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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that products containing less than 90% peanuts be labeled as "spread" rather than peanut butter. Skippy's Natural Peanut Butter Spread includes palm oil and thus must use this label due to not meeting the FDA’s 90% peanut content requirement for calling it simply “peanut butter.” The article explains how historical regulations were established in response to manufacturers reducing peanut content and adding cheaper oils, leading to a standard set by an Appeals Court approval of the FDA's proposal in 1961.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-02,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In 1959, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) established regulations stating that to legally be called peanut butter, a product must contain at least 90% peanuts. If a product contains less than this percentage or includes additional ingredients like palm oil, it must be labeled as "peanut spread." Skippy's Natural Peanut Butter Spread, for example, uses palm oil and therefore must include the word "spread" on its label to comply with FDA rules. This regulation was set in response to concerns that manufacturers were reducing peanut content and substituting cheaper ingredients, misleading consumers about product quality.
Written for “Regulations On Peanut Butter Labeling” on 2026-10-04,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Peanut butter is a spread by definition, but when the word "spread" appears on a peanut butter jar label, it's most likely satisfying a legal requirement rather than acting as a simple descriptor.
asserted
it → appear → descriptor
Skippy, a well-known name in the peanut butter world, must label its Natural Peanut Butter Spread as such because it contains palm oil.
asserted
it → know → oil
Regulations set by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) state that, in order to be classified as peanut butter, a product must contain at least 90% peanuts — otherwise, the word "spread" needs to be included on the label.
asserted
word → set → label
The Skippy website acknowledges this FDA regulation, saying: "Natural Peanut Butter Spreads can include additional ingredients like palm oil or other oils, which are not hydrogenated.
asserted
which → acknowledge → oil
"
"These spreads may still contain at least 90% peanuts but include other ingredients that place them outside the standard definition of 'peanut butter,'" the website notes.
uncertain
website → contain → butter
It wasn't the smoothest journey to get this regulation set in stone.
asserted
regulation → get → stone
Back in 1959, an FDA press release included the findings of a survey which showed that "products labeled ‘peanut butter’ had reduced their peanut content as much as 20 percent by substituting cheaper hydrogenated or vegetable oils for expensive peanuts and peanut oil," according to the FDA.
uncertain
products → include → FDA
When manufacturers asked about adding glycerin to peanut butter in order to fight oil separation, the FDA responded by stating that, "if glycerin could be added without rendering the food adulterated, its addition would have to be set forth prominently on the product label."
It became apparent that customers liked peanut butter that spread easily and had a bit of sweetener.
uncertain
that → ask → sweetener
So, in 1961, the FDA proposed a new standard which maintained products consisting of 90 percent peanuts and additional sweeteners would be classified as peanut butter.
asserted
products → propose → butter
Upon this proposal, three peanut butter brands — Skippy, Jif and Peter Pan — began a twenty-week public hearing to argue what peanut percentage the new standard would dictate.
asserted
standard → begin → percentage
Eventually, the US Appeals Court approved the FDA proposal to set peanut butter standards "at no less than 90 percent for peanuts and no more than 55 percent fat," according to the FDA.
uncertain
Court → approve → FDA
Today, as shoppers browse supermarket shelves stocked with many different variations of peanut butter, taking a closer look at the label could answer an important question: Is it really peanut butter?
uncertain
it → browse → question
Fox News Digital reached out to Skippy's parent company, Hormel Foods, for comment.
asserted
Digital → reach → comment
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