{"id":563,"date":"2016-03-21T18:49:38","date_gmt":"2016-03-21T18:49:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oukosher.org\/btus\/?p=563"},"modified":"2020-10-28T19:52:28","modified_gmt":"2020-10-28T19:52:28","slug":"double-double-toil-and-trouble-when-one-boiler-serves-kosher-and-non-kosher-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oukosher.org\/btus\/2016\/03\/21\/double-double-toil-and-trouble-when-one-boiler-serves-kosher-and-non-kosher-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: When One Boiler Serves Kosher and Non-Kosher Production"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the more challenging considerations when evaluating a factory that produces <\/span>both kosher and non-kosher is dealing with their shared utilities, such as a common boiler. If a factory produces both kosher and non-kosher products, even if the products are made on separate lines or in completely separate parts of the plant, this can still be problematic, if they share a boiler. If the steam or hot water that is used to heat the non-kosher kettles is returned to the boiler and then reused throughout the plant, in effect both the kosher and non-kosher kettles are being heated with the same water.<\/p>\n

At first glance, it would appear that a shared boiler would not pose such a great problem. After\u00a0all, the steam or hot water never directly touches any of the food; not the non-kosher food nor the kosher food. Rather, it simply circulates through the jackets of the kettles, always remaining segregated from the actual food. One might think that since the steam follows its own special path, never converging with the food, it will never become contaminated. However, kosher law dictates that we view the pot of food and the steam that heats it, as being cooked together. If the food is non-kosher, the steam will become non-kosher as well, and it may not subsequently be used to heat the kosher kettles.<\/p>\n

So what can be done to alleviate this concern? There are several options.<\/p>\n