Gevinas Akum

Q. What is Gevinas Akum?

A. Gevinas Akum refers to milk that belonged to a nochri and was made into cheese without Jewish involvement. Shulchan Aruch (YD 115:2) explains that Chazal prohibited Gevinas Akum out of concern that the cheese might be produced with non-kosher animal rennet. Rennet is an enzyme that coagulates cheese curd and causes the water to separate from the milk solids. Animal rennet is typically extracted from the stomach lining of a calf. If the calf was not properly slaughtered, the rennet is non-kosher. The Rishonim explain that although the amount of rennet used in cheese production is typically less than one part in sixty, the rennet is not batel because it is a davar ha’maamid (an ingredient that supports a change or transformation) which is not batel even bo’elef (1000 parts). Shulchan Aruch adds that all forms of Gevinas Akum are prohibited, even if the coagulant was an herb, rather than animal rennet. Chazal often enacted prohibitions in a uniform manner across the board to avoid confusion. This is known as “lo plug” (we do not distinguish between different situations).

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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.