Peanut butter is often considered , and for good reason. Americans eat roughly 3 pounds of peanut butter per person per year. In total, we work our way through about 700 million pounds on an annual basis — which, to put it into perspective, is enough to coat the floor of the Grand Canyon.
With that in mind, a peanut butter recall of any level is kind of a big deal. Jars of this creamy spread lurk in a huge number of kitchens. In fact, it's thought that 94% of people in the U.
S. have peanut butter in their pantry at any given time. As a result, any kind of food safety scare that includes peanut butter can have pretty serious widespread consequences, especially considering the prevalence of salmonella in recent decades.
While it's most commonly associated with undercooked meat, salmonella has proven particularly stubborn in peanut butter due to the fact that its low moisture, paired with its high sugar and fat content, provide the perfect environment for the bacteria to thrive. But salmonella isn't the only concern pulling peanut butter off shelves. Over the years, multiple risks and scares have forced brands to recall their products, some of which were more alarming than others.
From toxins to metal, here's a look at some of the industry's biggest peanut butter recalls. House of Natural Butters (2024) The most recent major recall to hit the peanut butter scene actually occurred not in the U.S.
but in South Africa. In February 2024, supermarket chain Pick n Pay pulled its smo.