Ascorbic Acid on Passover
Question
Unsweetened applesauce contains apples, water, ascorbic acid.
The applesauce is sold in 24 oz jar or 6 pack of 4 oz cups.
Either ascorbic acid or salt is added to maintain color of the product.
The OU has certified for Passover multiple brands of applesauce
in both the jar and the 6 pack versions.
Some contain ascorbic acid; some contain salt instead of ascorbic acid.
I called the OU to ask why some products have ascorbic acid and why
some have salt. Their answer was that it was up to the manufacturer.
Do you know what ascorbic acid is made from? Could it be kitniyot?
If it were kitniyot, how could OU certify it for Passover?
Answers
Ascorbic acid is an organic compound and it is often made from fermented corn grain which would make it Kitniyot. However, according to some authorities even though Kitniyot is forbidden for Ashkenazim on Passover, nevertheless, Kitniyot derivatives are allowed because the original problem, the swelling up during soaking that is similar to leaven, is no longer applicable. That ruling is quite prevalent in the USA which is why you will find a lot of Kitniyot-based products on the Kosher-for-Passover shelves.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team