Question: I heard that the OU gave
Kosher certification to a "Cheeseburger", which contains no dairy and
no meat, but rather is made from water, wheat protein, potato protein and
coconut oil. Isn't there a problem
of "Ma'arit Ayin" (the appearance of violating the prohibition) of
eating meat and dairy together?
Answer: It is permissible for two
reasons:
1. It is
true that our Sages decreed that one may not eat almond milk with meat unless
one leaves the almonds out for everyone to see (Rama, Yoreh Deah 87:3). Today, in many health circles, almond milk is
common. It's in most supermarkets these days (but one wouldn't notice if not looking
for it). Also, there are people who
routinely use almond (or rice or soya) milk as a Parve milk substitute or
because they are allergic or sensitive to milk.
Similarly,
today everyone has seen and knows about veggie burgers. There is therefore no
problem of "Ma'arit Ayin" of eating a veggie burger with cheese.
2.
We do not make new decrees. That which our Sages decreed is decreed, and that
which our Sages did not decree is not decreed. They did not make a decree
against eating Parve burgers with Parve cheese. Perhaps you will say that they
did not make a decree because such a thing did not did not exist at their time,
but it is included in the original decrees of "Ma'arit Ayin." The
halachic authorities explain that we do not make such an argument and it is not
included.
I
remember when I was a little kid and they invented Parve margarine. People ate
the margarine with meat and other people did not know what it was. Many people
were strict and put the wrapper on the table. There is also non-dairy creamer
which looks like milk. There is a responsum of Ha-Rav Ovadiah Yosef in Shut
Yechaveh Da'at (3:59) which permits these items because they are well
publicized and everyone knows about them.
Perhaps because this Parve "cheeseburger"
new, one such make a clear sign that it is completely Parve.
