Baby Foods

Pesach Products Directory 2011

Please read the following carefully:

1. This section deals with food items and other products which may be used on Pesach. Pesach is a time when even the most remote possibility of a questionable ingredient should be avoided. As even simple items such as table salt, instant tea and fruit juices have been found to contain actual chametz, preference should always be given to products with recognised rabbinic endorsement. Therefore it is customary, where possible to buy only products made under full rabbinic supervision.

2. Due to the many additives and the sophisticated production techniques used in today’s food industry, no processed food item, no matter how simple, should be used unless there is at least some kashrut investigation or supervision. All items must have at least a thorough preliminary investigation of ingredients and manufacturing techniques before they can be used. Many items can only be used if changes in ingredients or production techniques are made. Such items will then need full time supervision and may not be used without reliable endorsement. Other simple items, once they have been found to be free of restricted ingredients, may be used without any further supervision. These items do not have full-time supervision, but thorough investigation indicates that they are acceptable for Pesach use if purchased in sealed packs. However, in order to eliminate even the remote possibility of even a minute amount of chametz which on Pesach itself cannot be nullified, all these products should be purchased before Pesach begins.

3. A wide range of local and imported products are produced under rabbinic supervision from other communities. The Kashrut Authority neither investigates nor necessarily endorses any such products. However only items with a “Kosher for Pesach” sign which also bears the name or symbol of the supervising authority printed on the package or tin should be used as proof of acceptability for Pesach. Past experience has shown that stickers bearing the words “Kosher for Passover” have been placed on articles which contain actual chametz. It is the customer’s responsibility to ensure that all articles purchased are indeed properly endorsed by a reliable authority. One should not rely on the shopkeepers however well intentioned they may be. Similarly Pesach sections in Supermarkets such as Coles or Woolworths etc may have chametz items inadvertantly place in them. “Buyers Beware”

4. Some rabbinic authorities rely on leniencies not universally accepted in regard to Kitniyot, Shemittah and other areas of halachah.

5. Ashkenazim customarily do not eat Kitniyot during Pesach due to its similarity to Chametz. This includes rice, corn, legumes - beans, peas and peanuts. One must therefore carefully read all food labels to ensure that the product does not contain Kitniyot. (This custom is not widely practised among Sephardim - consult your rabbi). The Kashrut Authority recommends the Pesach supervision of the overseas rabbinic bodies as listed on page 3 and their products are used at all Kashrut Authority establishments. Regarding other rabbinic endorsements please check with The Kashrut Authority.

6. The Kashrut Authority has supervised production of a number of Passover items and they are so identified. Supervised products bear the KA Kosher L’Pesach seal.

7. Matzah and matzah-meal are produced by many firms for year- round use and are not always kosher for Pesach. Please ensure that any matzah products used for Pesach bear a reliable rabbinic “Kosher for Pesach” endorsement, without which they must not be used on Pesach.

ABBREVIATIONS:

(P) - Pareve
(D) - Dairy
(CY) - Chalav Yisrael

Baby Foods

Parents of babies on special medically supervised diets, which contain chametz, must contact their rabbi for directions. Most chametz articles have substitutes which are acceptable for Pesach, and most normal babies can even thrive on a Pesach diet. Almost all manufactured baby foods contain chametz in one form or another and should only be used when bearing rabbinic supervision.

When the doctor instructs that a baby must be fed a particular kind of food, the practice not to use rice or leguminous vegetables is suspended. A rabbi should be consulted. The list below outlines acceptable baby foods for Pesach. If rice and the other restricted vegetables are used they should be served in separate utensils kept only for the baby. These utensils should be washed in a sink not used for Pesach utensils.

Isomil is approved and contains oils of leguminous vegetables and is to be considered Kitniyot but not chametz. Therefore babies under doctor’s orders may use Isomil if no other suitable formula containing Pesach ingredients can be made at home. The Isomil should be used in separate utensils kept only for the baby and not washed in the Pesach sink. There are formulae available from Israel with rabbinic supervision for Passover. See below for a guide to feeding infants during Pesach. If a child is on a special formula, please consult your Rabbi or the KA for advice.

Special care should be taken in regards to “corn starch” baby powder as it may be actual “wheat starch” and actual chametz. Only maize corn starch baby powder is acceptable (Kitniyot).

In general all “lotion or cream” products not fit for human consumption are permitted to be used on Pesach, even if containing chametz .

The KA has investigated the following baby formulae. When the baby cannot tolerate any other Pesach suitable formulae the following may be used. Utensils should be kept separate from any other Pesach utensils.

Heinz Nurture 1
Heinz Nurture 2

Nutricia Karicare Infant 1 - Whey Dominant
Nutricia Karicare Follow On 2 - Whey Dominant

FEEDING OF INFANTS DURING PASSOVER
Adapted by Genevieve Michael B.Sc. Dip. Nut. & Diet MDAA.

In general, the mother’s role in guiding a child’s early eating experiences, is threefold:

1. To provide food, which meets the child’s nutritional, needs.
2. To provide food in a form which is compatible with his developmental abilities.
3. To provide an atmosphere of learning by acquainting the child with new flavours and textures of a variety of foods to help him establish healthy eating habits.
During Passover, the normal diet for infants need only be modified to fulfill these requirements.

Most normal healthy babies can be fed on a formula using fresh whole milk in the proportion of 60 mls milk, 60 mls water and 2 teaspoons sugar, feeding the baby to appetite. Note: this formula should only be used for the 8 days of Pesach and then the baby should be returned to its usual formula.
The baby who has been prescribed a special formula for feeding by doctor or Infant Welfare Sister which could be Chametz may usually continue on this feeding. Medicines and vitamins, if ordered by the doctor, should continue to be given during Passover. (However, in all such cases one should first consult a rabbi).

Commercially produced baby foods which, incidentally, have no nutritional advantage over those properly prepared by the mother, are generally not permitted during Passover but can be substituted.

For the 3-6 months infant, small quantities (starting with half a teaspoon) may be given, of the following:

Matzah Meal softened with hot milk
Mashed potato
Strained stewed fruit
Strained vegetables
Strained diluted orange juice (60 mls orange juice to 60 mls water)

At 6 months of age, an infant should be eating a variety of foods such as cereal, meat broth, vegetables, fruit and eggs. Include these foods daily in addition to breast or bottle-feeding:

Cereal - finely broken matzo softened with hot milk or formula, 1-2 teaspoons
Well mashed potato, 1-2 teaspoons
Soft or stewed fruit, 1-2 teaspoons
Strained meat broth with a little finely minced or strained meat, 1-2 teaspoons
Steamed or boiled fine textured fish
Egg
Strained and diluted orange juice - 60 mls orange juice to 60 mls water.

Salt or sugar generally should not be added to foods for babies during cooking nor at the table.

By the age of one year the child should be eating the same types of food as the rest of the family except where the meals are highly spiced or include large amounts of fried foods.
The following is a list of commonly used baby products that contain no chametz whatsoever and are suitable for Pesach:

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