Kashrut: Dairy/Meat: Waiting between Eating: Dairy after Meat

You may not eat dairy-containing foods directly after eating meat-containing foods, for two reasons:
  • So as not to have meat stuck in your teeth when you eat milk-containing foods.
  • So as not to eat dairy foods while you still can detect the taste of the meat-containing foods in your system.
Note There are various customs on how long to wait after eating meat-containing foods to eat dairy-containing foods, including:
  • 60 minutes for Jews whose families originated in Holland.
  • 3 hours for Jews whose families originated in Germany.
  • 6 hours for most other Jews, with variations including 5 hours-1 minute, 5 hours-31 minutes, and 6 hours.
Note You do not need to restart the waiting period if you burp up meat long after you eat it.