Frequently Asked Questions
Get the facts about Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Peanut Spreads!
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Peanut butter is a spread made most often of roasted ground peanuts that are blended into a paste-like consistency. Many peanut butters and spreads include additional ingredients, such as sugar and salt.
Learn more about peanut butter and peanut spread nutrition information here.
- Peter Pan Original Almond Butter
- Peter Pan Vanilla Roast Almond Butter
- Peter Pan Honey Roast Almond Butter
- Peter Pan Simply Ground Peanut Butter
- Peter Pan Simply Ground Honey Roast Peanut Spread
- Peter Pan Just Peanuts Creamy Peanut Butter
- Peter Pan Just Peanuts Crunchy Peanut Butter
- Peter Pan Just Peanuts Creamy Honey Roast Peanut Spread
- Peter Pan Natural Crunchy Peanut Spread
- Peter Pan Whipped Peanut Butter
Peter Pan products are distributed nationwide. Although we would love to have all varieties represented in every store, some retailers may only stock certain varieties and sizes because they have limited available shelf space. If you can’t find your favorite Peter Pan product, please use our product locator to find a retailer near you.
If you are still unable to locate your product, please call our Consumer Affairs line at 1-800-222-7370.
The different varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Peanut Spread have slightly different nutritional profiles. Please consult the Nutrition Facts panel on the product label.
Peter Pan uses palm oil certified by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). For more information on RSPO please visit: https://rspo.org/
An allergic reaction involves the body’s immune system. Other reactions to food that don’t involve the immune system also exist, but these are called food intolerances or food sensitivities, such as lactose intolerance. In the case of a true food allergy, the immune system misinterprets a food protein as a harmful invader and releases histamines and other chemicals in response. These chemicals can cause mild itching and skin rashes, an upset stomach, or even a more serious reaction known as “anaphylaxis.”
Anaphylaxis can make a person itch, vomit, have diarrhea, or even have difficulty breathing because his or her mouth, tongue, and throat swell rapidly. This swelling, combined with a rapid drop in blood pressure, can cause death without immediate medical attention.
While an individual could be allergic to any food, in the United States 90% of all severe reactions are caused by eight common foods. These are: eggs, fish, milk, peanuts, shellfish, soybeans, tree nuts (such as walnuts or pecans), and wheat.
According to the American Peanut Council, approximately one-half of 1% of the American population has an allergy to peanuts. Of this percentage, about one-tenth of 1% of the American population is believed to be subject to peanut allergy reactions that could be life threatening.
For more detailed information about peanut allergies, the American Peanut Council provides some answers to frequently asked questions on its site. You can also contact the following organization for other learning resources.
National FARE Headquarters
7901 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 240
McLean, VA 22102
1-800-929-4040 (phone)
http://www.foodallergy.org
The “Best By” date is stamped on every jar of Peter Pan to let consumers know by what date they can enjoy the product at its optimum flavor and quality.
We do not recommend freezing Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Peanut Spreads.
Peter Pan Natural Peanut Butter is No Stir Required and thus does not require stirring before enjoying.
There is no xylitol added to any Peter Pan products.
Peter Pan products are not vegan but they are vegetarian.
There are no dairy ingredients added to any of our Peter Pan products.
For dietary questions please check the label on the product and consult with your health-care professional to decide if our products meet your dietary needs.
Swift & Company introduced “E.K. Pond” peanut butter in 1920. In 1922, the company adopted a new process for a smoother, more stable peanut butter. In 1928, Swift renamed the product “Peter Pan.” Originally, Peter Pan Peanut Butter was packaged in a tin can opened by a turnkey that allowed the can to be re-covered by the lid. The package was changed to glass jars during World War II because of metal shortages. Later, lighter, unbreakable plastic jars replaced the glass ones.
Over the last century, the process for making peanut butter has become more automated and efficient, but generally has changed very little. Here are the basic steps:
Peanuts are delivered raw to the manufacturing facility, where they are inspected to assure quality.
The peanuts pass through a special oven that roasts them to develop flavor.
To stop the roasting process when the peanuts reach their optimum flavor and color, they are cooled quickly with fan-circulated air.
A machine called a blancher removes the outer skin from the peanuts, after which they are split, cleaned, and sorted.
The prepared peanuts are ground in two stages to avoid generating too much heat, which can reduce flavor quality. The first stage reduces them to a chunky paste. The second stage incorporates additional ingredients—such as sugar and salt—and reduces the peanuts to the familiar, smooth peanut butter texture before final packaging.
People with food allergies should always try to avoid the foods that could cause a reaction. If you are allergic to peanuts, you certainly should not eat peanut butter. If food allergies run in your family and you have questions about when to introduce foods to your child that could potentially trigger an allergic response, consult your pediatrician or an allergy specialist.
Although both unopened and opened jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter may be stored at room temperature, refrigeration may help retain the product’s optimum flavor—particularly in places where the room temperature tends to be warm. Keep in mind that colder storage temperatures will make Peter Pan Peanut Butter firmer and not as easy to spread. We do not recommend freezing peanut butter.
You may store both unopened and opened jars of Peter Pan Peanut Butter at room temperature. Exposure to air and excessive heat may accelerate the loss of optimum flavor and—in the case of heat exposure—cause oil separation. Avoid this by keeping the jar tightly closed and in a cool place. Cold temperatures, even those that still are above freezing, may change peanut butter and peanut spread consistency, texture, and thickness.
This varies slightly depending on the actual product. Creamy and Crunchy varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Peanut Spreads have a recommended shelf life that is 18 months from the date of manufacture. Beyond this date, the product does not spoil, but may develop “off” flavors due to age. The end of the recommended shelf life is noted by the “Best By” date stamped on the jar.
In the United States, food regulations require that all peanut butters contain a minimum of 90% peanuts. Ingredients such as salt or sugar are allowed to be used as flavoring. Vegetable oils are also used in small amounts as stabilizers. Stabilizers are used to maintain the consistency of the peanut butter by preventing the natural peanut oils from separating from the product and rising to the top of the jar.
“Natural” or “Traditional-Style” peanut butters differ primarily because they do not contain a stabilizer. Consequently, the peanut oil may separate from the peanut butter and collect at the top of the jar. To prevent this, consumers often refrigerate these types of peanut butter. Although this keeps the oil from separating, the peanut butter will have a firmer, harder-to-spread consistency.
All varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter and Peanut Spread are made without adding any potential gluten-containing ingredients such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats.
No, Peter Pan products do not contain trans fats. The partially hydrogenated oils that contributed trans fats in foods are no longer permitted in the US. Fully hydrogenated oils, such as those found in Peter Pan products, do not contain trans fat.
Peter Pan Peanut Butter complies with U.S. Standards of Identity for peanut butter or peanut spreads by containing more than 90% select roasted peanuts. It also contains extremely small amounts of vegetable oil stabilizers, which improve smoothness and prevent the natural peanut oils from separating from the product and rising to the top of the jar. To enhance the flavor, Peter Pan Peanut Butter also contains sugar and salt.