Eating Non-Kosher Hides

Q. Is it permissible to eat hides of non-kosher animals?

A. The Rambam (Ma’achalos Assuros 4:18) writes that eating a non-edible, non-kosher animal hide is Rabbinically prohibited. However, a person who consumes an edible hide violates a Biblical prohibition. The Rambam (ibid 21) lists some non-kosher hides that are edible and have the full status of meat. One example is pigskin, which is edible, and indeed fried pork rinds are sold as a snack food. There are also certain areas of a cow hide which are soft, and these too have the status of meat. This halacha is relevant to the kashrus of gelatin and collagen which are derived from animal skins. Since non-kosher animal hides are forbidden (either Biblically or Rabbinically) it follows that gelatin made from such hides is forbidden as well. Some have argued that gelatin is kosher because the process of producing gelatin involves treating the hides with harsh chemicals that dissolve the fibers and release the proteins. At that point, the hides are completely unfit for human consumption, and the non-kosher status would cease. However, Igeros Moshe (YD 2:23) maintains that gelatin never loses its non-kosher status because the chemical treatment of the hides is an intermediate stage which leads to producing gelatin, which is an edible food item.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.