Peanut butter is a staple food in most U.S. homes today, and FDA believes it is vitally important to regulate its ingredient list.
Peanut butter has a long history within the FDA of regulation modifications. The FDA closely regulates the ingredients that can be added to this classic staple of most American homes. Whether a peanut butter is organic or not, the FDA holds tight regulations on peanut butters before they hit store shelves.
Ingredients
In 1961, the FDA started regulating that all peanut butters on the market contain no less than 90 percent peanuts and no more than 10 percent "other" ingredients. These other ingredients include sugars, salts, dextrose, honey and hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated peanut oil. This keeps an industry standard and protects consumers from any potential harmful additives being added to the recipe.
Fat Content
Today's peanut butters cannot have more than a 55 percent fat content. There are many reduced-fat peanut butters on the market today as well. The FDA mandates that all reduced-fat peanut butters must be called "spreads." However, these products are allowed to be marketed with and compared to the health and ingredient contents of regular peanut butters.
Food Labels
The FDA regulates that all ingredients in peanut butter be clearly labeled on the packaging. The amount of each ingredient must also be noted, as well as the percentage of daily value in a standard 2,000-calorie diet. In addition, each label must contain a notice of where the product was manufactured. Because of today's increased sensitivity to peanut allergies, most manufacturers also state clearly that the product contains peanuts and peanut products.
For organic peanut butters, the manufacturer must be able to clearly prove to the FDA that the peanuts and other products used to make the peanut butter were never treated with any chemicals or pesticides. Once these regulations are met, in addition to the standard FDA regulations on ingredients and fat content, the "organic" label can be applied.
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