Expert: Carol Schlitt - 1/26/2007

Question
Why do peanut butter jars have allergy warnings that the product may contain traces of penuts?  
    This is for a school research paper, so please take it serousily.

Answer
Hi Matt,

While it may seem odd and redundant that peanut butter may contain peanuts (DUH!!!) there is a reason why peanut butter must be labeled such.  

Peanuts are one of the 8 most common foods that cause allergic reactions in individuals. Because of this, law now requires that any food that contains peanuts or any derivative of peanuts such as peanut oil, be clearly labeled. Also, facilities that produce foods where peanuts are used, even if the food itself does not contain peanuts, must be labeled as "produced in a facility where peanuts are used."  This is why you may see this on a sign in Dairy Queen's and other restaurants where peanuts are frequently used in their products.  Also, if a food contains any of the 8 major food allergens [milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as walnuts and almonds), soy, wheat, fish and shellfish]it must be clearly labeled that the food contains these items.

The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), an FDA law, requires allergens to be listed on food labels in plain English.

For more information about the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, please see this website:  http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/alrgqa.html#q10

I hope this answers your question Matt. Good luck with your research paper.

Carol