, or an entire pressing of the grapes would be dedicated to a god other that that of the Jews, and if some of the product would find its way to be consumed by Jews, or even used for Kiddush, that would constitute idolatry or sacrilege. In order to provide a safety margin, all wine or grape juice from non-Jewish sources was therefore prohibited, even if it could be reasonably assumed to be free from such theological taint, and that prohibition continues to the present day.
Questions of Kashrut also crop up regarding items which are not themselves consumed. For instance, production of aluminum foil requires the foil be squeezed between two rollers at tremendous pressure, to ensure constancy of thickness. Since the foil would retain toxic residue if it were lubricated with petroleum-based lubricants during this process, lubricants derived from animals or plants must be used. In the past, tallow or lard were often used, which would leave a residue on the foil rendering it nonkosher. However today, use of these products is economically unfavorable compared to use of vegetable-derived lubricants.
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