Parve Classification of Bovine-Derived Collagen: A Halakhic Analysis

In accordance with contemporary halakhic determinations, Aletacollagen adheres to the position endorsed by leading kashrut certification authorities—most notably the Orthodox Union (OU)—regarding the classification of collagen derived from bovine hides. This position maintains that collagen extracted from cowhide may be categorically designated as parve (neutral) and consequently incorporated into dairy preparations without transgressing the biblical prohibition against mixing meat and milk.

This halakhic determination finds its foundation in the authoritative responsa of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (1895-1986), one of the preeminent poskim (halakhic decisors) of the twentieth century. Rabbi Feinstein's careful analysis concluded that collagen (including gelatin) manufactured from the hides of properly slaughtered (shechted) and koshered (through the meticulous process of salting to remove blood) cattle undergoes a substantive transformation that alters its halakhic status.

The reasoning behind this ruling involves sophisticated application of the principle of "panim chadashot" (a new entity) wherein the extensive processing required to extract collagen from hides constitutes a fundamental transformation of the source material. This transformation is so complete that the resulting substance no longer retains the halakhic identity of its source, thereby rendering it parve rather than meaty in classification.

This position represents a nuanced interpretation of talmudic principles concerning davar ha-ma'amid (a substance that causes congealing) and the conditions under which substances derived from animals may be conceptually separated from their origins for purposes of kashrut classification.