Mixed Feeling About Peanut Butter?

by Marisa McClellan, Posted Feb 9th 2009 @ 4:59PM

Adams natural peanut butter Photo: Adams Peanut Butter

My mom called me yesterday just to report on the status of her favorite brand of peanut butter. She is devoted to Adams Natural Peanut Butter (she's a fan of the 26 ounce size, as once it's empty, the jar is a really useful size/shape) and eats it on toast for breakfast nearly every day. Thankfully, Adams has been found to uncontaminated (they're running a large announcement on the front page of their website to calm consumers) and so her morning routine is uninterrupted.

However, according to the New York Times, peanut butter sales are down 25% across the board, even in brands that have been shown to be salmonella-free. Over the weekend, Jif placed ads in newspapers throughout the country, stating that their product is safe and offered consumers a $.35 off coupon in the hopes that sales will rebound. Peter Pan Peanut Butter has plans to run a similar announcement next weekend, along with a $.50 off coupon.

How are you feeling about peanut butter consumption these days? Are you taking a break from the lunchtime staple or continuing to eat it (after checking to ensure your favorite brand was safe)?

Filed Under: Food News, Ingredients
Tags: new ork times, NewOrkTimes, nuts, peanut butter, peanut butter sales, PeanutButter, PeanutButterSales, salmonella scare, SalmonellaScare, seeds

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Reader comments (Page 1 of 1)

2-09-2009 @5:11PM auxonic said... I think it's clear that even if people aren't willing to put all that much effort into researching their food before they buy it, they really want it to be safe. Maybe this'll push us in the right direction in a way that the last year's worth of major food recalls haven't.(How many have been reported here? 200?)
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2-09-2009 @5:12PM christopher said... I guess I didn't pay much attention (rarely do to these scares) - I thought it was mainly processed type foods that might be contaminated (with feces lets not forget - why is there feces on my peanuts?). My favorite brand is teddy but will buy most anything that is just crushed peanuts in a glass jar (I like having the jars).
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2-09-2009 @5:15PM Rob O. said... I'm still lovin' the peanut butter. But I am most often going with smaller brands and opting for organic when I can. I realize that neither of those factors guarantee that those nuts will be of necessarily better quality, but I figure its worth a shot and I certainly don't mind supporting the smaller companies.
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2-09-2009 @6:29PM Bernie B said... I'd buy more PB, except that the local price has gone up significantly the last couple of months. Maybe not double in price, but still quite a bit.
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2-09-2009 @6:48PM octovus said... I live off PB, so, no. Buy only the "natural" kind, just crushed peanuts, nothing else added. But, I do go for the cheapest brand available locally (some PRICIER brands are ones that remove the nut oil, and add sunflower, canola or alternative cheap oil...this cheapy one is just peanuts with their ordinary oil left in!).
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2-09-2009 @7:53PM Monty Harris said... I eat a lot of peanut butter. As a matter of fact I panicked when I noticed the "tanker" size was recalled. I ran out to the driveway to check the lot number stenciled on the side of mine.

I do think the company should be charged with murder though for knowingly shipping contaminated foods.

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2-10-2009 @6:10AM Amanda said... I had a friend of mine who is a physician/epidemiologist once tell me that peanut butter was the worst thing you could eat. He had a whole lot of reasons (one was how common aflatoxin is) and said that the fact that peanuts are a very strong allergen for a lot of humans (and the number seems to get bigger all the time) was "proof" enough for him. He suggested I switch to almond or cashew butter, both of which are healthier nuts anyway.

That being said, I have tried those and I still love me some peanut butter. Peanut butter cereal, peanut butter ice cream, peanut butter cups, yum. The fact that I read the factory was crawling with roaches and feces is pretty disgusting, but I still ate my EnviroKidz peanut butter puffs yesterday and I LIKED IT!

You can pry my peanut butter from my cold dead hands, even if I do die from salmonella :)
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