Selling Chametz Gamur, Vinegar, and Condiments with Vinegar

I don’t sell chametz gamor. May I include white (or distilled, or grain) vinegar in the sale, as well as condiments that contain vinegar, such as ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise?

White vinegar is made from ethanol, and in the United States the vast majority of ethanol is made from corn. To convert cornstarch to vinegar a number of process stages are required, and in each stage multiple ingredients are used. These ingredients and processes have been carefully reviewed as to whether they will render vinegar taruvos chametz. They do not. Therefore vinegar, and certainly products that contain vinegar, can be included in a sale, even for those people who are careful not to sell chametz gamor (obvious chametz).

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.