Case Studies
The Color of Peanut Butter
Did you know that Americans consume more peanut butter than any other country?
Over 90 million jars are sold annually – that’s one about every three seconds! About 75 percent of all American families purchase peanut butter, enough to make 10 billion peanut butter and jelly sandwiches a year. That’s about 500 million pounds of peanut butter, or three pounds per person every year and consumption is increasing.
Whether you always buy your favorite brand or shop for the best price, one thing you will notice the color of peanut butter from jar to jar and from producer to producer does not vary much. That doesn’t happen by accident.
For the past 50 years, there have been standards for grading peanut butter established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and peanut butter color is an essential factor in the ultimate determination of its final grade.
