Guidelines
Lactose Intolerant
Can I buy Lactaid for Passover? Lactaid production is likely to involve chometz. This renders chewable lactaid tablets problematic. However, our Rabbinical authorities have decided that lactaid milk is permissible if purchased before Passover since any chametz contained within Lactaid milk would be nullified (batel). Lactaid non-chewable tablets are more complicated. Many rabbinical authorities permit […]
Baby Rice Cereals
There is possible chametz in most baby rice cereals, so the OU cannot recommend them for Passover use. However, there is no problem owning rice and making your own cereal from brown rice or non-enriched white rice over Passover. One should make the cereal using a special non-Pesach, non-chametz pot, and this special pot (and […]
Nutritionals and Dietary Supplements
PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING POINTS: Many of the products contain kitniyot, some as the primary ingredient. Some of the products may contain minor ingredients that are possibly, though unlikely, produced from chametz-based raw materials. All such ingredients are used at a less than 1:60 ratio. Liquid versions of these products are preferable to their powdered […]
Wine
Please note that not all OU wines are certified for Passover use. Some wines, are flavored and colored and may contain Kitniyot, and therefore are not marked for Passover use. The vast majority of OU certified wines are OU-P. Please be sure to check your wine products before purchasing.
Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages must bear certification to be used for Passover. There are numerous issues involving what the alcohol is made from, the equipment it is produced in, and the fermentation process itself. We encourage all Kosher consumers to find alcoholic beverages with reliable certification or to abstain for the eight days of Passover.
Gluten Allergies
Regretfully, because one can only perform the mitzvah of eating matzot at the Seder with a matzah that is made from one of the five varieties of grain (barley, wheat, rye, oats, and spelt), eating matzot using any of the other flours that are gluten free would still not enable one to fulfill the mitzvah. […]
Quinoa
Quinoa, the grain-like seed grown in South America, is Kosher for Passover when processed with special OU Passover supervision and bearing the OU-P symbol. Rabbi Genack, CEO of OU Kosher, has released the following statement: “It is only recently that quinoa has become popular outside of its high-altitude growing area in the Andean mountain region of South America. Known for […]
Toothpaste, Mouthwash and Lipsticks
Oral hygiene (toothpaste, mouthwash) & flavored lip treatment (lipstick, lip balm) products: Rabbinical authorities disagree as to whether kosher certification of these items is required (both for Passover and year-round). Consult your Rabbi. Please see product pages in the Passover Guide for OU certified products.
Coffee and Tea
All unflavored ground coffees are acceptable for Passover use when bearing an OU. Decaffeinated coffee: Coffee is often decaffeinated by means of ethyl acetate, which is derived from either kitniyot or chometz. Certain brands of decaffeinated coffee are approved when appearing a regular OU symbol. Please check the OU Passover product search or consult the OU Passover guide for a complete list. […]
Spices
Ground spices require Passover certification. They can be processed on equipment that contains chametz and can also be adulterated with kitniyot or chametz.