Following Pesach, one may not purchase chametz food from a Jewish-owned business that did not sell their chametz. The Association of Kashrus Organizations has released a list of the post-Pesach status of many supermarkets and convenience stores.
In addition to the prohibitions of eating and owning chametz during Pesach, there is an additional prohibition of benefitting from chametz that was owned by a Jew during Pesach. This is known as chametz she’avar alav haPesach.
This year, AKO (Association of Kashrus Organizations) established an “AKO Post Pesach List Committee” to explore the post-Pesach status of supermarkets, convenience stores and distributors.
Some of the issues explored by the committee were the following: Is there Jewish ownership, was a mechiras chametz performed before Pesach, and if so, how was it executed and by whom, and finally, who are the suppliers and are they Jewish?
Despite extensive effort and investigation, the answers to some of these questions remains elusive. The information presented below represents the group’s best estimate.
[Please note: the information below is provided by AKO, please consult with your own rabbi before using any of these establishments.]
No Jewish Involvement
Publicly traded companies or non-Jewish ownership Supplier is not a Jewish distributor. Chametz may be purchased from these stores after Pesach
Aldi, BJ’s Wholesale Club, Costco, CVS, Duane Reade, Hannaford, Kmart, Price Chopper, Publix, Rite Aid, Sam’s Club, Trader Joes, Walgreens, Walmart, Wawa, Wegmans.
Jewish Supplier
Publicly traded companies or non-Jewish ownership Supplier is Jewish. Chametz of supplier is sold before Pesach but continues to operate on Pesach.
D’Agostino Markets, Food Emporium, Foodway Supermarket, Gristedes Foods, Key Food, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Target – see below, Winn Dixie
- Target. …………Only frozen foods are in this category. Non-frozen chametz is supplied by non-Jewish company. Also, kosher food aisle is supplied by a Shomer Shabbos distributor who is closed on Pesach.
Franchised Stores
Some stores are Jewish-owned. Investigation is necessary to determine the status of each establishment.
- 7-Eleven………. [Supplier is not Jewish]
- Shoprite………. A Rabbi arranges transfer of ownership for some Jewish owned stores, and purchases of
chametz on Pesach from the supplier is allocated to the “new” non-Jewish owners. See discussion below about Wakefern which supplies all Shoprite stores.
Minority Jewish Ownership
Jewish partners are minority stockholders. Mechiras chametz is performed, and business is open on Pesach
- Albertson’s….. which owns Acme, Jewel-Osco, Safeway, and Shaw’s. Part of the company is publicly traded, but minority stockholders are Jewish. The Jewish owners sell their shares before Pesach.
Other chains owned by this company include Star Markets, Vons, Pavilions, Tom Thumb, and Randalls.
- Wakefern ……..which supplies all Shoprite stores. Wakefern Food Corporation is a cooperative which is owned by the Shoprite store owners, some of whom are Jewish. A Rabbi arranges transfer of Jewish ownership to non-Jewish partners, and the purchases and distribution of chametz on Pesach by Wakefern are allocated to the non-Jewish partners.
Some Jewish Suppliers
- Amazon………..is publicly traded and does not use a Jewish supplier. However, they serve as the distributor for many Jewish-owned companies. The name of the supplier is generally posted on the Amazon website. Consumers should make a reasonable effort to determine if the supplier is Jewish before purchasing chametz after Pesach.
Discussion
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