FAQPage

1. Q. What are enzymes ?

A. Any of a unique class of proteins that produce a biochemical reaction. Enzymes are formed in living cells. Their sources are either animal, vegetable, plant or synthetic.

2. Q. What ingredients should I look for on the label that could be pork
based ?

A. In investigating food ingredients the primary additives to look for are all mono-diglycerides, enzymes, gelatins, fatty acids, stearates, etc. There are too many to list in this statement, please refer to the Food Additives List for more information.

3. Q. Are all mono-diglycerides pork based ?

A. Not all of Mono and-Diglycerides are pork based. If it doesn't say on the label what type is being used, please contact the company and ask one of their Consumer Relations Representatives.

4. Q. What is Gelatin and is it pork ?

A. Gelatin is a protein obtained by boiling skin, tendons, ligaments or bones with water. It can be found in candies, marshmallow, cakes yogurts, ice creams, coatings for vitamins and medicine capsules, also in fruit gelatins and puddings. The sources are cows, pigs, or fruit skins. Not all gelatins are pork.

5. Q. Why should I care if my food has pork in it ?

A. According to the Word of God it states in Leviticus 11:1-8 "And the swine, though he divide the hoof, and be cloven footed, yet he cheweth not the cud(food brought up into the mouth to be chewed again) ; he is unclean to you." For more information click here for a video lesson about the Dietary Law.

6. Q. What questions should I ask when I send a letter to a company about a product ?

A. When contacting a company about a product's ingredients, ask for information concerning all ingredients made from animal sources, including all fats, oils, additives and flavorings.

7. Q. How do you determine whether a product is clean or not ?

A. A product is believed to be clean if it doesn't contain ingredients that are unclean according to the Word of God.

8. Q. What does the U circled, sometimes seen with a D (that is printed on the labels of some products) mean?

A. The circled U kosher symbol stands for the Orthodox Union; the circled K stands for the Kashrus Laboratories, & the D stands for dairy; when you see the "D" next to a circled K or U it means that the product contains a dairy ingredient. The D is used because some organizations believe that we are not suppose to eat meat and dairy together. We haven't found scriptures to support that claim. The word kosher (according to the above organizations) means fit or proper as it relates to dietary (kosher) laws. It means that a given product is permitted and acceptable. We at the IOG feel that it is best to research products ourselves rather than relying on the kosher symbols alone.

9. Q. I have read on various Jewish websites that it is unlawful to eat meat and dairy products together, is this true?

A. Exodus 23:19 says “Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk". In the 1999 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia, it states that Cattle aren’t ready for market until they are 18 to 24 months of age. During the first 6 to 8 months, beef cows NURSE THEIR CALVES.

Therefore, "Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk”, means if the "kid" (a young goat, calf or lamb) is still nursing do not seethe it. This does not mean that meat and dairy products are not to be seethed (to be boiled or cooked), eaten, nor stored together.

Genesis 18:8 says “And he (Abraham) took BUTTER, and MILK, and the CALF which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, And THEY DID EAT.”

10. Q. What is L-Cysteine and is it unclean?

A. We have had so many questions about L-Cystein (Cysteine L-form). L-Cysteine is an essential amino acid. It is derived from hair. Most often the source of the hair is HUMAN or HORSE HAIR, because of this it is designated as an unclean food additive. It is used in bakery products as a nutrient.

11. Q. Why is cochineal (carmine) an unclean additive, isn't it in the beetle family?

A. Please Click here for a detailed document about Cochineal.