Differentiating Between Chametz Gamor ("Obvious Chametz") and Mixtures of Chametz

If I choose to be stringent and avoid selling chametz gamor (obvious chametz) and instead sell only mixtures of chametz, how do I know to differentiate?

Rav Soloveitchik zt”l advised against selling foods which are obviously chametz but permitted the sale of ta’aruvos chametz, i.e. products that contain a minority portion of chametz blended into the rest of the product. Licorice, for example, which contains flour, can be included in a sale. Cookies and Cream ice cream, where the cookies are distinguishable from the ice cream, should not be included in the sale.

Another, more stringent position, rules out selling any product that contains chametz unless there is less than a kezayis of chametz in the entire container. A package of licorice would not be included in the sale, according to this approach.

Many people who avoid selling chametz products such as cookies or bread nonetheless have a family custom to include their whiskey in the sale, for various reasons.

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.