<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Kosher for Passover (KFP or KLP) items are showing up in the store so
thought I would start with posting the following information since there
are newbies to the list and some of the non-jewish readers may want to
buy items that are available at this time of year. Plus misinformation
about what is KFP & gf has already been posted to the list and hopefully
this will clear up some of the misinformation (see the WARNING section
below). Most of this information will apply to the US and Canada.
Although many of the items mentioned will be available in other parts of
the world you would have to go to a large Jewish center to find a good
selection (ie Paris, Brussels, London, Gateshead, Manchester) and then
know where to go to find the store that carries the Kosher for Passover
items.

This year Passover starts at sundown on 18 April. Stores are already
starting to stock the nonperishable items and they should be fully
stocked by 18 March. Many items that we would be interested in buying do
sell fast so I would not wait to shop until just before Passover. I have
found in past years that it may take more than 1 or 2 trips to find all
the items I want to buy because items run out so fast.

WARNING!!
First I'll give you the only ingredients celiacs have to avoid. The
following was originally posted by Linda Goldkrantz. The following KFP
ingredients ARE GLUTEN, So DO NOT EAT any KFP product that lists the
following ingredients:

 DO NOT EAT.
 Matzah is made as a whole piece, using a specific recipe.
 Tiny chunks of matzah are called matzah farfel or fahfal.
 Ground up matzah is matzah meal.
 Ground up even further it's cake meal or Passover flour.
 They all start out as wheat and water. Avoid them all!

If you do not know how to read the kosher symbols just ask someone that
is shopping in the kosher/kosher for passover section of the store. Most
products will have the phrase "Kosher for Passover" in English although
sometimes it is only in Hebrew. The kosher symbols mainly used in the
United States are OU, Circle-K, plus others place a capital P beside
their symbol to indicate the item is Kosher for Passover plus they may
also include the phrase "Kosher for Passover" on the label.

Another phrase that will tell you the item is gluten (and Matzah) free
is "non-gebrucks". This basically means it does not include matzah and
seems to mainly be included on the label of products that usually would
contain matzah.

If you live somewhere with a small Jewish community alot of the items
that are gluten free may not show up at the local stores that are
selling KFP products. Also remember that these items will show up and
then disappear very quickly. Generally KFP items are a one time/short
time item. Although I am finding more items available year round that
are KFP (even Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is now saying it is OU-P during
the rest of the year).

I will post another series of messages covering the type of items you
can buy only at Passover, re Oat Matzah, re mail order sources, etc.

Betsey Carus
Baltimore, MD

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