JEWISH DIETARY RULES

No other religion has so many dietary regulations as the Jewish. Jewis h regulations include general rules and specific ones concerning selec tion of raw material for foods, slaughtering of animals, preparation a nd consumption of food, use of certain utensils, as well as rules for diets on certain days such as sabbath or feast days. In contrast to wh at has been frequently claimed, these rules are not merely of hygienic nature and derived from the experience and needs of people living in a warm climate, for whom they are a kind of consumer protection. Accor ding to theologists, the background of the rules is exclusively religi ous.