Q. Dear Rov. I know that during the Ten Yamim Noraim Days one should be more stringent in the foods one eats, including avoiding ‘Pas Akum’ or bread not baked in a Jewish Bakery. Does that include pretzels, Cheerios and wheat cereals?
A. Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that pretzels are Mezonos (Chelkas Yaakov 3: 173) and should be Pas Yisroel. However, Cheerios, although their brocho is Mezonos (Pischei Halacha p.362), since they are boiled are different. The same applies to wheat cereals, that don’t need to be Pas Yisroel.
Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu Shlit’a.