Kosher meat is more expensive due to special handling and the need for trained professionals to ensure compliance with Jewish dietary law. The rules are complex, and even if an animal can be eaten, its meat may not be kosher if it is diseased or injured. The slaughter process, known as shechita, must be performed by a pious Jewish member who respects the animal’s life. Some cuts require special handling, and the cost is considered an acceptance for assurance of correct preparation. Quality is not guaranteed, so some may choose regular meat.
Kosher meat tends to be more expensive than meat that isn’t certified kosher because it requires special handling. Like other specialty food items, kosher meat requires the attention of trained and highly experienced professionals and also needs the attention of a religious official who can confirm that the meat complies with Jewish dietary law or kashrut. The rules surrounding meat in the Jewish tradition are quite complex and very specific.
One problem with kosher meat is that even when an animal comes from a species that can be eaten, its meat may not necessarily be kosher. After animals have been slaughtered, they must be inspected to confirm that they are free from disease or injury. If the animal has been injured or sick, the meat is treif and cannot be eaten, even if the meat would pass a food safety inspection. There is also some debate in the Jewish community about glatt kosher meat; in some Jewish communities, especially the lungs must be free from defects in order for the meat to be certified as glatt, which requires the animal to meet additional standards.
The kosher slaughterhouse itself, known as shechita, is also somewhat complex. It must be performed by a member of the Jewish faith who is trained to perform the procedure, is pious, and who respects the life of the slaughtered animal. It also has to be done in a certain way, by slitting the throat while the animal is conscious, with the meat manipulated so that it is completely drained of blood. A butcher or ritualist must learn a number of stringent codes before performing ritual slaughtering.
Some types of meat may require special handling. For example, some cuts need to be porged, in which tendons, veins, and fat are removed. Instead of handing out these cuts, some kosher slaughterhouses choose to market the meat non-kosher, which can make these cuts difficult to obtain when people need them.
Special handling needs to keep kosher meat separate from that which is not kosher, and the special training required of people who work with kosher meat adds to the expense. For pious Jews who wish to observe the dietary law, this expense is considered an acceptance in exchange for an assurance that the meat has been handled and prepared correctly. Kosher meat is not necessarily of the best quality, so Jews and less faithful Gentiles may choose to purchase regular meat if available.
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