Even non-Jews are thirsty for the limited batch of Kosher for Pesach Coca-Cola because of a very special ingredient – it’s made with pure sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
Coca-Cola used sugar as a sweetener before it switched to high-fructose corn syrup in the 1980s.
Harriet Tolve, spokeswoman for the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of New York, said that for “at least 20 years,” it has been making the kosher-for-Passover beverages “in addition to our regularly produced product.”
Locally, Coca-Cola’s Passover products, which are certified by the OU, have a distinctive yellow cap on the 2-liter bottles marked with OU next to a P and the words “kosher for Passover” in Hebrew. Cans are embossed to show they are kosher for Passover.
(Story & picture: NY Post)
Join the official YWN WhatsApp status
50 Responses
OU-P Coke is not used on Pesach in heimishe homes. On Pesac most people try to be extra cautious with kashrus, and try to use only jewish food products.
Sorry Joseph, you can keep your overpriced ‘heimishe’ sodas…
It’s hard enough and costs enough to make Pesach anyway. more chumrahs and more money spent is completely un-necessary, and I for one will not be bullied into yet another ‘chumrah du’jour’
Not to mention, Coke most certainly is used in Heimishe houses
Especially in Eretz Yisrael
What do you mean by “most people”? I would guess most people do use coke – Am I wrong?
Joseph:
Just because you do not use it in your home, does not mean there are no heimishe homes that use it.
Joseph,
There are many wonderful and different minhagim and chumros that Klal Yisrael upholds. More so on Pesach than any other time. While we are tought to respect others’ customs, please do not make blanket statements regarding what “heimishe people do or do-not eat.
Also, how does food become “Jewish”? Does the Rabbi “bless it”? (Tongue in cheek)
Is that what heimishe homes do?
A very broad statement…
Joseph,
Please don’t write “most” homes. “Many” is more like it. If you keep a chumra, ashrecha. But please recognize a chumra to be just that – a chumra. The Vilna Gaon writes that one of the great dangers is when people consider chumra to be halacha and/or halacha to be chumra.
Joseph I think your comment would be better suited for the article entitled “Food Products that Heimishe Homes Use on Pesach”.
Joseph will probably answer all you people that the Hechsher is a bunch of Tziyonim and it’s treif all year etc etc etc etc
The FACT is that MOST Heimish people DO drink Coke on Pesach
PS: There is a HUGE world out there besides Chassidim……..
Why is everybody so upset with Joseph? Don’t you see him (Heimishe guy) in the picture (semms very happy) holding the kosher lepesach Coke?
* * SHEESH * *
When was the last time one single comment got so many attack replies?
Joseph – ignore them
And enjoy your Be’er Mayim Chayim or whatever
Have a happy and kosher Pesach
TheSnake
Dear YW Editor.
Your last comment shows once forever that you hate chasidim:
1) In fact there is a large amount of people (even not chasidishe) that DO NOT eat OU, not necessarily because your stupid comment of Zionism.
2) Even though there is a huge world besides chasidim, I assume this forum is for people who are closer to Chasidim, then to the rest of the world.
So YW editor stop attacking chasidim on every occasion, and an editor of such a wonderful website, should speak with a little respect to all segment of Jews.
Thanks,
A Proud Jew & Chasidim Friend
hey joseph: why not go the whole nine yards and make your own soda.
YW Hates Chassidim?
Ha!
Sir, i’m not sure that you are aware of it……the YW photo album is loaded with Rebbe photos.
There is always news tidbits regarding chassidim.
Better yet…please show us where Rav YW Editor Shlita has attacked Chassidim on “every occasion”.
It is an interesting thing, whenever the OU hasgocha is involved you have these people that dimiss them as if they are no good.
1. If not for the OU, no chassidishe hasgocho could suvive. Even they rely on the OU.
2. Read Rabbi Blumenkrantzs’ ZT”L book and read what he says about coke.
3. Look around Boro Park for example, you will see how many Frum and Chassidishe people purchase Coke and Sprite for Pesach.
4. 3 years ago, I went my family went to visit a relative at a hotel for Chol Hamoed Pesach. The Hotel was under the Hasgocho of a very Choshava Chassideshe person. At lunch time they served both Pepsi and a Frum brand. My husband asked the Rav Hamachsher why do they serve pepsi? He smiled at my husband and replied, ” I personally know the Mashgiach from both Pepsi and so and so, and I can tell you that the Pepsi Hasgocho is more reliable.”
5.
6. The bottom line is if you knew what really happens in Hasgochos you would be more then shocked. My friends’ husband was the warehouse manager of a very well known company. He gets a phone call from the Heimshe Mashgiach asking him, ” Was the OK there yet?” His answer was yes. He then told the warehouse manager, “Then put my labels on”!!!
Those in the know, will tell you that the OU is the most reliable Hashgocho out there.
Edited by Site Moderation Panel.
Let me throw my two cents in here…
Regarding Coke a whole year:
1) The Coke here in the US is exactly the same as the one in Eretz Yisroel, so to those who only drink it with R’ Landau’s hechsher are fooling only themselves
2) Ask anyone in the hashgocha filed, and they all say that Coke is considered a ‘Level One’ product- meaning that it is 100% Kosher regardless of Hashgocho
3)I once asked a Chasideshe Kashrus Mashgiach to name for me one product that is the most unquestionably kosher. You know what he answered – Coke!
Regarding Pesach – While I would love to believe that most Heimishe people do not use Coke on Pesach (I don’t), I know that is not the case. However, don’t make it an issue of Hasgocha. Let us not knock those of us who do not “mish” on Pesach, regardless of Hasgocha, and do not bring products (except the bare minimum) into our homes on Pesach. (No, I do not drink Mayim Chayim soda on Pesach either, only Seltzer).
Let me end of with a story – A friend of mine took care of the soda machines in Riverdale Yeshiva. He got a delivery of Coke a couple of weeks before Pesach. The black driver told him all excitedly that he especially brought for him the ‘Kosher for Passover Coke’. This bochur thanked him, and nicely explained that the Yeshiva is anyways closed for Pesach. Then the driver asked him: “Let me ask you a question, how many days is Passover?” The bachur replied “Eight days”. Answered the driver: “Eight Days! For Eight days you need to turn over the whole Coca Cola operation! So don’t drink Coke for eight days!”
Sometimes a goy understands better than some of us.
The same can be said for Kosher L’Pesach rolls, cereal, pizza, noodles, etc.
As far as the all year round Kashrus concern, many Chassidim drink Coka-Cola and many experts even claim that it’s Kashrus standard is higher.
Most of those who don’t drink Coke on Pesach also don’t drink Be’er Mayim and Mayim chaim etc. on Pesach.
My opinion as a Chusid who drinks year round Coke (not on Pesach): It would be very funny to see someone drinking Be’er Mayim soda on Pesach but he’s makpid Chas Veshulom not to drink Coke, I would call him a ‘Chusid Shota’.
I have to agree with the dissenters. I think everyone should look only at his own minhag, and not worry about anyone else’s. If someone is going to question my customs, believe me that I can poke holes in theirs right back to a degree that would embarrass them. Show some respect for other people and their minhagim which are kept L’Shem Shomayim – if you have a problem keep it to yourself. You’ll have enough problems of this kind when your children return home from Yeshiva/Seminary and decide that your minhagim are not good enough.
Kashrus is a very complicated subject, commercial Kashrus even more so. Anyone who doesn’t think that the rabbonim in charge of the hechsherim have big enough plaitzes can go get his own measured.
Gemarakop: Your gamarakop is probably a b’iyun type. Don’t lose sight of the sugya by looking at the commentary. Why is seltzer any better than BM”CH or coke if you’re comparing? Do you make that yourself? Just be happy with your own minhag. As to your story, the answer is because the comanies are willing to accomodate us for our business. Should we punish ourselves by not utilizing this to our advantage? Perhaps your comment would be more suitably placed in the Olive Oil thread.
gemarakop: One more thing. True the coke formula in E”Y is the same as the formula used elsewhere, but the rest of the bottling process requires hashgocha as well. If we accept that coke formula is kosher everywhere in the world, does that mean that you would assume a bottle of coke is kosher anywhere in the world? Couldn’t there be a kashrus issue with the bottling plant, the water added (maybe there are copepods), or the bottle itself? If so then perhaps people who will only drink Rav Landau’s coke are not so crazy after all.
Let me share a story of my own. I was in a supermarket and observed a goy (read: aino yehudi) loading his shopping cart with yellow cap coca cola (he cleaned out the shelf). I mentioned that there are regular red cap bottles on the other shelf and these are kosher for passover. He told me that he knows this and every year at this time of year he stocks up on all of the yellow capped bottles he can get so he will have them all year. He liked the old coke formula with sugar, but never liked the corn syrup version as much. So I don’t think that it’s such a bad thing that coke makes this run. Do you have another objection?
I cannot believe the amount of comments generated by this item. We have nebach, young people dying, older people tzadikim, whose petira registers comments that can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and such narishkeiten farnemen de kep.
yiddishe Mrs. that is a nice sentiment, but what more do you expect people to say about the articles on a petirah that they are not already? If something more should be said then let everyone know what it is.
On the other hand, what do you talk about most (to your friends, your family) on the phone or at a dinner conversation? Are most of your conversations about the petiros that have happened that day or about other topics? My guess is you think it’s okay to talk about what interests you, well so do I.
most people in lakewood drink c”c on peasch !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
& if you have your own chamres then keep it 2 yourself !!!!!!!!!!!
MY 2 cents worth:
My minhogim are in line with Joseph’s in that I do not drink Coke or Pepsi on Pesach. I feel that on Pesach I would like to go the extra mile and purchase (as much as possible) only from Jewish companies. There are a limited number of hechsherim that we actively rely upon for our Pesach products.
That being said, my problem with Joseph’s statement is that it is so broad and seems to imply that anyone who dopes not follow his minhogim is somehow less “frum/heimish”. This attitude (whether Joseph actually espouses it) is what is so offensive to so many people. I once heard someone say in a derogatory fashion about a choshuve baal habayis who was also a choshuve talmid chochom, “he eats gebrokts on Pesach, what more can you expect from him”
Please Rabbosai, ACHDUS and AHAVAS YISROEL wil bring the geulah not which hechsher you rely upon. Sure you have to extra careful these days but the fact that someone else relies upon a hechsher that you don’t doesn’t say anything about that persons yiras shomayim. If anything it speaks volumes about yours., if you look down upon such a person.
Dear Yiddishefroi,
Sometimes Klal Yisroel needs this sort of distraction to be able to feel “normal” a bit during all the Tzoros. There is nothing at all wrong or “Narishdick” with having a heated debate, which is L’Shaim Shamayim!! It allows people to vent a little – albiet with the sharp-eyed mederation of the YW moderator.
Life, as such, must go on. And Yidden will always debate each others Minhagim – it’s a Minhag in and of itself!!
Read and enjoy!! 🙂
I’d like to clarify my original comment:
I was trying to make a point to Joseph who claimed that in Heimishe homes there is no Coke consumed.
My point was that there is a large Heimishe world out there who DO drink Coke. It was a pretty straight forward comment, and stand by my original statement that “The FACT is that MOST Heimish people DO drink Coke on Pesach” and “there is a HUGE world out there besides Chassidim”
To the commentator who said that YW Editor should “stop attacking chasidim on every occasion”,I would like you to back that up with some examples please. (Better yet, kindly state ONE.)
I cannot believe the amount of comments generated by this item. We have nebach, young people dying, older people tzadikim, whose petira registers comments that can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and such narishkeiten farnemen de kep.
What do you mean? That poem from last week garnered over 70 comments, and it was all about tragedies. To quote the poet: “Space In!”
Edited by Site Moderation Team.
For the record, I have responded to the critiques above, but yw did not have the courage to publish it since it was too sharp for him. He may or may not publish this, but the response itself was on the button, completely hashkafadik but too good an answer for yw.
Joseph, they were not critiques but criticisms, and well-founded ones at that.
I would not in any way flare this up as a chasidishe litvishe debate. It is strictly about “do most heimishe drink Coke on pesach, or dont they.
The only way way to find out is take a poll.
So everybody drink a Coke and chill!
I just want to throw in one “unimportant” small point to this “important” discussion. Diet Coke uses a sweetener that is yotze min kitniyos. The OU is of the opinion that it is allowed. There are those (such as R’ Shlomo Miller and R’ Blumenkrantz) who strongly disagree and feel that it is asur for those that don’t eat kitniyos.
Joseph, there are about 6,000,000 Jews here in America, if not more. Not all of them have such chumrah’s like you. So speak for yourself & not the rest of the crowd.
To Proud Jew, don’t be so cynical about YW.
IT’S BECAUSE OF THIS WONDERFULL WEBSITE THAT CHASIDIM DON’T HAVE TO SURF THE INTERNET TO GET THEIR NEWS, THEY CAN FIND IT ALL HERE IN A KOSHER WAY.
TO Joseph, did you know that many chasidishe HECHSHEIRIM rely on the OU for their hashgachas.
sheryl as one involved with kosher certification including the ou i can say that you have no idea what you’re talking about
TO Joseph, did you know that many chasidishe HECHSHEIRIM rely on the OU for their hashgachas.
Many? Try all. It’s the dirty little secret of the heimishe hechsherim; namely, that you’re paying double the price for virtually nothing.
ENOUGH
IF YOU WANT TO DRINK COCA-COLA ON PESACH———–DO
IF YOU DON`T WANT TO DRINK COKE ON PESACH———-DON`T
DO ALL THE READERS OF YW NEED TO PUT IN YOUR 2 CENTS ABOUT WHAT YOU THINK
SOME PEOPLE DO SOME DON`T AND AM I MEANT TO CARE WHAT SOME ANONYMOUS PERSON DOES.
YOU KEEP YOUR MINHAGIM AND WE WILL KEEP OUR MINHAGIM OK.
BY THE WAY I FORGOT TO SAY I DRINK KOSHER L`PESACH COKE MYSELF OK
Many if not most Chassidim, myself included, do not drink any flavored soda during Pesach even though we know full well that it is kasher lepesach as certified. In fact, those of us who work in “kiruv” or are asked for advice by non-Chassidim would not hesitate to say that it is acceptable (as we explain that in our communities we don’t use it). Prisoners would riot if they ate the way I do Chol Hamoed Pesach :)!
I understand full well that many ehrlicher yidden and kehillos kedoishim do drink Coke on Pesach, and I in fact worry that there will not be enough for the intended consumers if the flavor enthusiasts snap it all up first.
Supposedly, the batches that Rav Landa certifies are more reliable than the OU batches even year round (and I was told this by someone from Rav Landa’s office), but the explanation I heard did not satisfy me or my own rav in whose home I heard this information, so I do use Coke during the year and always have even when visiting places as far afield as Morocco.
On the other hand, Mayim Chayim and the other couple of haimishe brands (Be’er Mayim, Mayim Toivim??) cost less than the major brands in some stores in Boro Park, at least during the year. And I am comparing the price to Coke and Pepsi, not Clorox 🙂 🙂 :).
Please think with your head not your kishkes. I an clueless why YW is allowing people to post there blatant lies and motzi shem ra about heimishe hechsherim from people who write when they have no idea what they’re talking about. Even if it was true it would still be lashon hara.
Sheryl says;
Its because of this wonderful website that Chassidim dont have to surf………thye can find it all here in a kosher way.
Its indeed a wonderful web site , but dont be naive in thinking that anyone , including chassidim , litvacks or any other frum group with internet dont surf.
As far as Joseph’s comment is concerned, I too thought it wa s a bit rough, .
However, I dont understand why he didnt get the chance to respond……..
1
I accidentally posted the following this morning in the wrong article, so I’m copying it here where it belongs:
1. Not drinking OU-P Coke on Pesach is a chumrah, at best a d’Rabbonon.
2. Disparaging people is a D’Oraisa.
V’hameivin Yavin.
The major haimishe hashgochos (Debrecen, Volover, Tartikov, Nirbator, Rav Gruber etc) and the community hashgochos (CRC, Skvere, CHK) basically act to make sure that separate runs are made when the product needs to be pas yisroel or bishul yisroel or otherwise up to standards above and beyond that of the mass kosher market. Sometimes they do accept the OU (and more and more often the OK) when it comes to ingredients, sometimes they have to double check or change something.
It is a very complex issue, and not one that many people really can comment on in any detail.
And unless you know of a specific haimishe hashgocho that does nothing, and you saw it with your own eyes (NOT my third cousin, the mashgiach, saw something in X plant and reported it when the rav hamachshir refused to pay him overtime or whatever) there is no validity to comments regarding haimishe hashgochos.
It’s absolutely true. All the hashgochos rely on each other for ingredients, b/c it’s impossible for any organization to cover every ingredient worldwide themselves, and especially so for the small heimishe hashgachos. Do you recall the Pesach mayonnaise scandal of some 12 or so years ago? It was an OK ingredient, and every heimishe hashgocha was caught. This is not news; it’s silly to pretend otherwise.
some History – Coke has been kosher all year and for pesach for the past 60 years or so (and was always drunk by all) look at any old hapardes issues, , rav pardes even writes in an ad that they revealed him the supposed “secret formula” the hashgacha continued with rav elberg in the 60- 70- ‘s and r’ ralbag in the eighties. i have no problem with coke and the ou just with the way they obtained the hashgacha, , being a supermarket owner, i recall in the late eighties getting phone call after phone call to remove coke because hashgacha stuff etc’ and switch to pepsi, this was when it was under another hashgacha not the ou , after this unethical boycott it suddenly turned ou.
does not smell to kosher to me
I, as always, am not writing based on assumptions but intimate knowledge of the FACTS. While it is true that small organizations cannot keep track of millions of ingredients, they can carefully research those which they use. I have personally spoken to mashgichim from national hechsherim who have gone with them to check out flavor plants for the sub-flavor of an ingredient besides the ingredients themselves. I am unable to speak about all heimishe hechsherim but neither should anyone else if they don’t know the facts. I am shocked that after reminding everyone that they are writing l”h there are those who just in and do it again. This is even he they had been writing the truth. It is even worse since they are not. I am saddened that YW has lowered his standards and allowed people to post such things about these rabbonim. PLEASE STOP.
To baki,
Sorry to break it to you, but a VERY close relative of mine owns a major well known food company, (I wouldn’t be surprised if you have in your house products from this company) I have first hand experience with chasidishe hachsheirim, –
The OU might be more lenient on their guidelines in kashrus, but they always come down to the plant & make sure everything is going according to their guidelines.
The OU has great knowledge on all the ingredients that go into each product, where as the chasideshe hechsheirim rely very much on the OU – and they THEREFORE come down much less then the OU.
It’s true that the chasidishe hachsheirim have stricter guidelines, but what does it help if they don’t FOLLOW UP ON IT & come down check everything for themselves & not rely so much on the OU.
I would love to post a story we had with a chasidishe baal machshir but I don’t know if YW would post it – since it’s real lashon harah on this rabby
SO baki BEFORE YOU TALK – MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR TALKING ABOUT. AND ACTUALLY I’M NOT THE FIRST ONE TO DIVULGE THIS – IT’S NO SECRET – IT’S PRETTY WELL KNOWN THAT THEY RELY ON THE OU.
Joseph works for pepsi folks………….
well in my house we don’t drink SODA on pesach only seltzer and syrup don’t worry we will survive without soda for eight days
I heard that Rabbi Landua changes ingredients of israeli coke all year and so as well to all coca cola products bar sprite because of kasrus requirements
the only reason you aren’t writing something that you agree is l”h is because yw won’t post it?! huh?!?! that speaks volumes about the credibility of your statements
go pepsi go !!! josef don’t worry I also work 4 pepsi ! wayd’a go josef !!!!! look how many people r bashing us bec. they work 4 c”c or they work 4 beer mayim chaim !!!! ha ha ha ….
Sheryl, you are speaking of your second-hand personal experience with one particular firm and most probably one haimishe hashgocho. Regardless of how close a relative owns that plant, you were not there when anything happened and your comments have no authority. I won’t go into the many reasons why a mashgiach might not show up but conflicts between owners and hashgochos are very common. Your experience does not extend to the entire world of hashgochos. In today’s complex food production world, nothing is simple anymore.
Also, the OK, and not the OU, is the leader when it comes to reliable ingredient certification. Their standards are higher than the OU’s, and in fact they seem to be positioning themselves (rightly or wrongly, I do not know) as being on the same level as a haimishe hashgocho.