From the Rav’s Desk: List of Kosher for Pesach foods and products 5782

Question: [Wednesday, 12^th Nissan, 5782]

Can you provide a list of products and foods that do not need to be kosher for Pesach?

Answer:

Most processed foods require special certification for Pesach as innocent as they may seem due to that Chametz is commonly used in the processing of many different foods, either for the sake of fragrance, taste, or texture, and likewise due to that many foods are processed in Chametz food lines and in areas that contain flower. Nonetheless, there are some foods that are not known to have any Chametz involved in their processing, and hence do not need to be kosher for Pesach, which we will list below. The following is a partial list that we have been able to compile. It is beyond the scope of this list to include all products, and we have not included in the listing a list of known Chametz or Kitniyus products.

Foods and products that are considered kosher for Pesach and do not require a special certification:

*Listed in alphabetical order

The following foods and products from the letter of the law do not need to be kosher for Pesach, either due to them not being processed at all, or due to them not being processed with any known Chametz ingredient, or due to not being an edible product. [By those products and items in which some are nonetheless stringent to avoid, we have noted this in brackets]

1. Air freshener
2. Alcohol gel [some are stringent]
3. Alcohol for sanitation spray [some are stringent]
4. Alvera gel for topical use [on skin]
5. Baby oil
6. Baby wipes-no alcohol
7. Baking paper
8. Bags-sandwich, garbage
9. Balloons [the powder is made from Talc and not Chametz or starch. One can simply verify with dabbing it with iodine and seeing if it turns blue.]
10. Bleach
11. Bug spray
12. Bug repellent
13. Chapstick-unflavored [many are stringent especially by flavored, and so is proper to follow. However, pure Vaseline is valid]
14. Charcoal Lump [in contrast to briquettes]
15. Chicken-Unprocessed not cut by butcher shop.
16. Cleaning sprays
17. Coffee-Ground/Turkish coffee [excludes instant coffee which must be certified for Pesach]
18. Cologne that does not list ethyl alcohol in its ingredients. If it does, from letter of law may be lenient, although many are stringent to sell.
19. Conditioner [some are stringent]
20. Cosmetics, including facial creams and non-grain body oils. [some are stringent]
21. Cream-hand and body [some are stringent]
22. Deodorant [some are stringent]
23. Detergent for laundry
24. Detergent for dishes [many are stringent and so is proper to follow]
25. Dental floss-unflavored.
26. Eardrops
27. Eggs [some wash off the stamp before Pesach]
28. Essential oils 100% pure, that are not edible, or are edible but are not produced using solvent extraction.
29. Eyedrops
30. Fish-fresh unprocessed
31. Frozen vegetables, except for artichoke
32. Gas
33. Garlic-Fresh [whether cured through drying and sold without stalk or completely fresh with stalk intact, in contrast to garlic powder or garlic flakes]
34. Gloves-powderless
35. Lipstick-unflavored [many are stringent, and so is advised]
36. Lotion-hand and body [some are stringent]
37. Marijuana-Medically grown in Israel
38. Meat-Unprocessed not cut by butcher shop.
39. Medicinal creams.
40. Medicine tablets and pills that are swallowable without taste. [Many are stringent, unless is a real need. May check for validation on Kosher for Pesach listing[1]]
41. Mouthwash [many are stringent, and so is advised]
42. Nail polish remover with acetone [is valid even if contains hydrolyzed wheat protein]
43. Oil for lighting
44. Olive oil 100% extra virgin from reliable producer
45. Oven stain remover
46. Perfume that does not list ethyl alcohol in its ingredients. If it does, from letter of law may be lenient, although many are stringent to sell.
47. Plastic plates
48. Plastic cutlery
49. Plastalina
50. Plastic cups
51. Rubbing alcohol made from isopropyl.
52. Rubbing alcohol made from denatured
53. Sanitizing lotions
54. Shampoo [some are stringent]
55. Shoe polish.
56. Skewers-wood and metal
57. Slime
58. Snuff-dry [for smelling, although some are stringent]
59. Soap-for body/hands. [some are stringent]
60. Soap-for dishes. [many are stringent, and so is advised]
61. Starch for ironing-if corn based
62. Straws
63. Styrofoam plates
64. Talc/Talcum powder
65. Tea-unflavored [remove the paper holder by string-may contain starch]
66. Tissues [not used for food]
67. Toilet paper. [Don’t use for food]
68. Toilet soap.
69. Toothpaste [many are stringent, and so is advised]
70. Toothpicks-unflavored
71. Vaseline-100% petroleum jelly.
72. Water [some are stringent to filter]
73. Window cleaning spray.

Foods and products that need a kosher for Pesach certification:

1. Alcoholic beverages
2. Aluminum foil
3. Aluminum baking pans
4. Alvera gel for oral use
5. Baby wipes-with alcohol
6. Baby cereal
7. Baby food
8. Baking powder
9. Candies
10. Canned foods-Pickles, olives, corn, etc etc
11. Caramel
12. Carob powder
13. Cereals
14. Chapstick-flavored [some are lenient]
15. Cocoa powder
16. Charcoal briquettes [some are lenient]
17. Chocolate
18. Cheese
19. Chewing gum
20. Cigarettes [although some are lenient]
21. Citric acid
22. Cloves
23. Coffee-instant or granulated
24. Date honey/syrup
25. Dental floss-flavored.
26. Dressings for salad
27. Dried fruits
28. Energy drinks
29. Essential oils that are edible [need verification that was not produced using ethanol in solvent extraction method] or are not 100% pure essential oil.
30. Fish-Processed or frozen
31. Food coloring
32. Gelatin powder
33. Gefilte fish
34. Gloves-with Powder [may check with iodine]
35. Ice cream
36. Jam
37. Ketchup
38. Lemon juice-processed
39. Lipstick-flavored [some are lenient]
40. Liquor
41. Maple syrup
42. Materna for babies
43. Mayonnaise
44. Margarine
45. Meat-processed, such as: cold cuts, beef jerky, ground meat or chicken, Israeli frozen meats
46. Medicine- Chewable or syrups. [Unless is Sakana. Must check for validation on Kosher for Pesach listing[2]]
47. Mushrooms
48. Napkins [see below by paperware]
49. Nuts-roasted [in contrast to fresh]
50. Oil for eating [except 100% pure extra virgin olive oil]
51. Olive oil that is not 100% extra virgin or is not from reliable producer
52. Paperware, including paper plates, paper cups, Paper bags, Tissues used to wrap foods, Paper Napkins, Paper rolls, paper towels, Paper lining. [One can check himself at home if they contain starch by dabbing them with iodine/polydine. If they turn blue in color, do not use. If not, then they are free of Chametz and may be used.]
53. Peanut butter
54. Perfume that contains ethyl alcohol in its ingredients [although some are lenient].
55. Pet food
56. Plastic gloves. [May test with polydine]
57. Plastic tablecloths [May contain starch, can check using iodine]
58. Play dough
59. Pudding-ready made and instant
60. Rubbing alcohol made from non-denatured ethanol.
61. Rum
62. Salt
63. Sardines
64. Sodas
65. Soup powders
66. Soy sauce
67. Soy milk
68. Spreads-chocolate, date, carob, etc
69. Spices
70. Sugar
71. Sugar-powdered
72. Starch for ironing-if not corn based
73. Tobacco for smoking [some are lenient]
74. Tomato sauce
75. Toothpicks-flavored
76. Tuna-canned
77. Vinegar
78. Vitamins [Must check for validation on Kosher for Pesach listing[3]]
79. Vodka
80. Whisky

Sources: See our new edition sefer “The laws & Customs of Pesach” as well as the listing in Kosharot website

[1] https://www.clalit.co.il/he/medical/pharmacy/Documents/list_of_kosher_medicines_2022.pdf

[2] https://www.clalit.co.il/he/medical/pharmacy/Documents/list_of_kosher_medicines_2022.pdf

[3] https://www.clalit.co.il/he/medical/pharmacy/Documents/list_of_kosher_medicines_2022.pdf