Kashrut of Carnivorous Plants

Question

are there any kashrut issues in Halacha with eating carnivorous plants such as the Venus fly trap? If it’s not too much to ask, do any rabbanim here know of any discussions of this in Halakhic literature

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Answers

  1. The Just Ask! - AskTheRabbi.org Team

    Being “carnivorous” would not make a plant not kosher. The Torah tell us that all plant life is given to man to eat (Genesis 1:29), and we do not find any source which restricts any particular plant species.

    Your question is based on the idea that kosher species are those which are not carnivorous and do not prey on other animals. However, this is not always true. Although there are no kosher carnivorous animals, and preying on other living things is an indication that a bird is non-kosher, this is not the case with fish, for example. Many kosher fish eat other fish or insects. So, too, it is not a restriction on plants.

    Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team