Faqs

Q. What does it take to create "Gevinas Yisroel"?

A. In the times of the Mishnah, the Rabbis forbade the consumption of a non-Jew's cheese, even if all the ingredients are kosher. Such cheese is referred to as gevinas akum (a non-Jew's cheese), and there are two opinions as to what is required to render cheese as the permitted gevinas Yisroel (a Jew's cheese): Rema YD 115:2 rules that the Jew must see the production of the cheese, while Shach 115:20 argues that the Jew must either own the cheese or participate in its production.

Most Poskim accept the ruling of Rema, and, therefore, the baseline of kosher cheese certification is that a Jew must be present at the production to ensure that it is made with kosher rennet. [Rennet is the additive that causes milk to turn into cheese. The reason Chazal required gevinas Yisroel is to ensure that the rennet is kosher and not from the stomach of a cow which did not have shechitah]. Many hashgachos are also particular to satisfy the opinion of the Shach and will, therefore, insist that the Mashgiach is the one who puts the rennet into the vat of milk to convert it into cheese.