Pesach Faqs

Q. We bought flowers for Yom Tov, and they came with a little packet of "flower food" that is supposed to be added into the vase. Is this okay to do on Pesach?

A. The powdered flower food is basically dextrose/sugar mixed with some minor ingredients (e.g., citric acid), and - although they are not designed for human consumption - they are not "inedible". The likelihood is that the ingredients are made of kitnios; accordingly, one is permitted to own them, and have benefit from them on Pesach. However, there is a small chance that some of the ingredients are made from chametz; therefore, Rav Reiss shlita recommends that (a) people should avoid using the flower packets on Pesach or after the time of "burning chametz" on Erev Pesach, but (b) it is perfectly fine to put the flower food into water before Erev Pesach and then keep it over Pesach. [The status of liquid flower food may be more strict that the common powdered variety discussed here.]