Halal vs Kosher

Diffen › Philosophy › Religion › Judaism

Halal and Kosher are terms often heard in the context of meat and dairy, and although it's common knowledge that the terms refer to guidelines on what can be consumed and what cannot, few know what either really means, let alone how they differ. "Is this kosher?" has become a common expression that has transcended the context of religion and food to the point that it simply means "Is this acceptable?" in a colloquial sense.

Halal and Kosher refer to what's permitted by Islamic and Jewish religious laws respectively. Halal is an Islamic term that means lawful or permitted. Although halal in a broad sense can refer to anything that's permitted by Islam, it's most often used in the context of permissible dietary habits, specifically when it comes to meat consumption. Kosher is a similar term used to describe food that is proper or fit for consumption according to Kashrut, the Jewish dietary law. This comparison will restrict itself to the context of religious dietary laws.

Comparison chart

Halal versus Kosher comparison chart
	Halal	Kosher
Introduction	Ḥalal is anything that is permissible according to Islamic law. The term covers and designates not only food and drink as permissible according to Islamic law, but also all matters of daily life.	Kosher foods are those that conform to the regulations of kashrut, the Jewish dietary law. Kosher also describes anything that is permissible and fitting for a Jew.
Guidelines	Follows Islamic dietary law	Follows Jewish dietary law
Etymology	“Halal” in Arabic means permissible or lawful.	Derived from the Hebrew word “Kashrut,” which means proper or fit.
Roots	Quran	Torah
How to Slaughter	Quick and swift at single point on the throat; blood has to be completely drained.	Quick and swift at single point on the throat; blood has to be completely drained.
Slaughterer	Animal must be slaughtered by a Muslim. With certain conditions, an animal slaughtered by a Jew or Christian ("Ahla e Qitab" or People of the Book) can also be considered Halal.	Animal must be slaughtered by a Jew.
Prayer	Requires prayer to Allah before every slaughter.	A blessing is said before and after the slaughter.
Fruit & Vegetables	Considered Halal	Considered Kosher only if there are no bugs in them.
Meat & Dairy	Can be consumed together	Cannot be consumed together
Alcohol	Prohibited	Allowed. Religious leaders encourage moderation. For wine to be considered kosher, the entire wine-making process must be supervised or handled by Sabbath-observant Jews. Also, all ingredients must be kosher.
Products	Animals raised and slaughtered humanely, according to Islamic guidelines. Halal certification. Most Kosher, Vegetarian, and Vegan products are permissible.	Animals slaughtered according to Jewish law. Kosher certification on meats and processed foods. All fruits and vegetables, grains, legumes, in their natural state which have been found free of insect infestation.
Meat	Herbivorous land animals (except for domestic donkeys), birds (except for crows and birds of prey), certain insects, and all kinds of seafood are permitted.	Mammals that have split hooves and chew their cud. Birds that are not listed as forbidden by the Torah and which have a custom of being eaten by one's community. Fish that have fins and scales . No other creatures except certain locusts.
Processed food	Permitted	Must be supervised by kosher authorities to be sure no non-kosher ingredients.
Dairy	Permitted	Only from kosher mammals.
Reasons for permitting/forbidding specific foods	Religious	Religious.

Origin

“Halal” is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permissible. Halal food is food permitted for consumption according to the Islamic dietary law as dictated by the Quran. Foods that is not permissible is called haram meaning unlawful or prohibited.

The word” Kosher”, meaning proper or fit, originates from the Hebrew word “Kashrut”. Food that conforms to the Kashrut, the Jewish Dietary law is said to be kosher and fine for consumption. Kosher laws are derived from the Torah.

These dietary laws don't just restrict themselves to a the specifics of a type of food, but also include how the food is prepared for consumption, and what other food can or cannot be eaten in combination with it.

Meat Guidelines

Permissible Meat

According to Islamic law only certain types of meat are considered to be clean for consumption:

All Cattle
Sheep
Goats
Camels
All types of buck
Rabbits
Fish
Locusts

All animals other than fish and locust are considered halal only when they are slaughtered according to certain guidelines.

Which foods are kosher?

Kosher law disallows eating some animals; and for those that may be eaten, there are rules for how to slaughter and which part of the animal may be eaten. The following are permitted:

Animals that have hooves split in two and chew the cud. e.g., cows, sheep, goats and deer are kosher. Other animals — like rabbits, pigs, dogs, squirrels, cats, bears, horses and camels — are not kosher.
Birds like chicken, goose, duck, turkey and even pigeons are kosher. Predatory and scavenger birds are not kosher.
Fish that have fins and scales like tuna, salmon, carp, herring, flounder and pike.

Forbidden Meat

Islamic law prohibits certain animals and meat products to be haram or unlawful:

Meat not slaughtered according to Islamic Law
Animals whose blood is not fully drained.
Pig and other by products.
Donkey & Mule
Dead animals
Carnivorous animals
Birds of Prey
Any marine animals except for fish.
Amphibians
All Insects except for Locust.
Animal Blood & Reproductive organs
Pancreas & Gall Bladder

The following animals and meat products are not considered kosher according to Jewish Dietary law:

Animals not slaughtered according to Jewish law.
Animals whose blood is not fully drained.
Camel
Pig
Rabbit/Hare
Predatory and Scavenger birds
Shellfish, catfish, sturgeon, swordfish, lobster, shellfish, crabs and all water mammals
Rodents
Reptiles and amphibians
Milk, eggs, fat, organs obtained from prohibited animals.

Slaughter Guidelines

Meat is considered to be halal if it is clean, lawful and slaughtered with certain guidelines:

The slaughterer should be Muslim.
The animal should be prayed over before slaughter.
The knife must be sharp to minimize pain.
The throat of the animal is cut and the knife may not be lifted before the cut is complete.
The Trachea, Esophagus and both jugular veins must be severed or at least three of the four arteries must be severed for the meat to be Halal.
All the blood should be drawn from the animal.

For meat to be kosher, the animal is slaughtered following certain guidelines:

The “Shochet “or slaughterer should be Jewish with knowledge of Jewish laws.
The slaughter should be a quick, deep stroke with no nicks.
All blood should be drawn from the animal.
The lungs of the animal are inspected to make sure there are no defects to deem the meat Kosher.

Kosher and Halal Certification

Halal certification agencies like the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America ensure that halal certified food is widely available in the United States.

Kosher certified food is widely available with certifications conducted by various agencies spread across the United States.

A collection of halal (left) and kosher (right) certification symbols.

Other Food

According to Islamic law, intoxicating plants, food additives derived from prohibited food, alcohol, and other intoxicants are not halal.

Fruits and vegetables are kosher according to Jewish law as long as they have no bugs. Grape products made by non-Jews are not kosher.

Further religious guidelines for food consumption

According to Islamic dietary law, dairy, yogurt and cheese should be produced from halal certified animals. Gelatin in yogurt and rennet in cheese should also be halal.

Jewish dietary laws state not only meat and dairy cannot be consumed together but they also need to be cooked in separate utensils. There cannot be a common set of utensils to cook meat and dairy.