QUESTION: Is one permitted to broil a piece of kosher meat in the same oven as a piece of non-kosher meat?

ANSWER: Obviously, if the non-kosher meat might touch the kosher meat, or if juices from the non-kosher meat might splatter onto the kosher meat, the kosher meat would not be permitted. Also, if the pieces of kosher and non-kosher meat are placed on the same grill or spit, the kosher meat would absorb non-kosher flavor from the grill and would be forbidden.

But what if the pieces of kosher and non-kosher meat were placed on separate racks and kept far apart from each other? The only cross-contamination would be the aroma (reicha) of roasting meat that would pass from one piece to another. Do we view this aroma as taste or is aroma something that would not affect the kosher food? This point is a matter of disagreement in the Gemara (Pesachim 76b). The ruling of Shulchan Aruch (YD 108:1) is that lechatchila (before the fact) one may not roast kosher meat in the same vicinity as non-kosher meat if the aroma will reach from one to the other. The same restriction applies to any kosher food which is baked or roasted in an oven with any non-kosher food. However, if this was already done, bedieved (after the fact) we consider the aroma to be intangible and the kosher meat may still be eaten.

This discussion pertains only to dry foods, where the concern is one of reicha. However, if the items are cooked in liquid in the oven, there is an additional issue of zeiya (steam), which is beyond the scope of this discussion, and a rabbi should be consulted.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.