Are There Bugs In Peanut Butter? Whether you prefer smooth peanut butter, crunchy peanut butter, or organic peanut butter, you’ll be astonished to hear that microscopic bug bits can be found in any tub you buy. Nobody wants to eat insect pieces, but they are present in every peanut butter. They may contain only trace levels and are therefore entirely safe to consume. But just the concept of that makes me cringe.
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What Causes Bugs in Peanut Butter?
As previously stated, these insect bits are present in every peanut butter and cannot be prevented. So you’re probably asking why they’re permitted there in the first place.
The reason for them being in your peanut butter is that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorises and allows a tiny number of bug fragments to be detected in your food because filtering them all out would be very impossible.
According to the FDA, you are not eating the bugs themselves, but rather their bug body parts. I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse, but the government’s Defect Levels Handbook indicates that no more than 30 bug pieces per 100g of peanut butter are permitted. This demonstrates that there is a limit, and you will not find any peanut butter with a bigger quantity of insects in it on a retail shelf.
According to statistics, every time you eat a peanut butter sandwich, you consume approximately eight bug bits. This, however, is an average and is not always the case. You could be eating more at times and less at others.
What Causes Insect Fragments in Peanut Butter?
You’re probably wondering how any insects or other pests ended up in your food in the first place.
It generally happens during the peanut butter processing step.
It is possible that some bugs will fall in while gathering peanuts and manufacturing peanut butter. Naturally, they will be removed in their entirety, although some of their small bits may remain.
Although processed peanut butter is more likely to include bug fragments, organic peanut butter is no safer. Insect pieces are likely to be found in all forms of peanut butter.
Is Eating Bugs in Peanut Butter Safe?
If it was not safe for human consumption, the FDA would not allow it to happen. While their logic of ‘it’s merely bug pieces’ may not inspire trust, eating these insect fragments is entirely safe.
Because there are no diseases or bacterial infections that can be induced by consuming these little body parts, it is preferable to ignore them. Fortunately, there is a limit. The maximum amount of bug parts permitted in peanut butter is 30 per 100g. This cap allows for the inclusion of 90 insect bits per jar of peanut butter. Of course, this assumes the jar weighs 300g.
Without this cap, peanut butter companies and producers would most likely be far more negligent, allowing as many pieces as they wanted in your butter. We are gratefully rescued from having to consume insect butter since the government has stated that there is a limit.
The best thing to do is to try not to think about it at all. Next time you want to eat peanut butter, imagine cartoons and dogs when you spread it on your bread.
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Bugs in Peanut Butter: Frequently Asked Questions
Is Jif peanut butter bug-infested?
All peanut butter contains bugs. This is unavoidable since you cannot prevent bug bits from getting into the peanut butter and you cannot simply remove them. Although this is not ideal, it is safe to eat, and the FDA allows for 30 bug fragments in 100g of peanut butter.
Is there roaches in peanut butter?
While it is impossible to tell what kind of bugs are in it, peanut butter is notorious for containing bug bits. This is due to the possibility of bugs falling into the peanut butter and leaving bits in it throughout the processing stage.
Is eating peanut butter safe?
Eating peanut butter is absolutely safe. Despite the presence of small numbers of bug pieces in peanut butter, the peanut butter is perfectly safe to consume. Both the FDA and the government allow this to happen because it is impossible to remove all of the fragments and it does not hurt you in any way.
