Top Ten Questions from the COR Passover Hotline
COR is pleased to answer questions from Canadian kosher consumers throughout the year. This service is especially popular during the weeks leading up to Passover, as is evidenced by the over 5000 questions coming into our office during this time. To contact us, call the COR Passover Hotline at (416)635-9550 ext. 100 or email us at questions@cor.ca.
Here is a list of the more frequently asked questions from the COR Passover Hotline:
- Do liquid eggs require KFP certification?
Answer: YES. Nutri Liquid Eggs from Supreme Egg Products carry a COR-P for Passover and year round use. - May extra virgin olive oil be purchased without certification?
Answer: No. We recently became aware of reports claiming that much of what is being sold as extra virgin olive oil is actually diluted with cheaper sunflower or canola oil. Indeed, an industry expert has gone on record saying that “75-80 percent of the oil sold in the U.S. does not meet the legal grades for extra-virgin oil.” We are currently investigating these allegations but until we receive conclusive evidence, we can only recommend extra virgin olive oil that carries Passover certification. - Does lemon juice require KFP certification?
Answer: YES. But RealLemon Lemon juice certified by the OU is acceptable for use on Passover even without KFP certification. - Does toothpaste need to be chametz free?
Answer: Since toothpaste is used orally, it should be chametz free. - Do sliced raw mushrooms need KFP certification?
Answer: NO - Does frozen salmon require Passover certification?
Answer: Yes. Frozen salmon requires Passover certification.
a. Kirkland Atlantic (Farm Raised) Salmon is acceptable as is for Passover when it bears the OU symbol.
b. Olivia Atlantic Frozen Salmon with the KF hechsher is acceptable
c. Kirkland Wild Frozen Salmon (OU) is acceptable only after rinsing it off
- Does deodorant need to be chametz free?
Answer: Since it is theoretically possible to distil alcohol found in liquid and spray deodorants and restore the alcohol to an edible state, such deodorants should be chametz free. - Does frozen fruit need KFP certification?
Answer: Any frozen fruit, whole or sliced, that is unsweetened and without additives (i.e. syrup, citric acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin C) is acceptable without KFP certification. - Which coffees do and don’t require KFP certification?
Answer:
a. All regular ground coffees are acceptable for Passover use.
b. Decaffeinated coffee: Coffee is often decaffeinated by means of ethyl acetate, which is derived from either kitniyot or chametz. Therefore, decaffeinated coffees are not acceptable without Passover certification.
c. Instant coffees often contain maltodextrin, which is derived from either kitniyot or chametz. Therefore, all instant coffees require Passover certification.
d. All flavoured coffee requires Passover certification.
e. Foldgers regular and decaf is acceptable.
f. Maxwell House regular and decaf is acceptable.
g. Nescafe Rich is NOT acceptable.
h. Nescafe Taster’s Choice regular is acceptable; decaf is NOT acceptable.
(Taster’s Choice has at times 1.OU, 2. KF, 3. No kosher symbol at all – All of these are acceptable if it is regular {not decaf})
- Are the following kitniyot?
a. caraway:
b. coriander:
c. cumin:
d. fennel:
Answer: These items are not kitniyot. However, you have to make sure no foreign grain is mixed in. Therefore, while you may use the whole grains, we don’t recommend using the ground varieties of these products without Passover certification.