From the Rav’s Desk: Hot hotdog fell on floor that may have contained dairy remnant

1. Question: [Tuesday, 19^th Tammuz, 5781]

I was barbecuing hamburgers and hotdogs in my Fleishig oven, and when I took out one of the Hotdogs to see if it was ready, it slipped from my fork and fell onto the floor. My question is whether it is Treif due to that my floor may have dairy dirt on it, or if it remains kosher and I can simply wash it off?

Answer:

Unless you know for certain that the area contained dairy remnant, you can consider it clean of any dairy substance and simply suffice with washing it off for hygiene purposes. Nonetheless, one who desires to be Mihader in Kashrus and not take any chances [due to his suspicion of the presence of dairy on the surface, even though this worry not Halachically mandated], may peel the outside area of the hotdog that touched the floor and discard the peel and may then eat the rest of the hotdog. This removing of the peel helps even in the event that one is certain that there was dairy on the surface of the floor where the hotdog fell.

Explanation: Many people ask the question as to what is to be done with hot meat or dairy food that falls onto the floor being that the floor is in essence Treif, and constantly gathers both dairy and meat substances due to spillage and the like. Nonetheless, in truth, we do not assume that there was a problematic substance on a surface, unless one knows for certain that there was, as we have a rule in Kashrus called Ein Machzikin Issura. Thus, if one knows that cottage cheese spilled on that area and was yet to be properly cleaned and mopped, then certainly if a hot meat product falls on it, it is problematic. However, so long as one does not recall such a thing, or one already went ahead and cleaned it and mopped it, then one does not have to assume that there is still dairy remnants there, and the food remains kosher. Now, even in the event that there was actual dairy substance on the floor, the meat would only be forbidden a peels worth, following the rule of Tatah Gavar. Practically, it would seem proper for those who are scrupulous in Kashrus to remove a peels worth from the food in all cases due to the chance that perhaps there was dairy substance on the floor, just as is done on Pesach, even though from the letter of the law this is not required at all, as explained above, unless one is certain of the presence of the dairy substance. However, seemingly in a home without children and without many people, in which spillage on the floor is a rarity and even after it occurs it is properly cleaned, then there is no need to worry at all even if one is Mihader in Kashrus.

Sources: See regarding Ein Machzikin Issura: See regarding salt that was near milk: Rama 95:5; Gr”a 95:25; Kaf Hachaim 95:62; See regarding stove grates: Chochmas Adam 45:15; Zivcheiy Tzedek 92:60; Kaf Hachaim 92:84; See regarding Tatah Gavar: Michaber 91:4; Michaber 91:7 [as explained in Shach 91:22]; Shmuel Pesachim 76a; Rashi and all Poskim rule like Shmuel [Beis Yosef 91]