Articles

By Rabbi Dovid Cohen, Administrative Rabbinic Coordinator

Q. Is it true that pots, fruits, and medicines might be coated with something non-kosher?

A. There are many items which are coated, and there is much halachic discussion as to whether one must be concerned about the kosher status of those coatings.  It is beyond the scope of this article to detail those points, and instead we will provide some basic direction based on generally accepted positions.

Pots and pans: Part of the process of producing pots and pans includes putting oil or fat onto the surfaces as a lubricant.  In most cases, this does not pose a kashrus concern, but there are two potential exceptions.  One is pre-seasoned cast-iron pans, where edible oils or fats are heated in the pan at the factory with the intention that they remain present.  Many will only use these pans after kashering them (and the kashering should be performed by placing the pan into boiling water (hag’alah)*.  A second one is disposable foil pans which are greased before they are “stamped” into shape, so that the machine will be able to press the metal into shape without ripping it.  Most assume that, nonetheless, the disposable pans remain permitted, but some are particular to only use those pans which are certified kosher (i.e., the grease is known to be kosher).

Fruits and vegetables: To maintain the moisture and improve the appearance of certain fruits and vegetables (e.g., apples, bell peppers, cucumbers, peaches, and tomatoes), a coating might be applied to them before they are shipped to the store.  The functional part of the coating is a wax, typically carnauba wax or shellac (a.k.a. confectioner’s glaze).  Carnauba wax is not kosher-sensitive, but some consider shellac non-kosher since it is an excretion of an insect.  However, most follow the ruling of Rav Moshe Feinstein who permits shellac.**  Other potential kashrus concerns are the alcohol and emulsifiers used as part of the coating process, but for several halachic reasons most do not consider these to be an issue.  In the United States, there are almost no fruits or vegetables that come with kosher certification for their coatings, and some who choose to be strict will have to remove the coating (by dunking the fruit into boiling water for 10 seconds and then scrubbing it with a towel).

Medicinal tablets: It is generally accepted that medicinal tablets are permitted (regardless of what they are made of) since they are inedible.  Sometimes, a tablet will be coated with shellac, which, as noted above, most consider to be kosher, but some do not.  At other times, the tablet will be coated with a sweetener (e.g., sugar) which does not pose a kashrus concern but will sometimes be Pesach-sensitive.  On rare occasions, a tablet will have a flavoring added to its coating (which would be indicated in the list of inactive ingredients); whether that should be a reason to avoid the tablet depends on several factors and is something that consumers should discuss with their Rabbi.

Paper and plastic: Many paper and plastic items, such as plates, cupcake holders, and crockpot liners, are coated, but it is generally assumed that these coatings do not pose a kashrus concern because they are innocuous, batel, and/or inedible.  One exception is Quilon-coated baking/parchment paper, which should only be used with hashgachah.

This article first appeared in the Let’s Talk Kashrus column, Yated Ne’eman, September 20, 2024.

*For more information on cast-iron cookware, please see the first article here: https://consumer.crckosher.org/publications/sappirim-22/.

**For more information on shellac, please see https://consumer.crckosher.org/publications/shellac/