Infant Formula on Pesach

Q. I see that my infant’s baby formula is not Passover certified. What is the halacha about using it on Pesach?

A. All infant formulas contain some amount of kitniyos. This is certainly true in the case of soy-based formulas, as soy is kitniyos. Milk-based formulas contain soy as well, in the form of oil. Kitniyos may be consumed by the infirm or the weak on Pesach. The prohibition to eat kitniyos is a custom which was accepted by Ashkenazic Jewry (and not by Sephardim) hundreds of years ago. The minhag was never established for the weak or infirm, a category which includes young children.

In addition to soy-based ingredients, baby formula generally contains maltodextrin, which is a starch derivative, and vitamin C, which is derived from glucose. Both ingredients can either be made from chometz or kitniyos.

Please refer to the OU's 2022 Passover Guide, or click on the following link (baby formulas) for a list of OU certified brands.

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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.