The Shulchan Aruch (O.C. 603:1) states that during the Aseres Yimei Teshuva, even those who are generally not stringent about only eating Pas Yisroel should do so, and avoid eating bread items baked by an aino Yehudi, known as pas palter.
Bread (or pas) is defined as baked goods that are made from the five primary grains: wheat, barley, oats, rye and spelt. All other grains are not considered pas. Cooked or fried items are also NOT considered “bread” items[1] for Pas Yisroel purposes.
It is important to note that if a Yehudi is involved in any part of the baking process (e.g., he only turned on the fire or oven or placed the food into the oven), that is enough to render any items subsequently baked to be considered Pas Yisroel. Just preparing the dough is not enough. Additionally, if an item is par-baked and needs further baking to be fully ready to eat, the finishing process is also sufficient to give that item Pas Yisroel status.
A POINT OF NOTE: Pas Yisroel has nothing to do with whether an item is Yoshon or not. Just because an item may be certified as Pas Yisroel does not mean it is also Yoshon.
The following chart should help you distinguish between items considered to be Pas Yisroel and those which are not.[2]
Pas Yisroel/Bread Items
| Bagels |
| Breads and Breadcrumbs |
| Cakes |
| Cereals3 – Examples: Cinnamon Toast CrunchHoney GrahamsGrape NutsOatmeal SquaresGolden Grahams |
| Cookies |
| Crackers |
| Croissants |
| Flat Breads |
| Graham Crackers |
| Hors d’oeuvres – if baked |
| Kichel |
| Knishes |
| Matzah |
| Muffins |
| Pancakes |
| Pastries |
| Pie Shells |
| Pretzels – hard and soft |
| Pizza |
| Wraps/Tortilla |
| Waffles |
Non-Pas Yisroel Items
| Cereals: All Shehakol or Ha’adama cerealsMezonos cereals that are flakes or made from riceCheeriosGranola CerealsLifePuffed WheatOat Cluster Cereals |
| Donuts – when fried. If baked, considered Pas. |
| Granola |
| Granola Bars |
| Kishke |
| Kreplach |
| Licorice |
| Matzah Balls |
| Oatmeal – when cooked |
| Panko Crumbs |
| Pasta |
[1] Although cooked grain items may very likely be subject to the prohibitions of Bishul Yisroel, which are far more stringent than Pas Yisroel. That discussion, however, is beyond the scope of this article. See https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/1182/food-fit-for-a-king-reviewing-the-laws-of-bishul-akum-bishul-yisroel/
[2] For a full discussion of this topic, see https://www.star-k.org/articles/articles/1194/pas-or-pas-nisht-reviewing-the-laws-of-pas-akum/
3 These are some of the cereals that we are aware as being Pas. Other cereals (noted above) are generally not Pas items. New cereals, however, appear on the market all the time. Consumers can consult their rav or call STAR-K with questions about cereals not listed here.
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