Kosher Encyclopedia

Passover is one of the three major Jewish holidays. 88% of Jews, regardless of whether they identify as traditional or secular, participate in a Passover Seder. Forty-eight percent of Jews eat only kosher food during the week-long holiday. Passover dietary regulations are also very strict, and many coffees are now prohibited during Passover.

The OU, which has certified 400,000 products, is considered the world's most recognized and trusted kosher symbol. Its original standard for coffee certification was that all unflavored, decaffeinated, conventional coffee could be kosher for Passover without further regulation. However, this has changed because some coffee companies are adding maltodextrin to their coffee. Maltodextrin is either full chametz (fermented grains, prohibited by Passover) or kitniyos, prohibited by Ashkenazic traditions. However, the coffee beans themselves are considered kosher foods.

Many Ashkenazi Jews (Jews of Northern European descent, not the Sephardic Jews of Spain and Portugal) do not drink coffee during Passover. All observant Jews avoid chametz, which are fermented grains, including leavened bread, cakes, noodles, millet, and, worse still, pizza and alcohol. Askenazic Jews also list a list of forbidden foods—called kitniyot ("little things")—including corn, peas, peanuts, rice, lentils, and beans.

Kosher consumers can still purchase coffee during Passover, but they should check carefully to make sure the manufacturer has not added chametz.