[Avodah] kitnoyot

[Eli Turkel]

<<The policy of the Israeli rabbinate and other kashrus organizations is to
label any product containing even small amount of kitniyos derivatives as
"only for those who eat kitniyos."  In recent years, a number of rabbanim
have "made headlines" by stating that the prohibition of being mevatel an
issur lechatchila does not apply to kitniyos, so the many products where
less than half of the mixture is from kitniyos (which are batel berov) may
be eaten by Ashkenazim, despite the labeling. >>

Tzohar made a stink this year about Lecithin and as a consequence many
companies explicitly list that the product contains lecithin rather than  "only
for those who eat kitniyos."

<< It is clear that practically speaking, this
has been the practice of the last few generations, since we have come to
rely on kashrus agencies, and their policy is not to "certify for
Ashkenazim" anything with even a trace amount of kitniyos.  The kashrus
agencies are presumably just following the same approach to bitul that they
take with bitul of "real" issurim, which was discussed at length in this
forum a few months ago. >>

In fact many mehadrin hechsherim wont certify a product for Pesach if any
line in the entire factory is used for kitniyot. ie the supervision of
kitniyot has become much more machmir than the standards for normal kashrut
issues.

OTOH as has been noted more groups are now downplaying things like Canola
oil. As remarked according to R. Elchanan Spector there is no problem. The
Marcheshet sdaid that kiniyot oils are no problem and Ramah means only oils
made on Pesach. According to RMF new products are not included.
Hence, there are 3 reasons to be mekil on something that is only a custom.
As RMF points out there never was a formal gezerah against eating kitniyot
as shown by the fact that people like R. Yechiel of Paris rejected the
custom and Chacham Tzvi was also against it.

-- 
Eli Turkel
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