Pesach Faqs

My family's custom is that before Pesach we eat or destroy all "real" chametz, and only perform mechiras chametz for items which are probably not chametz anyhow. How should I know what is "real" chametz? Can we sell flour and oatmeal?

We recommend you read the article, "Which Foods are Chametz" in the cRc Pesach Guide, which details the chametz concerns of different foods, and should help you determine which foods are "real" chametz and which are just possibly chametz. Briefly, you will see there that bread, pasta, pretzels, beer, whisky, and many breakfast cereals are unquestionably true chametz, others such as flour, oatmeal, and non-Pesach matzah, are safek (possibly) chametz, while many others such as yeast, vinegar, vitamins, and flavors could be chametz but in the United States are likely just kitnios.