Jewish households across the country can breathe a sigh of relief since the Orthodox Union’s indispensable OU Passover Guide for Kosher for Passover Foods for 2006 has just been released.
This special edition of the OU’s Jewish Action magazine comes out annually and delineates domestic items that are acceptable for Passover use. In the Guide, the OU has compiled two basic lists:
One is for items that do not require special Passover certifications (although they do need a standard symbol) such as aluminum foil, candles, cleansers, and paper goods;
Another is for items that must have an P to appear on the label, such as baking mixes, baked products, beverages, candy, condiments, olive oil, dairy products, detergents, and polishes.
This year’s edition also includes guidelines concerning the use and consumption of “inedible” products and of medicines on Passover.
Additionally, the Guide contains essential information for observing the holiday and articles on making a kitchen kosher for Passover, as well as guidelines for the seder and the counting of the Omer. Listed in the guide are the latest possible times to eat leavened bread (chametz), burning chametz, as well as candle lighting times for Passover in various cities across the United States and Canada.