Kosher shopping trip

AZSN: Jewish people in the Tucson area who have trouble figuring out how to shop kosher are invited to a free grocery shopping excursion with a rabbi. Rabbi Eliezer Eidletz, head of the national Kosher Information Bureau and author of the book "Is it Kosher?" will lead a grocery-shopping trip at 11:15 a.m. Sunday at the Safeway at 4752 E. Sunrise Drive, near North Swan Road. Fruits and vegetables are "inherently pure" and would be consistent with Jewish dietary laws, but other foods are more problematic. Eidletz will explain kosher symbols and identify food additives and other ingredients that are not compatible with Jewish dietary laws. Specific foods that are prohibited under Jewish dietary law include pork, game, horse, shellfish, fish without scales and snakes. Slaughtered animals must be specially prepared: The animal's throat is cut, and the meat then is salted and washed. Also, pure and impure foods cannot be mixed, meaning that utensils and cookware that touch prohibited foods cannot touch allowed foods. Dairy products and meat may not touch each other and will not appear in the same meal. The seminar will last about an hour and is free of charge, but pre-registration is recommended. Call the Southwest Torah Institute at 747-7780 for more information, or e-mail choftetz@flash.net.