- No trans fat
- Good source of natural folic acid, an essential nutrient during pregnancy and in the prevention of heart disease
- Good source of antioxidant, offering as much as grapes, tomatoes, or blueberries

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) a 1-oz serving of peanuts provides 20 % of the Daily Reference Value (DV) for niacin and 10% DV of magnesium, Vitamin E, folate, copper, and phosphorus.  One serving also contains 7 grams of protein.

At Peanut Butter & Co. we pride ourselves on providing great-tasting, all-natural, healthful products. The complete ingredients list and nutritional information for all of our peanut butter products are available on our web site.

Scientific studies have proven that people who snacked on peanuts and peanut butter were able to adjust their caloric intake to a point where they did not end up overeating or adding more calories to their diet. Research also showed that when compared to eating other snacks such as rice cakes, subjects were hungrier faster than when they consumed peanuts or peanut butter.

And then there is the Peanut Butter Diet which was developed by a heath magazine editor to promote weight loss. It recommends eating a preset number of tablespoons of peanut butter daily in addition to other healthy foods such as plant-based foods and no-fat milk. This diet plan, however, has not been tested clinically.

Whatever the motivation is for eating peanut butter – whether it’s to help lose or maintain weight or because one truly enjoys having it – the key is eating everything in moderation.

The most common and severe food allergies are caused by milk, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, almonds, cashews, fish, shellfish, wheat and soy. The most common food allergies among children are milk and egg. Fortunately, children outgrow most food allergies. However, allergies to peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish usually are lifelong.

Food Allergy Reactions

Most allergy sufferers experience fairly mild reactions to a food allergen. Symptoms can include varying degrees of hives, swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing and vomiting. A small number of food allergy sufferers are susceptible to severe and potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

Anaphylaxis can constrict the airways in the lungs, severely lower blood pressure, and swell the tongue or throat, among other symptoms. Anaphylaxis is rare, but can be fatal if not treated immediately. It can be caused by foods, insect stings and medications.

Food Allergy Treatments

There is currently no treatment to prevent a food allergy reaction - the only certain way to prevent a reaction is strict avoidance. To this end, individuals with food allergies must diligently read food labels. When eating food prepared by others (i.e. at a friend’s house or in a restaurant) food allergy sufferers must ask about the ingredients and preparation of the food before eating.

Peanut Allergies

The real danger for peanut allergy sufferers appears to be accidental consumption of peanut products, although mild reactions may occur if peanuts come into contact with the skin.

Approximately one-half of one percent of the American population has an allergy to peanuts. Only one-tenth of one percent of the American population is believed to be subject to a life-threatening peanut allergy. For the remainder of the population, peanuts and peanut butter continue to be a popular, nutritious and economical food.

Because there is currently no "cure" to eliminate the peanut allergy, the U.S. peanut industry also helps fund university research which already has identified the proteins responsible for the allergic reaction. Researchers are now attempting to eliminate these proteins from peanuts altogether. Human trials also have begun on a peanut allergy vaccine to mitigate the severity of the reaction.

What is natural peanut butter?
Natural peanut butter doesn’t have any hydrogenated oil added to it. This means that in time, the peanut’s natural oil will separate and rise to the top. When this happens, don’t worry – your peanut butter hasn’t gone bad – just stir the oil back in!

Is your peanut butter certified kosher?
All of our peanut butter is certified kosher pareve by the Orthodox Union.

Is your peanut butter suitable for vegans or vegetarians?
Our peanut butter, with the exception of The Bee’s Knees, is certified free of all animal products by Vegan Action. The Bee’s Knees is vegetarian.

Does your peanut butter have sugar in it?
Our Old Fashioned Smooth Operator, Old Fashioned Crunch Time, and The Heat Is On varieties contain no added sugar. Smooth Operator, Crunch Time, Cinnamon Raisin Swirl, White Chocolate Wonderful, Dark Chocolate Dreams, The Bee’s Knees and Mighty Maple are all sweetened with evaporated cane juice, an unrefined sugar.

Does your peanut butter have salt in it?
We add a small amount of salt to our peanut butter to bring out the natural sweetness of the peanuts. Because we use just a small amount, it still works for low sodium diets.

I see that lecithin is listed as one of the ingredients in the White Chocolate Wonderful and Dark Chocolate Dreams varieties. What is it and why do you use it?
Lecithin is a natural emulsifier, commonly used in the production of chocolate. We use it because it improves the flavor and texture of the cocoa butter in relation to the other ingredients in the peanut butter

What is the source of the lecithin found in your White Chocolate and Dark Chocolate peanut butter?
The lecithin we use is derived from sunflower and is 100% natural, certified kosher, and vegetarian. 

Is your peanut butter gluten-free?
Our peanut butter is gluten-free.

Vinegar is listed as one of the ingredients in The Heat Is On peanut butter. Some vinegars are made from wheat, which contains gluten and therefore not suitable for people with celiac disease. What is the source of your vinegar?
The vinegar that we use is derived from corn.

Is your peanut butter casein-free?
Our peanut butter is casein-free.

Does the salt used in your peanut butter have iodine?
The flour salt used in our peanut butter is not supplemented with iodine.

I see that "palm fruit oil" is listed as one of the ingredients in your flavored peanut butters. What is it and why do you use it?
Palm fruit oil is a non-hydrogenated, healthy alternative for creating natural peanut butter with less oil separation. It has been used in culinary applications since the beginning of recorded history. It is grown in tropical regions and is widely used as a culinary oil in many countries.

I always thought palm oil was bad for you -- is your peanut butter still healthy?
Our palm fruit oil contains no trans fats. Trans fats have come under scrutiny by the FDA as a link to major diseases including heart disease and cancer.

Palm Fruit Oil is often confused with Palm Kernel Oil. Palm kernel oil is derived from palm kernels and contains 82% saturated fat. Palm Fruit Oil comes from the fruit of the palm and has a nutritionally balanced profile of approximately 50% saturated and 50% unsaturated fat.

When safely processed using traditional methods, palm oil promotes health by providing important lipid antioxidants and fatty acids. A high percentage of the saturated fats in palm oil are supple long-chain fats, excellent sources of energy. In contrast, hydrogenated fats result from converting supple long-chain fats into still "plastic-like" short-chain fats, producing desirable texture in foods but highly undesirable results from a health standpoint.

I’ve been hearing a lot about the destruction of rain forests in Indonesia to create palm plantations, and that the indigenous orangutan population is in danger. Where does your palm fruit oil come from?
The palm fruit oil that is used in Peanut Butter & Co. products comes from Malaysia. Sustainability is a primary concern to our supplier, who is in fact one of the founding members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The RSPO is comprised of governments, palm growers, palm oil users, and non-governmental organizations such as the World Wildlife Fund. Its goal is the preservation of the natural environment in a sustainable way that also permits reasonable growth of palm oil plantations that support local populations. For more information about the RSPO please visit their website www.rspo.org.

Peanut Butter & Co. is also a member of Green Palm, which offers a certificate trading program designed to tackle environmental and social problems created by the production of palm oil. Under this program, we are able to reward palm oil producers by paying them for an equivalent amount of palm oil that they have produced sustainably and responsibly.