18 Foods That Don’t Require Special Kosher for Passover Certification (2017 UPDATE)

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Today I’m sharing 18 food products that do not require a special kosher for Passover certification (hechsher). This is not an exhaustive list, so be sure to consult the various Passover guides for more products.

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18 Foods That Don’t Need Kosher for Passover Certification

Disclaimer: I am sharing information that was found primarily in the OU 2017 Guide to Passover. If a different source was used, I note it below. As always, I’m not a rabbi, nor do I play one on the Internet. If you have any questions, the best person to ask is your rabbi!

Baking Soda — OU- and Star-K-certified baking soda is permissible without special KLP certification.

Cocoa Powder — Hershey’s OU-certified, regular (not special dark) cocoa powder does not need a special Pesach hechsher. (Star-K says that all domestically produced cocoa can be used. Consult your rabbi if you have questions.)

Coconut Oil — Virgin Coconut Oil from Spectrum is acceptable for Passover when bearing the regular OU symbol. Special KLP certification is not required. You can also purchase the Trader Joe’s Organic Coconut Oil when certified by the BCK, without a special P.

Coffee — Unflavored, ground coffee that has a hechsher year-round is acceptable for Passover without special certification. In addition:

• K-cups, Vue cupss, Bolt packs and Single Serve Coffee that is unflavored and not decaffeinated is also acceptable when bearing and OU symbol.
• Folger’s and Nescafe Taster’s Choice Instant coffee are acceptable without special Passover certification.
• Folger’s Decaffeinated Instant coffee is also acceptable without special certification.
• All other brands, types and flavors require special certification.

Eggs — Whole and raw eggs, including pasteurized eggs, do not require a KLP hechsher. Eggs should be purchased before yomtov begins.

Frozen Fruit — Frozen, unsweetened, additive-free (without syrup, citric acid, ascorbic acid, or vitamin C), whole, sliced or formed fruit may be used without any certification, KLP or otherwise. However, fruit that may be infested (e.g., strawberries) may only be used year-round, including on Pesach, when bearing an approved symbol. No additional Passover symbol is required for frozen fruit on Pesach.

Juice Concentrate — OU-supervised unsweetened orange and white grapefruit juice concentrate may be used without special Passover certification. No additives or enrichments (eg. calcium) may be present. Bottled juices, on the other hand, require a KLP hechsher.

Lemon & Lime Juice — ReaLemon and ReaLime Juice (reconstituted) certified regularly by the OU is acceptable without a special KLP hechsher.

Meat & Poultry — Kosher-certified meat and poultry (fresh or frozen) in its original manufacturer packaging are inherently chametz-free year-round, and should not require any additional special supervision for Passover. This does not apply to ground meat and poultry, which may have additives. Meat and poultry should be purchased before yomtov begins.

Milk — Milk does not require a special KLP hechsher (nor a regular hechsher year-round). However, since milk contains added vitamins, which have a slight chametz risk, it is recommended to purchase your milk before Pesach.

Nuts — Raw whole, pieces or chopped nuts or nutmeal, with no preservatives or additives such as BHT or BHA, do not require a special KLP certification. Whole and half pecans also do not require KLP certification, but pieces do, per the Star-K. Peanuts are considered kitniyot by many.

Olive Oil — All extra virgin olive oils are Kosher for Passover, as long as they have a regular OU hechsher. Regular olive oil does require a KLP certification.

Quinoa — Per the Star-K, quinoa is Kosher L’Pesach and is not related to the five types of chometz grains, millet or rice. However, this is a possibility that it will be processed in a plant that has chometz in it.  Therefore, only purchase the following brands to ensure that chometz was not processed in the same plant when bearing “Best By” date of 2/01/19 through 2/28/19:: Ancient Harvest (a/No P Required) White Grains Traditional Quinoa, Organic (12 oz. box, 27 oz. pouch) Inca Red Grains Quinoa, Organic (12 oz. box) Tricolor Grains Harmony Blend Quinoa, Organic (12 oz. box) (Page 13, Star-K Guide to Passover, 2017)

Raisins — OU- and Star-K-certified raisins are kosher year round, including on Passover, without special KLP certification as long as they do not contain oil in their ingredients.

Salmon — OU-certified Kirkland-brand Frozen Atlantic, no special KLP certification required. The OU-certified Kirkland-brand Wild Salmon is also acceptable with no special KLP certification, after rinsing with water.

Salt — Non-iodized salt does not require special Passover certification, nor does sea salt. Regular, iodinized table salt does require KLP certification.

Sugar — All white, granulated sugar is acceptable for Passover without special certification. Powdered sugar and brown sugar, on the other hand, do require a Passover hechsher. (During the rest of the year, brown sugar and powdered sugar — like white sugar — can be purchased without a hechsher.)

Tea Bags — Unflavored and not decaffeinated black, white and green regular tea bags that are regularly certified by the OU are acceptable for Pesach without special supervision.

Water — All unflavored bottled water is Kosher for Passover, even without any kosher supervision.

Looking for more information about products that don’t require special Kosher for Passover certification? See 43 Non-Food Items that Don’t Need a Hechsher on Passover.