Is Instant Oatmeal Muktza?

Q. I have several Quaker Oats instant hot cereal packets in a drawer. Are they muktza? May I open the drawer on Shabbos?

A. Raw oats are not muktza because they are edible even though most people prefer to eat cooked oatmeal rather than raw oats. The Bach (OC 325:2) proves that it is common to eat raw oats from the Gemera in Berachos 37a that the beracha on raw grains is Ha’adama. If raw oats were not edible, the beracha would be Shehakol and not Ha’odama.

The above is true only when the oats are in the form of grain. Mishnah Berurah (325:16) writes that grain that has been milled into flour is considered inedible and is muktza. The oats in the packets of oatmeal have been cut into flakes, but they are noticeably grain and not flour. Oat flakes are edible. For example, it is common to sprinkle raw oat flakes onto various foods. As such, the beracha on oat flakes is Ha’adama. Even though the oats in the packet were mixed with sugar and spices and packaged for use as hot cereal, they remain edible as is. The bottom line is that oatmeal packets are edible, the beracha is Ha’adama, they are not muktzah and the drawer may be opened.

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The Gerald & Karin Feldhamer OU Kosher Halacha Yomis is dedicated to the memory of Rav Yisroel Belsky, zt"l, who served as halachic consultant for OU Kosher for more than 28 years; many of the responses in Halacha Yomis are based on the rulings of Rabbi Belsky. Subscribe to the Halacha Yomis daily email here.