Is corn starch kosher for passover?

Answer 1

Starch (amylumin Latin, amylonin Hebrew and Greek) is a classic ingredient used in many foods. Starch is a complex carbohydrate, a major component of cereals and some vegetables. Commercial starch is produced from corn, wheat, rice, potato and tapioca. These crops have a very high starch content, which is physically separated from the plant in large manufacturing facilities dedicated to these products. The predominant source of food starch in North America is corn. Corn is ground and mixed with water, after which the starch is separated from the other components of the kernel (bran, protein, and germ) and dried in large systems designed specifically for starch. At this point, no Kashrus concerns are apparent, and starch was generally considered to be of little Kashrus concern. Recent industry trends, however, have compromised this assumption. First, companies have developed specialty spray-dried starch products. Spray drying is a process whereby a liquid is sprayed in a fine mist into a hot air chamber, causing the moisture in the spray to evaporate and leave a dried powder. The type of spray drier needed for this process is often not available in the starch plant, and such material is therefore shipped to companies that specialize in this type of processing. Unfortunately, these custom spray-drying companies process many products on the same equipment, including dairy and non-Kosher items, which would compromise the otherwise Kosher status of the starch. Second, a salvage business has developed in the starch industry. At times, shipments of starch may deteriorate or otherwise fall below the required specifications for use, usually because they had become wet. Salvage companies buy this distressed material, grind and sift it (or spray dry it) and sell it for food use. The re-grinding process involves significant heat, and the source of the starch is often unknown. For both of these reasons, the MK takes care to ensure that all starch bears a reliable Kosher certification. An even more interesting problem that was discovered involved potato starch. Peeling potatoes by hand is tedious work, and in large factories a process called steam pealingdoes this work. Potatoes are placed in a large pressure cooker, which is pressurized with steam. The steam forces itself under the potato peel, and when the pressure is suddenly released the peel pops off the potato. The concern noted was that the steam was also used to heat the animal fat used in the plant to fry French fries, the condensate from which returned to the boiler and was used to peel the potatoes. Such a system compromised the potato starch made from these potatoes, again pointing to the need for a reliable Kosher certification for the product.

Answer 2

If you can find corn starch with a Passover hechsher then yes, it is. However, as corn is kitniyot, Ashkenazi Jews will not use it.

Answer 3

They have to say "Kosher for Passover" on the labels.