The Passover Food Guide
ALMOND MILK: Requires Passover certification
Shelf-stable boxes - not refrigerated - original and unflavored of Rice Dream Classic, Soy Dream (even though it says Enriched), and Almond Breeze – THESE SPECIFIC VARIETIES ONLY are approved for Passover. Other varieties have a hamets concern.
● Califia Almond Milks – Are not approved for Passover as they also produce oat milk. The gluten-free label does not mean hamets free, as oats are pure hamets!
DID YOU KNOW A senior Rabbi in the OK had related to me how he had seen a Rabbi approve on a Pesah list a specific brand of Milk Substitute. It turns out that this was under the OK and actually contained Oat Milk with a ratio that is forbidden according to all. However, it was not mentioned in the ingredients as it is used as a thickening agent.
ALMOND FLOUR AND ALMOND MEAL: Require Passover certification or approval. Kirkland Almond flour is approved. Blue Diamond under the OK is approved.
BABY PRODUCTS: Require Kosher for Passover certification.
● First Choice Baby Food: Require OU-P it comes in varieties of Applesauce, Carrots, Pears, and Sweet Potatoes.
● Beech-Nut or Gerber baby food can be made with hamets and are not approved for Passover as oat-based products are produced on a daily basis.
● Baby FORMULA bearing a plain OU is approved for Passover, (including Gerber).
● Pedialyte: (Pediatric Electrolyte) bearing a plain OU is approved, as are all flavors of CVS, Shoprite, and Walgreens brands approved without Passover certification.
BAKING SODA: (Bicarbonate of Soda) Approved without Passover certification; however, one should use a new box.
BAKING POWDER: Requires Passover certification.
BEANS: Fresh beans: May be used by all Sepharadim.
● Canned beans: Requires Passover and year-round certification and according to one’s custom.
● Dried beans: Are acceptable without Passover certification and according to one’s custom; however, they need to be checked at least once before Pesah and rinsed before use. Special care must be taken when purchasing from companies that produce a cholent or other bean mix, which contains barley and is on the same production lines as plain beans.
BUTTER: Requires Passover certification.
BAKING SPRAY: Requires Passover certification as it may contain grain.
CANDY AND CHOCOLATES: Requires Passover certification.
● Nutella and Kinder Chocolate (Ferrero Brand) require Kosher for Passover certification. bearing OU Kitniyot. Note: there are other products by Ferrero that do not bear an OU.
CEREALS: Requires Passover certification.
● All cereals made from the five grains are, of course, hamets. In addition, many cold cereals such as Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies are hamets since malt is added to them. It is not responsible to purchase even those cereals in which the listed ingredients are 100% kosher for Passover, as there is no supervision in a facility that produces hamets on a daily basis. Secondly, they contain ingredients that are in constant contact with grains that are real hamets.
● You can find many cereals in the Supermarket Kosher for Passover aisle; however, be sure to check for Passover certification. Most are made from Tapioca or potato starch or from finely ground Matsa flour.
CHEESES, Yogurt, Labne, Cream Cheese, Sour Cream, Chocolate Milk require Passover certification as cultures, flavorings, etc. may contain hamets. In general, cheeses and dairy products are different than plain milk and, therefore, always require a reliable year-round certification, not just a plain K or a non-approved symbol.
COCOA:
● Any 100% pure powder (product of America or Canada): is approved without Passover certification. Any other ingredient or additive, such as a premix of dextrose, requires certification.
● Cacao Beans or Nibs: Approved without Passover certification.
● Hot cocoa mix: Requires Passover certification.
COCONUT:
● Coconut Milk: Requires Passover certification.
● Coconut Oil: Cold Pressed virgin coconut oil is approved without Passover certification. According to leading opinions, it is also approved without kosher certification all year round. Common available brands is Kirkland Organic Virgin with the Star-K.
Other refined coconut oils requires Passover certification.
● Coconut Chips, Flakes, and Coconut Flour: Requires Passover certification. Coconut Secret - Organic coconut Aminos are approved for Passover.
COFFEE: One should not go into a coffee shop on Pesah to purchase a coffee, as hamets is all over the place and the equipment.
● Fresh ground coffee, Nespresso, or K-Cups - unflavored - are approved without Passover certification.
● Decaffeinated coffee/tea: Requires Passover certification .
● Instant coffee: The following instant regular coffees are approved without Passover certification - Via Starbucks, Nescafe, Taster’s Choice, and Delima. Folgers coffee - regular and decaffeinated are approved.
● Elite, Sanka, and Maxwell House come with Kosher for Passover certification.
● Brewology and The French Press have a line of decaf and regular certified kosher for Passover available on their website.
● Iced Coffee and Cold Brew: Should be either approved or certified for Passover.
● Coffee Substitutes: Requires Passover certification. Postum, Roma, or Teeccino contain grain and may NOT be used for Pesah.
● Coffee Creamer: Requires Passover certification.
CORN STARCH: Argo brand is approved without Passover certification.
COOKING SPRAY: (Not Baking Spray!) Extra Virgin and light Olive Oil cooking spray without any additives is approved without Passover certification.
● Avocado Oil or Grapeseed Oil: Requires Passover certification. Pompeian brand is approved without Passover certification. Chosen brand Avocado Oil bearing an OU is approved without Passover certification.
NOTE: Be sure to check cooking spray for Passover status and for DAIRY status.
DAIRY PRODUCTS:
● Milk: Many common brands come as Kosher for Passover and are, of course, better to use. Milk companies add vitamins that may be derived from hamets and/or pasteurized on equipment that produces other products; therefore, one should purchase milk with Passover certification. If that is not available, then one should purchase the milk prior to Pesah.
● Lactaid Milk may be used only when purchased before Pesah. Lactaid drops and caplets are more questionable and shall be asked on a case-by-case basis.
● Powdered Milk: Requires Passover certification.
● Almond Milk, Coconut Milk: Requires Passover and year-round.
EGGS: Of course, plain raw eggs (with their natural oval and pointed shape) in the carton do not require Passover certification; however, egg substitutes or liquid eggs require Passover certification. Common brands available with Passover supervision – Kinneret, Healthy Morn.
EGGPLANT – DRIED: Require Kosher for Passover certification. These are imported from Turkey and collected from different villages. The importer informed us, and it was verified by a Rabbi of AKO [Association of Kashrut Organizations] located in Turkey that the local women scoop them out and hang them to dry on a string. If there is a rush to get them dried out, wheat flour is added to draw out the moisture! Although they can be approved for year-round use, however, understandably, these cannot be recommended for Passover. Japanese eggplant is an acceptable alternative - they are very long and slender and can be easily cut in half and scooped out.
EXTRACTS: Almond, Lemon, Orange, Vanilla Imitation, Vanilla Pure require Passover Supervision.
FISH:
● Canned Tuna: The following brands with Kosher for Passover are available – BenZ’s, California Delight, Dagim, Dag-Yam, Gefen, Glick’s, Mishpacha, Shoprite, and Season.
● Canned Salmon: Salmon and water, is approved without Passover certification. (It is noteworthy that there are different levels in hashgacha of fish (See Publications / Classes — Jersey Shore Orthodox Rabbinate (jsor.org).)
● Fresh fish: Whole fish and fillets are approved without Passover certification. Any fish purchased is required to be bought with skin having scales on it or kosher certification with a double seal if purchased from a non-Shomer Shabbat.
● Frozen Fish: without additives or spices is approved without Passover certification. In general, all year round, fish requires either visible skin with scales attached or Kosher certification. When there are additives, such as in some Ahi Tuna that contains sodium citrate listed on ingredients, it is not recommended.
Kirkland frozen salmon with an OU is approved.
FLOUR: Of course, wheat, oat, etc. flour is forbidden on Pesah. However, the question is, what substitute can we use? Matzo meal Kosher for Pesah is available in Shmura and regular, but many are interested in other healthy options. Here is a list of guidelines:
● All alternate flour requires Kosher for Passover certification, such as Quinoa, Chia, Coconut, Potato Starch and Tapioca Starch.
● Almond Flour: Requires Passover certification. However, Kirkland Signature Almond flour (from San Francisco) is approved without Passover certification.
● Almond Meal: Requires Passover certification. In addition to equipment, there is also concern about anticaking agents. Blue Diamond brand is approved without Passover certification.
● Raw Maca Root powder: Approved without Passover certification.
● Cassava flour: Requires Passover certification. Otto’s Cassava flour under the OU is approved for Passover; one can find it on their website.
FRUITS:
● Fresh-cut fruits from a fruit department are approved for Passover and year-round. See JSOR Produce Guide to ensure that they are bug-free.
● Canned fruits: Fruit in its own juice and water with no other additives is approved without Passover certification. If there are any other additives, syrup or anything then it requires Kosher for Passover certification.
● Frozen fruits: plain fruit with no additives is approved without Passover certification. Insect-prone varieties such as strawberries must have, in general, a kosher supervision see JSOR Produce Guide for guidance on berries.
● Dried fruits: Without any other ingredients and naturally dried, essentially are kosher. However, with modern technology, some dried fruits are infused with coloring, flavoring, or gelatin. Additionally, some are dried in a dehydrator, or heat source and would require general Kosher Supervision.
For Pesah, dried fruit often share the same production lines as actual hamets, which are not cleaned off in between runs. Additionally, it has been seen in foreign countries that flour sacks are used to gather dried fruit.
Therefore, dried fruit such as dried apricots, raisins, peaches, and dates requires either approval on specific brands or purchase with Passover certification.
Medjool Dates: from anywhere are approved without Passover certification. Other dates would require certification as glucose can be added.
Note: Dates should be split open and checked for insects.
● Dehydrated fruit: Require Passover certification as well as all year round.
● Goji Berries: Due to much infestation, they cannot be used at this time.
Banana chips: Require Passover certification as well as all year round.
GARLIC PEELED: Christopher Ranch and spice world are approved.
GLUTEN-FREE PRODUCTS: As the gluten-free demand has increased, there are many types of gluten-free and paleo cakes, cookies, crackers, and even ‘matsah look-alikes’ that are produced year-round; however, they will always require Passover certification. Gluten is a property found in wheat, barley, spelt, and rye and is not the definition of hamets. Gluten can be removed from wheat and yet entirely hamets. Oats that are gluten-free are pure hamets, or other minor ingredients may be present in the item or in production. Gluten-free means that it is free of the gluten aspect of the grain; however, some grains, such as oats, are naturally gluten-free, but they are 100% HAMETS. To understand this even better, scotch which is produced from grain, can also be considered gluten-free, however definitely hamets! See beyondceliac.org.
GRAINS: Of course, products with wheat, barley, spelt, oats, and rye are all hamets until proven otherwise. However, kitniyot, for Sephardim, throughout our Sephardic communities, there are several different customs in regard to which type or in which form kitniyot (legumes) may be consumed. Follow your family custom of which kitniyot – legumes - to eat. A partial listing of kitniyot would be Rice, Corn, Beans, Sesame, Millet, Buckwheat, Chia Seeds, Flax Seed, Hemp Seed, etc. If it is according to one’s custom, they may be used after being checked at least once before Pesah, and rinsed before use. Rice is required to be checked three times before Pesah. When purchasing dried legumes from companies that also produce barley on the same lines and or cholent mix, we must be extra vigilant in checking and rinsing spices.
GRAPE LEAVES: Require kosher for Passover certification or approval. Orlando brand is certified by the OK and has runs of certified for Passover - OK-P.
Note. Other brands of grape leaves are preserved in brine, which may contain hamets vinegar or may have citric acid from a hamets origin. Please note: All grape leaves are to be washed carefully on both sides under running water.
HONEY: Both for Passover and all year, pure honey from commercial sources essentially does not require certification. However, as there is no legal definition of raw honey and as honey sometimes crystallizes, it can be heated to a degree that is more than halachically cooked and still be considered raw. In the United States, honey can be made at home and, therefore, be heated in their regular (non-kosher) pots. Honey from China or even from Canadian or Mexican importers can be from bees that are being fed corn syrup, not nectar, but even have been found with added corn syrup or liquid cane sugar added. Backyard beekeepers need to be first researched before purchasing. Larger companies with their own honey house are, as of now, ok to buy from, even without a Kosher certification.
JUICES:
● Lemon Juice: Unsweetened ReaLemon and ReaLime are approved for Passover. Other brands require Passover Supervision.
● Frozen Concentrate: Orange, Lemon, and White Grapefruit unsweetened grade A concentrate without additives is approved for Passover and year-round.
● Refrigerated Juices: Requires Passover supervision.
● Prune Juice: - Gefen and Sunsweet are approved with Passover certification.
KETCHUP: Requires Passover supervision as it contains vinegar, which can be made from hamets sources. There is a Kosher for Passover Heinz Ketchup available from England with KF kitniyot.
LIQUORS: All alcoholic beverages or liquors require Kosher for Passover certification. Since time immemorial (perhaps the etz ha’daat), wheat and barley grain have been the best at producing the most potent alcohol. The production process of alcohol for vodka involves enzymes and yeasts, which may be from hamets. Therefore, even corn or potato vodka require Passover certification.
Maple Syrup: Pure only is approved without Passover certification when coming from commercial sources such as the Kirkland brand.
MARGARINE: Requires Passover certification.
MARSHMALLOWS: Requires Passover certification as well as year-round. Marshmallows contain gelatin and, without certification, are produced from non-Kosher animal or fish sources. The misconception that since gelatin is acceptable, according to some opinions, is not justified where there is no responsible supervision on the item purchased. It is interesting to note that Hacham Ovadia Yosef’s namesake Kosher certification, “Badatz Bet Yosef,” does not give certification on gelatin!
MATSA:
A wheat-free diet would be simple to describe. However, the mitzvah of Pesah is to eat wheat – just prepared, so it is not hamets. Therefore, the greatest level of care is needed for the production of kosher for Pesah wheat products. Baruch Hashem, there are many good reliable matsot available on the market. For the Seder, one should make sure to purchase ‘Shemurah’ matsot. For a more detailed understanding, please see article on page……
● One must be aware that the matsa “for year-round use” has the status of hamets, therefore, make sure to check the marking that it is specifically certified for Passover.
● For those with wheat allergies, Oat and Spelt matsa is also available by special order. These are also available as Matsa Shemura for seder use.
MAYONNAISE and Mustard: Requires Passover supervision as they contain vinegar, which can be made from hamets sources.
MEAT is preferable to purchase after one’s butcher koshers. However, any ground and processed meat are required to be purchased only after one’s butcher koshers, as it is common for butchers to work with hamets ingredients in and around the meats.
Deli, hotdogs, and other prepared products require Passover certification.
NON-FOOD PRODUCTS: All Aluminum Foil, Foil tins, Styrofoam, cling wrap, wax paper, parchment paper, soaps, shampoo, detergents and cleansers, paper, and plastic dishes, and cups are acceptable without Passover certification. However, it is worthy to note that shampoo made of oats or other grains should be avoided on Pesah.
NOODLES: Requires Passover certification. Be very careful of look-alikes! Today there are many non-wheat varieties of noodles, such as from rice, chickpeas, and others; however, unless they can be verified as acceptable, one should not use them. Rice noodles should not be used without Kosher for Passover Supervision.
● Rice noodles, Brown Rice noodles, Shirataki Noodles, Hearts of Palm noodles, and Chickpeas noodles may seem benign; however, they do require certification due to minor ingredients and equipment issues.
● Tinkyada rice, brown rice and quinoa pasta bearing a COR certification is approved for Pesah. The products which are of brown rice do not contain enrichment.
NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT: Requires Passover certification.
Ensure Plus, Glucerna 1.0, Boost (glucose control and High protein), Ensure - without Fiber only are approved for Passover; however, Ensure, Glucerna, Pediasure, and Jevity products contain oat fiber. The OU has determined that this oat fiber is not chometz, and the products may be consumed on Pesach.
NUTS:
● Most whole, slivered or chopped raw nuts without additives are approved for Passover unless the label says (or allergen warning) ‘packaged in a plant that processes wheat’ as those would not be approved for Passover or unless specific approval is stated for that company. Midget Pecans and Pecan Pieces, even raw, require Passover certification.
● Kirkland Signature Raw Almonds, Pecans, and Pecan halves and Walnuts are approved without Passover certification (even with allergen warning).
● Trader Joe’s Raw and Great Value Pecan halves are approved without Passover certification.
● Blanched Nuts: Requires Passover certification or verification of that specific company through their certifying agency, as the same water and equipment may be used with hamets.
● Roasted Nuts and seeds: Requires Passover certification.
OILS:
● 100% Pure Extra Virgin and Light Olive Oil: bearing an OU is acceptable without Kosher for Passover certification.
● Mazola brand Cottonseed, Corn, Soybean, Safflower, Walnut, or Vegetable oils bearing an OU and Wesson oil bearing an OK symbol are approved without Kosher for Passover certification.
Canola oil is subject to discussion of possible wheat mixture in its early stages; however, with modern processing equipment that sorts out foreign matter, it is more reliable. If one would like to be stringent, they may use the other oils.
Available oils such as cottonseed oil, with Kosher for Passover Supervision as marked from common brands, are Gefen, Mishpacha, Rokeach, Bartenura, and Hain.
● Chosen brand avocado oil and Pompeian grapeseed oil is approved for Passover.
● Unrefined Nutiva Red Palm oil bearing an OU is approved for Passover.
ORAL HEALTH:
● Toothpaste: In general, there is discussion if toothpaste requires kosher supervision, and many opinions are lenient. However, when it comes to Passover, some are stringent due to the nature of hamets on Pesah. Aim, Close-Up, Colgate, Pepsodent, and Ultrabrite, all varieties of these brands are without questionable ingredients.
● Mouth-wash: Colgate (all), Listerine, Cool mint, Total Care Zero, Ultra Clean Antiseptic, and Zero; Scope (all) are without questionable ingredients.
● Dental floss - Even waxed is approved.
PIZZA & PASTA: Of course, it must be produced Kosher for Passover either from matsa meal or potato starch. (See Noodles for more info)
PET FOODS:
● Fish food: Many pet foods contain hamets. Since we are forbidden to derive any benefit from hamets, we may not feed any pets varieties that contain hamets ingredients. Krill fish food is approved. Other fish foods often contain meat and milk ingredients and are forbidden for use the entire year.
● Alfalfa, Sunflower seeds, split corn, or millet are recommended for feeding birds.
● There are cat and dog food brands available that do not have hamets or the prohibited mixture of meat and milk. A detailed list can be found on the Star-K or cRc website.
PICKLES: Require Passover supervision as it contains vinegar.
POTATO CHIPS AND SNACKS: Requires Passover certification.
PRUNE BUTTER: Requires Kosher for Passover certification. Haddar produces a prune jam Kosher for Passover.
One can purchase prunes such as Sunsweet, which may be cooked in water and blended with an immersion blender to achieve delicious fresh prune butter.
QUINOA: Requires Kosher for Passover certification as quinoa is often processed in the same facility as wheat and barley. Common brands with Kosher for Passover certification are Goldbaum’s, LaBonne, Pereg, and Sugat.
Quinoa Flour requires Kosher for Passover supervision.
Quinoa can be infested, and therefore, one can check using a sifter, shaking it over a white sheet or white plate, and then looking at the plate to see what fell through.
RICE: The staple of the Sephardic Passover diet is Rice. The #1 question before Pesah is which rice is good?
It has been our custom throughout the generations to check all rice three times before Pesah. Due to crop rotation and shared equipment, this is relevant until today, although equipment to remove any non-rice pieces has improved cleanliness. Please be advised that I remember personally when wheat grains were found in rice, so check carefully.
Secondly, many brands of rice are enriched. The enrichment is comprised of vitamins that can be derived from hamets sources. Although it has been clarified that enriched rice is Halachically acceptable, as the amount of possibility of hamets-derived sources is very minute, if one can choose to avoid the question without much expense, then of course, for Pesah, every effort is worth it.
All unenriched, raw, white rice is approved. These include long grain, short grain, Basmati, and Jasmine. Please note: Some companies repack, so check on the package if it states allergen info as packed in a wheat facility, then it is not approved. Rice packaged overseas does not come with enrichment as it is unique to America, where they require enrichment for processed rice that is stripped from its vitamins.
● Unenriched, raw, white rice is approved - long-grain and short-grain.
● Most Jasmine and Basmati Rice is unenriched and approved unless otherwise stated on package as enriched.
● BYL (Rabbi Moshe Cohen) and Star-S have a special run of unenriched Carolina rice certified for Passover. Note: The rice yet requires checking.
● Brown rice – Has no enrichment. One must take more care when checking for wheat kernels as it is more difficult due to the similarity in color. Additionally, one must be vigilant for infestation, as it is more common in brown rice.
● Pure wild rice: which looks like short black sticks, is from the grass family, not a legume at all, and is approved without Passover certification; however, NOT wild rice mixes.
SALT: Regular and Coarse salt with no additives are approved for Passover.
● Himalayan Salt: and Peruvian varieties are approved for Passover if pure and there are no additives. NOTE: artificially colored salt is not approved.
● Salt substitute: Require Kosher for Passover certification. Freeda Free Salt, No Salt or Spice of Life No Salt/No Sugar must have KP marking.
SPICES: Ground spices: Requires Passover certification as free-flow and anti-caking agents are added in which dextrose is a common ingredient.
Whole spices in new packages are approved without Passover certification. One should not buy from open spices in stores unless they were careful of cross-contamination of hamets. Whole arrowroot, cloves, peppercorns, and the like are approved for Pesah. Cumin and Coriander: require Passover certification as it was found to have, at times, hamets mixed in.
SELTZERS: Unflavored seltzer is approved for Passover-like water, as the carbonation may be kitniyot based. Flavored Seltzers require Passover certification. Vintage Seltzer has been researched and approved for Pesah when bearing a P.
TONIC WATER: Requires certification for Passover.
SODAS: Sodas may have hamets in the flavoring base, especially caramel color; therefore, they require Passover certification. Many varieties are available in two liters from Coca-Cola Classic & Diet Coke. It comes with a distinct yellow cap marked with an OUP. Dr. Browns (Kof-K P) Pepsi products must bear a Kof-K P on the cap, and in Florida, the Kosher for Pesah bottles are marked with ORB-P.
SOUP MIXES: Requires Passover certification. NOTE: containers bearing a “P” are often identical to the year-round variety.
SOY FOODS: Requires Passover certification. While actual soybeans are permissible for most Sepharadim, products made of soy, such as soy sauce, commonly have wheat or derivatives of grains mixed in. TVP and Tofu require Passover certification as they are produced through extraction methods that use grain alcohol.
SUGAR: Any pure white granulated cane sugar is approved for Passover, as long as dextrose or glucose is not listed in the ingredients, as these may be derived from barley or wheat.
● Brown Sugar: Domino’s and bowl and basket (shoprite) are approved for Passover.
● Confectioners’ Sugar: Requires Passover certification or approval as it contains 3% starch which is ok if from corn, however when sourced from other countries, it may be from wheat starch.
Domino’s Confectioners’ sugar is approved for Passover.
● Raw Sugar: Raw Cane Sugar is approved.
● Coconut Sugar: Requires Passover certification or approval. Coconut Secret Organic coconut Aminos are approved for Passover.
● Vanilla Sugar: Requires Passover certification as it may contain grain alcohol.
● Organic Cane Sugar: Approved without Passover certification.
SUGAR SUBSTITUTES: Require Passover certification.
● Equal & Splenda: Require Passover certification. Gefen and Leiber’s has available for Passover.
● Pereg Zero Calorie, Truvia Brown and Cane Sugar Blend, Sweet n’ Low, Stevia: Requires Kosher for Passover certification.
● Agave Nectar: (a natural sweetener) Requires Passover certification.
● Pure Maple Syrup: from commercial sources is approved without Passover certification (see Honey).
SUSHI - NORI: Sushi Maven and Sweet City are approved for Passover without certification. Note: Nori always requires a good Kosher certification as it is typically produced amongst sea creatures.
TEAS: Unflavored, non-herbal regular tea bags (Black, Green, and White tea leaves) are approved without special Kosher for Passover certification.
● Decaffeinated varieties require supervision. Salada caffeine-free contains hamets.
Exception: Lipton Decaf and Swee-Touch-Nee 97% Decaf are approved for Passover.
● Herbal Teas flavored Require Passover supervision.
Available brands that have an OU-P are Bigelow, Swee-Touch-Nee, Herbal, and Wissotzky many varieties.
TOMATO PASTE AND SAUCE: Requires Passover supervision due to flavored varieties of paste and sauce now being produced.
TOOTHPASTE: Year-round, there is discussion if toothpaste requires kosher supervision, and many opinions are lenient. However, when it comes to Passover, some are stringent due to the nature of hamets on Pesah. All varieties of Aim, Close-Up, Colgate, Pepsodent, and Ultrabrite, of these brands are without questionable ingredients.
Did you know?
Throughout the year, canned tomato products require reliable supervision; it has been discovered that certain packers of tomato products were producing tomatoes with non-kosher Romano cheese sauce and then producing the crushed tomatoes, with no cleaning in between! Understandably this is not acceptable.
TUNA: See Fish
VEGETABLES: Canned Vegetables: Green Giant green beans are approved without kosher for Passover certification.
Several years ago, a new lighter cuisine heralded the introduction of frozen pasta and vegetable mixtures. For frozen vegetables to hold well, they blanch or flash-cook them. There are some companies that blanch their veggies and other items, too; sometimes, pasta blends use the lines, and minor additives are often added. Some companies purchase processed vegetables from another source and put their own label on the package. Codes provided by the companies proved inaccurate, and the information was confusing. Therefore frozen vegetables require Kosher for Passover certification.
● Yerek Brand Frozen Vegetables: under BYL (Rabbi Moshe Cohen) has available Kosher for Passover: Green beans, Cut Beans, French Cut Green Beans, Green Peas, Peas & Carrots, cut corn, Mixed Vegetables, Baby Lima Beans.
● Frozen: BYL and Star-S supervise Yerek brand for Passover. Thanks to them, the most important of all, peas and beans will again be available for the Sephardic Community, including Peas, Green Beans, Mixed Vegetables, Lima Beans, and Cut Corn. Several Israeli brands are also marked Kosher for Passover ‘for those who consume kitniyot’.
● Mika brand, Shams, and Galil are approved for Passover use. Artichoke bottoms use citric acid in the wash, which has been confirmed by the certifying agency year-round that it is exclusively from a corn-derived source.
Several companies have other frozen vegetables Kosher for Pesah, including checked broccoli, cauliflower, and spinach.
NOTE: Any insect-prone vegetables require proper certification that they are free of insects.
● Packaged or bagged Pre-Washed Vegetables: Are approved without kosher for Passover certification.
● VINEGAR: Requires Passover certification as it can be derived from grain. Rice vinegar or other kinds of vinegar can also have mixtures of hamets. Cider vinegar: Requires supervision in general and Passover supervision as additionally, the nutrients may be derived from hamets.
Water: Does not require Passover certification. SmartWater, LifeWater
There are waters that contain many additives, including sodium citrate, which may be from a hamets source. Water can be bottled and on the shelf in stores within five hours of production. Therefore, such water is recommended to be purchased before Pesah.