2008 Passover margarine shortage

2008 US shortage of kosher margarine January 2026 January 2026 During the 2008 Passover season, margarine that is kosher-for-Passover was in short supply in the UnitedStates due to several issues, leading to a scramble among kosher consumers to obtain the staple, as it features prominently in many Passover recipes.https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB120835576139919511 What's Different This Passover? No Margarine Ann Zimmerman The Wall Street Journal Dow Jones & Company April 18, 2008 subscription 0099-9660 1042-9840 781541372 https://web.archive.org/web/20160424043349/www.wsj.com/articles/SB120835576139919511 April 24, 2016 live https://www.npr.org/2008/04/18/89760897/marketplace-report-kosher-margarine 'Marketplace' Report: Kosher Margarine Amy Scott Chadwick Alex Alex Chadwick Day to Day Culver City, CA NPR April 18, 2008 January 10, 2026 Causes One factor contributing to the shortage was the shortage of cottonseed oil, the main ingredient used in most kosher-for-Passover margarine. Cottonseedoil is used instead of alternate vegetable oils, such as corn or soybean oil, which are not considered kosher-for-Passover under Ashkenazi customs relating to he-Latn kitniyot (legumes andseeds). Cottonseedoil is a byproduct of cotton production; because of USdemand for corn(maize) ethanol, many farmers switched from cotton cultivation to more-lucrative corn. Additionally, some previous manufacturers of Passover margarine discontinued producing the product after deciding it was not economically feasible. The process of cleansing a factory to make it suitable for producing kosher-for-Passover margarine is complicated, and involves dismantling much of the equipment. Some of the previous manufacturers felt it was no longer practical to undergo these procedures for a short-term project. Manischewitz and Mother's, two of the largest kosher margarine brands, were only able to provide limited amounts to the marketplace, which were often not in the popular stickform. Impact right|thumb|alt=A small plastic food tub labeled as Mother's brand soft margarine|A tub of Mother's Kosher for Passover margarine The margarine shortage affected home Passover baking. Dishes which comply with Passover rules are often somewhat lacking in taste, and for this reason margarine is a key ingredient in many Passover recipes. Often, no substitute is available. Since the laws of he-Latn kashrut mandate the separation of milk and meat (including products derived from them), margarine is an important butter substitute in recipes that are served with meat meals. Recipes requiring large amounts of margarine include Passover desserts, such as cookies. Many stores rationed sales of kosher-for-Passover margarine by limiting the number of cases of margarine that could be purchased percustomer; some stores required a minimum number of other items to be purchased.http://archives.informz.net/clients/divcom-kosher/archives/archive_291061.html Kosher Industry News Feature: What's Behind the Big Margarine Shortage for Passover 2008? Sara Cohen Menachem Lubinsky New York, NY Portland, ME KosherToday Diversified Business Communications April 14, 2008 5 January 2016 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20160105233152/http://archives.informz.net/clients/divcom-kosher/archives/archive_291061.html January 5, 2016 Haolam, a large manufacturer of kosher cheeses, was able to produce margarine for Passover to meet some of the demands.http://www.clevelandjewishnews.com/articles/2008/04/03/news/local/kosher0404.txt Kosher-for-Passover margarine, Tam Tams missing from shelves Jennifer Daddario The Cleveland Jewish News Beachwood, OH 0009-8825 April 3, 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20250729024907/www.clevelandjewishnews.com/archives/kosher-for-passover-margarine-tam-tams-missing-from-shelves/article_9fbf7d05-3a61-59fe-bf61-6f7cff3e1e9b.html July 29, 2025 live Other shortages In addition to margarine, matzo was also in short supply for the 2008Passover season,Steinhauer Jennifer It's Passover. Who's Hiding the Matzo? https://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/us/22matzo.html The New York Times sn78004456 0362-4331 1553-8095 1645522 April 1, 2016 22 April 2008 https://web.archive.org/web/20250722074825/www.nytimes.com/2008/04/22/us/22matzo.html July 22, 2025 live as were the TamTam matzo crackers manufactured by Manischewitz. https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/democratandchronicle/access/1712196331.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+23%2C+2008&author=Karen+Miltner&pub=Rochester+Democrat+and+Chronicle&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Two+staples+for+Passover+scarce Two staples for Passover scarce Karen Miltner Democrat and Chronicle Rochester, NY Gannett Company 1088-5153 April 23, 2008 July 5, 2017 November 2, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20121102075015/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/democratandchronicle/access/1712196331.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Apr+23,+2008&author=Karen+Miltner&pub=Rochester+Democrat+and+Chronicle&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Two+staples+for+Passover+scarce dead https://archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/its-hide-the-matzo-for-real-where-are-the-tam-tams/ It's 'Hide the Matzo,' for Real: Where Are the Tam Tams? Jonathan Miller The New York Times City Room Blog sn78004456 0362-4331 1553-8095 1645522 March 27, 2008 May 17, 2010 https://web.archive.org/web/20250102085435/archive.nytimes.com/cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/27/its-hide-the-matzo-for-real-where-are-the-tam-tams/ January 2, 2025 live Possible reasons for the matzo shortage included decisions by Trader Joe's and Costco not to stock matzo for2008,Kuruvila Matthai http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Matzo-in-short-supply-for-Bay-Area-Passover-3286560.php Matzo in short supply for Bay Area Passover San Francisco Chronicle 1932-8672 2574-5921 8812614 April 22, 2008 2016-04-01 https://web.archive.org/web/20231016051309/https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/matzo-in-short-supply-for-bay-area-passover-3286560.php October 16, 2023 live and manufacturing problems at Manischewitz that forced the company to withhold TamTams for the year, and to produce less matzo and none of the more strictly-made shmurah matzo preferred by many traditionalistJews.Neroulias Nicole http://www.religionnews.com/2009/02/24/no-matzo-shortage-expected-this-year-manischewitz-says/ No matzo shortage expected this year, Manischewitz says Religion News Service Newark, NJ Columbia, MO February 24, 2009 2016-04-01 See also Kosher for Passover Passover foods Kashrut he-Latn Kashrut no Kitniyot he-Latn Kitniyot no References 2 Margarine Category:Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine Category:Jewish American cuisine Category:Jewish-American history Passover margarine shortage Category:Food processing industry in the United States Category:History of agriculture in the United States Category:Margarine Category:Matzah Category:Scarcity