- ANIMALS: Only the meat of certain animals are kosher. These animals can be identified as having split hooves and chewing their cud – animals such as cows and sheep. There are many kosher animals such as deer, buffalo and others, however ALL animals must be slaughtered in a very specific ritualistic manner to be certified as kosher. And only a trained professional called a “shochet” may perform the slaughter.
NOTE: All liver must be broiled before use in recipes, because of a prohibition against ingesting blood.POULTRY AND OTHER FOWL: We know which birds are kosher by means of tradition. The Torah lists which birds are not kosher. However, we are not sure of the exact translation of some of these species from the original Hebraic text in which the Bible was written. Therefore, only birds known by tradition to be kosher are considered so. This includes chicken, duck, turkey, quail, Cornish hens, doves/pigeons, geese, and pheasant.
NOTE: Poultry and fowl are considered to be meat and thus prohibitions against mixing dairy products with them applies.
Also, birds must be slaughtered in a very specific ritualistic manner as with all meats to be certified as kosher. Again, only a trained professional called a “shochet” is permitted to perform the slaughter.
NOTE: All liver must be broiled before use in recipes, because of a prohibition against ingesting blood.FISH: All fish with scales and fins are kosher – fish such as tuna, carp, whitefish and salmon are kosher.
All other seafood is NOT kosher such as all shellfish; shrimp, lobster, clams, oysters, scallops, etc. and crustaceans (crabs, crayfish/crawfish, etc.). Also, scavengers “bottom-feeders” such as catfish & monkfish are not kosher.
NOTE: Kosher fish are not ritually killed.FRUITS, VEGETABLES and GRAINS: All fruits, vegetables and grains are kosher. The one exception is with special laws pertaining to grape products. See below, WINES.
A plain “OU” symbol or “OU-Pareve” symbol indicates a kosher pareve product, which contains neither dairy nor meat nor any dairy or meat derivatives. It also verifies that the product was not made on equipment that is also used for making dairy products. (This is the OU’s standard; some other certifying agencies do not require dairy-free equipment. Also, please make sure you read the full post!) Vegetarians and vegans should take note that this does not guarantee the product is free of fish, eggs, or honey. 
An “OU-D” or “OU-Dairy” symbol indicates a kosher dairy product, which contains a dairy ingredient or a dairy derivative, or was made on equipment also used for making dairy products. So a kosher dairy certified product can be dairy-free by ingredients.
An “OU-DE” symbol stands for “dairy equipment,” and means the product does not contain any ingredients with milk or milk derivatives, but it was made on dairy equipment.
An “OU-M” symbol or an “OU-Glatt” symbol indicates that the product is Kosher meat. Since meat and dairy cannot be mixed under kosher dietary laws, kosher meat certified products must also be dairy free. However, these products aren’t suitable for vegans and vegetarians.- An “OU-F” symbol indicates a Kosher product with fish ingredients. Fish is a tricky area. It’s considered pareve, and thus can be mixed with milk-containing ingredients.
- An “OU-P” symbol means kosher for passover. With the orthodox union certification, this also means kosher pareve. But some certifiers might certify products that are kosher for passover but not kosher pareve. In other words, a product with just a “P” on the kosher symbol, rather than “Pareve” spelled out, could contain dairy, depending on the certifying agency.
Quick FAQ on Kosher Symbols and Certification
Where will I see the kosher symbol? If a product is kosher certified, the symbol is often in small type on the bottom front of the package. But it can be printed in other places on the packaging.
Why is there a “DE” for dairy equipment if “D” can also mean dairy equipment? There doesn’t seem to be a cohesive answer to this. Logic would tell us that the DE emerged to separate dairy equipment products from ones that actually contain dairy. But most products without dairy ingredients that are made on dairy equipment still use “D” instead of “DE.”
Do you have a list of kosher symbols? There are dozens of kosher certification agencies worldwide. Fortunately, Kashrut.com has a quick list of Kosher Certification Agencies with sample symbols and contact information.
If a product is pareve, does that mean it was not made on dairy-free equipment? Not necessarily. It does mean the product is made without any dairy or dairy derivatives, but the strictness of a pareve designation can vary between certifiers and even among rabbis. Usually, if dairy equipment is used, it must have an approved cleaning process to achieve pareve status. That said, many certified kosher pareve products are made on dedicated dairy-free equipment.
Why do some pareve products have “may contain” statements for milk? A company might still choose to use a “may contain” statement for milk if they believe there is a possibility that traces of milk could still get into the product at some stage in productions. See our “May Contain” Guide to understand this voluntary labeling better. I’ve also included an explanation from the Orthodox Union in the next section.