Ask the Rabbi Title kosher pet food Question your response is quite enlightening. However, I would some clarification - if the meat is not kosher or not G'Shochten, is it still Basar Becholov, still Asur Behanna?? Answered by: Rabbi Katz Your question is an excellent one. There is basis for the opinion that it is permitted to cook nevielah-meat of a kosher animal that was not g'shochten-with milk. Similarly it would be permitted to have hanaah from such a mixture. The basis of the heter is the dictum "ain Issur Chal al Issur"-once somthing is assur it cannot becom more assur. However,it should be noted that the Torah prohibits the eating of nevielah-cooking and deriving benefit from nevielah is permitted. Not so Bassar Bchalav. As such the Issur of bishul and hanaah created by mixing the nevielah meat with milk creates an entirely new degree of Issur. See Yoreh Deah siman 87 Pischei Tshuva #7 where the matter is discussed at legnth and where a number of prominant acharonim are quoted, including the Nodeh Byhudah, Pri Megadim and Chasam Sofer who conclude that such a mixture is in fact prohibited. As such, the use of Basar Bchalav pet food is, in the opinion of many great acharonim assur midiorysah. Return. Question of the Week pet food Question I have heared that pet foods may require hashgacha. Is this true? why must animals eat kosher? Answer Halacha recognizes two types of forbidden substances. Isurei Achilah, forbidden food from which benefit may be derived so long as they are not eaten and Isurei Hanaah, substances from which we may not benefit in any way. Nearly all pet food contains non-kosher animal proteins. However, it is important to note that while it is certainly forbidden to prepare or serve these pet foods with kosher utensils, one is permitted to feed them to his animals. Check the ingredients! Many pet foods contain beef protein as well as a milk derivative such as casein, rendering the mixture Bassar V'Cholov, a classic example of Isurei Hanaah, which we may not feed to our animals.It should be noted that chicken protein combined with a milk derivative is Bassar V'cholov Derabanan-which is not considered Isurei Hanaah and may therefore be fed to Jewish-owned animals. Most pet foods contain Chometz, another example of Isurei Hanaah. They should not remain in Jewish possession during Pesach.Due to the complexity of the many ingredients one should not rely upon a reading of the ingredient panel or an inquiry with the company to detirmin if a given pet food contains chometz. For year-round use I cannot say that hashgacha is a requirement-provided that the ingredients are checked for Bassar V'cholov. However, the use of an approved product will certianly rule out the danger of unwittingly purchasing a Bassar V'chalav product (the lables are quite similar) and benefiting from it-an Issur D'oraysoh. Evanger's brand of dog and cat foods is approved for pets by the Chicago Rabbinical Council. Though it is not kosher,the CRC certifies that it is free of Bassar V'chalav and Chametz.