Shocking Discovery at Krogers

Standing in the peanut butter lane at Krogers the other day, I casually grabbed for the supersize jar of Jif Creamy Peanut Butter. My kids love. I love it too. It's so smooth and creamy. I know I teach you guys to buy whole and organic, but there's just something about Jif. I figure...what on earth could be so terrible about the peanuts that they are putting in Jif? I'm sure this is moderately okay and my kids fight me on all the "natural" peanut butter choices and simply refuse to eat their sandwiches.


Having that thought, I scanned the isle and noticed that Smuckers has introduced a "natural" creamy peanut butter. I pick it up wondering what could possibly be the difference....

HORROR!!!

On the Jif list of ingredients, I see the term "hydrogenated" next to the word vegetable oil. On the Smuckers Natural, I do not see this word. Nor do I see the word vegetable oil at all. Neither have any trans fats listed on the label which I know to cause cancer and tell you guys to not eat. My heart starts thumping.....


Every morning for years and years I have been making pbj as the healthy choice for my kids. Have I been giving them cancer????? What is "hydrogenated"??? I can't think...I can't remember...oh gawd...am I killing my kids? I speed home to google.


I go to the experts at the Mayo Clinic.


If you see the following:

• "partially hydrogenated".....don't eat it.
• "fully or completely hydrogenated".....it may be okay or it may contain some trans fats that can be hidden in the labeling. If it's not one of the first 4 ingredients, it may be okay.

(back to Jif...peanuts, sugar (that's not good) molasses, fully hydrogenated veg oil (that's number 4, but marked less than 2%...is 2% okay?)


Wow...that's super clear. Thanks guys.


Let's see what Jif has to say.


Should pb be avoided?

• No. Based on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations about trans fat labeling, peanut butter would declare ZERO (0) grams trans fat per serving. (is that a weird sentence or is it just me?)
  

What is the difference between natural and regular Jif?

• Based on Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations, peanut butter must contain at least 90% peanuts. Also, natural sweeteners, salt and stabilizers, such as hydrogenated oil, can be used in peanut butter and can be found in regular Jif peanut butter products. Jif Natural peanut butter spread is classified as a peanut butter spread because, although it contains 90% peanuts, it is stabilized with palm oil, which is outside of the definition for regular peanut butter.

I think I'm okay on the trans fat thing. The fats that cause cancer. In 2006, the FDA declared it has to be labeled clearly. Both say "zero". I think its all good.... Is it?? Of course the FDA believes .5 grams or less of trans fats to mean zero. uggg.


Here's the kicker....Hydrogenating Oil turns good fat into bad fat...unsaturated to saturated. Saturated fat causes heart disease and cancer. And then there's the sugar thing...


You know, I still don't really know the answer. My mommy gut tells me to buy the natural and organic product. It also tells me to go over to the organic section of Krogers and pick up an off label because these large food manufacturers have so many frickin' lobbyists that our very own FDA intended to protect us thinks .5 = 0. Thank you for spending my tax dollars wisely.


My daughter taste tests as I write this. Her eyes light up at the Jif. Her face does a weird thing at the runny congealed texture of the natural Smuckers.


Tough. She'll thank me later.