Pesach FAQs

Q. Why do I see fresh-baked bread with a cRc in the supermarket on Pesach?

A. Chametz owned by a Jew on Pesach is not kosher and would not be certified as kosher by the cRc or any other reputable hechsher. Why then might you see freshly baked bread with a cRc in the supermarket on Pesach? There are three possibilities:

• • The bakery which manufactures the bread is owned by non-Jews.
  • The bakery is owned by Jews year-round, but is sold in its entirety to non-Jews for Pesach. To avoid such sales from being absolute shams, most hashgochos will only allow this if special conditions are included in the sale (e.g., the non-Jew is actually paid the profits the bakery earns over Pesach).
  • The bread was sold to the supermarket before Pesach, and they froze or otherwise stored the bread for sale on Pesach.

Special attention should be paid to the possibility that a bakery is usually kosher-certified but is owned by a Jew and manufactured the bread on Pesach, and the company agreed to leave the cRc symbol off the packaging for the duration of Pesach.  In such cases, the hechsher does not actually appear on the label, and a Rabbi verifies that the company complies with its agreement.  After Pesach consumers should be careful to purchase only those packages which bear the kosher symbol.