Kosher foods are prepared and served according to the dietary laws of the Jewish faith. Kosher slaughter is a specialized function performed by some meat packers. Meat for the Kosher trade must come from animals slaughtered by a Rabbi or a trained representative called a shochet. The Kosher method of slaughter involves slitting an animal's throat and bleeding it without first rendering it unconscious. Kosher practitioners believe this method to be humane if the animals are handled gently, although this is debated. There are other requirements of Kosher slaughter, including the Rabbi's inspection of the carcass.

The original intent of Kosher slaughter included humanness as an essential aspect. Complications arise due to the fact that USDA's sanitary regulations prohibit contact of the animal's cut surface with the slaughterhouse floor. To comply with this requirement, slaughterhouses may shackle animals by the leg and hang them upside down prior to slitting their throats. While this may not present a problem when an animal has been properly stunned, it can cause severe injury to animals and workers when, as in Kosher slaughter, the animal is still conscious. An alternative, more humane method, that satisfies both the requirements of Kosher slaughter and of the USDA, is the use of a specially designed pen that keeps the animals propped up off the floor, even after their throats are slit, through the use of a belly lift rail between their legs. Some slaughterhouses make use of this alternative while many do not.

Some of the meat found in conventional markets derives from animals slaughtered by Kosher methods since the hindquarters of an animal are never sold as Kosher and these parts are, therefore, sold in regular channels. Approximately five percent of all animals are slaughtered by Kosher methods. The percentage of individual plants that perform Kosher slaughter is higher than five percent since the smaller plants are more likely to offer this service than the larger ones.