Is Peanut Butter Gluten-Free?

Is peanut butter gluten-free? It’s a question that pops up in many minds. To be gluten-free, it’s crucial to know the ingredient labels. Gluten is a common ingredient in many food items.

Peanut butter is gluten-free; however, some brands have added gluten. Find out the details on gluten, how to tell whether peanut butter is gluten-free, what brands of peanut butter are suitable for consumption, and the cross-contamination risks!

What Is Peanut Butter?

It is essentially peanuts that have been ground down (often being roasted before grinding) and blended into a smooth paste. 

Pure peanut butter – the healthiest peanut butter – is usually approximately 90% peanuts, with maybe some sugar and salt to boost the flavor. In this instance, the natural oil derived from peanuts can separate from the other ingredients and settle in the container’s middle. 

To prevent this, companies include palm or vegetable oil in the mix. 

This serves as a stabilizer and helps keep everything in place. The more processed peanut butter may contain many additional ingredients; some could contain gluten. 

So, it’s essential to verify the label.

Does Peanut Butter Have Gluten?

In their raw state, raw and unflavored are gluten-free in both nut and butter forms. 

However, some preservatives and additives used in the preparation or flavoring of peanuts could be gluten-free, so they can render them unfit for gluten-intolerant people.

It should be fine if you’re eating raw, plain, unsalted, or salted peanut butter. 

If you’re eating honey mustard-glazed peanut butter, there’s a good chance that gluten is present in this flavor choice. If peanut butter has other ingredients, such as wasabi, it can be challenging to determine that it’s gluten-free.

Here’s a helpful list of terms to look for when reading peanut butter labels. Before buying:

• Read the label 
• Find out where it says “gluten-free.” 
• Check for any of these ingredients 

They are warning signs! Also, if it states “May contain wheat or gluten,” on the label, you’ll know that it’s an issue.

You may also check out third-party gluten-free labels or contact the manufacturers to ask questions before purchasing. 

Selecting a gluten-free peanut butter will become easier over time, and you’ll eventually discover the brands you like and remain with for the long haul.

When Peanut Butter Is Not Gluten-Free?

Peanut butter is naturally gluten-free and is made of basic, carefully selected, and handled ingredients such as peanuts and a hint of salt. But this doesn’t mean that all brands are gluten-free.

Cross-contamination can be the main reason peanut butter is not gluten-free. 

During the process of making, it is common for peanuts to come in contact with ingredients containing gluten, machines, packaging, or other equipment.

Certain brands make sure to warrant that peanuts are separated from other ingredients.

Some brands also employ manufacturing facilities that don’t contain gluten-containing products.

So, reading the label on the peanut butter you purchase is crucial. The label should expressly state that it’s gluten-free, which means that it has been manufactured meticulously and evaluated for gluten.

Other Things To Watch For

• Aflatoxins: Aflatoxins are a group of toxins created by fungi (mold), which are typically present in nuts.

  When consumed in large amounts, aflatoxins may cause an illness or damage to your liver—high-quality brands test for aflatoxins. If you’re not sure about it, inquire.
  

• The addition of hydrogenated inflammatory oils: Certain manufacturers endeavor to make products much more homogeneous (smooth and smooth) by incorporating the inflammatory oils of seeds.

  There’s no reason to add these oils, which could harm your well-being. Pay attention to soy, corn, and canola oils.
  

• Sugar added: Certain brands add sugar to make peanut butter taste more attractive. Do not eat these!
• Peanut powder : Peanut powder is advertised as a way to get the flavor of peanut butter without the fat. Unfortunately, many manufacturers of peanut powder include other low-quality ingredients, such as sweeteners and sugar.

  One reliable brand that tests on gluten (and publishes the outcome on its outcomes website!) can be found at NorCal Organic.

• Peanut butter ground at the store: Certain grocery stores, particularly more natural-minded grocery stores, offer options to grind fresh peanuts. Feature grinding peanuts freshly within the shop.
  This may seem like an ideal option, but the chance of cross-contamination is exceptionally high. 

  It is unclear exactly how these peanuts were kept and handled or how careful the employee in the store was when transferring peanuts to the machine and maintaining the machine free of dirt.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter List

Below is an alphabetical selection of peanut butter brands available on shelves in the U.S., as well as their makers’ statements regarding gluten material and gluten-free status.

✅ Crazy Richard’s

Crazy Richard’s peanut spread only contains peanuts. 

The products are free of added salt, oil, or sugar. The company claims all its products (including the peanut butter) are gluten-free.

✅ Adams

The peanut butter, made through the J.M. Smucker Co., bills its product as “natural in a nutshell.” Most of its products are made using only salt and peanuts (the one exception is the no-stir peanut butter made with vegetable monoglycerides of palm oil).

As per the firm, these products have no gluten-containing ingredients but do not conform to the company’s standards to make a “gluten-free” claim. 

Also, they may not be evaluated to ensure they comply with the requirement of not exceeding twenty parts for every million (ppm) of gluten, or they could be produced in shared manufacturing facilities that don’t have programs to limit the distribution in trace amounts of gluten.

✅ Jif

The peanut butter favorite is another brand from Smuckers. The company says Jif items are marked “gluten-free” if they meet the U.S. standards for gluten-free, which are under 20 percent of parts per million.

If you’re looking for Jif Peanut Butter, check whether the jar is labeled gluten-free. 

But remember that since Smuckers produces other products that aren’t gluten-free, it might use equipment shared with other companies to produce gluten-free products.

✅ Justin’s

Justin’s creates a range of nut butter, including classic peanut butter and honey-flavored peanut butter. 

It is also gluten-free, as certified by the Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO), which requires the products to be tested at a lower than ten parts-per-million (ppm) gluten level.

Justin’s also offers certified gluten-free products, like banana and peanut butter snacks with chips. Beware of snacks that contain pretzels, as they aren’t gluten-free.

✅ Krema Nut Company

In the 1980s, Crazy Richards closed its storefront and sold the nut/candy part of the business to a group of friends from Columbus, OH. This is a spin-off of the Krema Nut Company.

Similar to Crazy Richard’s, Krema’s peanut butter is believed to be gluten-free for less than 20 parts per million. 

You can choose from traditional creamy or crunchy varieties, available in jars of one jar in cases, by the pound, or even a bucket that weighs 5 pounds.

✅ PB Crave

PB Crave offers five peanut butter flavors: honey, Sea Salt, Chocolate, Raspberry and White Fudge, Cookie Dough, and Banana. 

The brand is a gourmet one that sells small-batch peanut butter via its peanut supplier, Hampton Farms. Hampton Farms claims that all of its products contain no gluten.

✅ Wild Friends

This tiny, gourmet brand has a variety of peanut butter flavors, including classic blended nut and creamy to chocolate coconut, as well as seasonal flavors such as gingerbread and pumpkin spice. The brand also makes peanut butter, which contains collagen.

Certain peanut butter products, like peanut butter, don’t contain gluten-containing ingredients, but they are manufactured using equipment that produces wheat-based products.

In the site’s FAQ, Wild Friends explains that “all single-serve packets are made on equipment shared with wheat” and that “all nut butter in 10 oz or 16 oz jars” are manufactured on equipment that has not come in contact with wheat-based products.

✅ Peanut Butter & Co

The small, self-contained peanut butter maker was founded as an eatery in NYC’s Greenwich Village. 

The company has grown to provide jellies, peanut butter, baking mixes, nuts, and more online and in retail stores.

Except for two products—Simply Smooth and Simply Crunchy—Peanut Butter & Co’s peanut butter is gluten-free through the GFCO, which requires all products to contain less than ten ppm gluten.

✅ Skippy

The Hormel Foods LLC brand, Skippy, offers a variety of peanut butter styles and flavors, including super chunky, creamy, organic honey, roasted peanut butter, and sugar-free and sodium-free versions of traditional flavors. According to the FAQ of the brand, all kinds of Skippy peanut butter are gluten-free.

✅ Smuckers

In addition to Adams, Jif, and Goober products, Smuckers offers natural and organic peanut butter under its brand name.

The J.M. Smucker Company declares its products “gluten-free” when the products are tested to less than 20 ppm gluten. It has been proven that the ingredients in the product do not contain gluten. 

For all of its brands and products, it also tests for a “comprehensive gluten management program” at the plant where the product is made.

✅ Goober

Another Smucker brand, Goober, reduces the process of making peanut butter and jelly by using grapes or strawberry jelly inside the peanut butter jar. 

Smuckers’ customer support representative explained to Verywell that even though Goober products don’t contain gluten-containing ingredients, they do not comply with the guidelines for labeling gluten-free.

✅ Peter Pan

ConAgra Foods owns Peter Pan peanut butter in crunchy, creamy homemade, whipped, natural honey-roasted, and reduced-fat varieties. 

The FAQ area on Peter Pan’s website says, “All varieties of Peter Pan Peanut Butter are made without adding any potential gluten-containing ingredients such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats.”

ConAgra further clarifies on their website that they divide the products sold under every brand according to three categories: non-gluten, which must not contain gluten but has not yet been validated as gluten-free, and gluten-containing.

To be deemed gluten-free, a product must pass the rigorous tests conducted by ConAgra to warrant that it has less than 20 ppm of gluten and is not contamination-free during manufacturing. 

ConAgra claims that “product labels list common allergens, such as wheat, for those allergic to wheat gluten.”

✅ Smart Balance

The Smart Balance brand, ed by ConAgra, offers two flavors of peanut butter: chunky and creamy jars. Smart Balance spreads are enhanced with omega-3s and flaxseed oil. 

According to the brand’s website, Smart Balance products are considered gluten-free.

✅ Teddie

You can buy Teddie peanut butter in natural smooth, super chunky, all-natural, and all-natural varieties made with flaxseed, organic, all-natural, and traditional varieties. Based on the security and quality statement, all Teddie peanut butter is gluten-free.

What Are Cross-Contamination Risks?

Peanut butter is often produced in factories that also process wheat products. Hence, these varieties are not gluten-free but susceptible to cross-contamination.

Although manufacturers can make gluten-free products in factories that use wheat, they must comply with strict guidelines and products to regular testing, which can cost more. 

This is why a few do, and some companies add warnings such as “may contain traces of wheat” to shield their customers. To avoid any risks, it is essential to choose gluten-free peanut butter.

Final Thoughts

So is peanut butter gluten-free? The answer is yes. 

However, you should be aware of your chosen brand. Always read the labels and select gluten-free products. 

Peanut butter is not just a delicious spread; it’s also a food ingredient that can be utilized creatively. Alternative options, such as sunflower seed butter or almond butter, are also available for those who suffer from peanut allergies. 

Enjoy peanut butter in many foods and snacks, knowing that it will be part of the gluten-free lifestyle.

FAQs

Is It True That Skippy Peanut Butter Contains Gluten?

No

Do you think SKIPPY(r) Peanut Butter has gluten? Nope! If you’re gluten-free, you can go by eating SKIPPY Peanut Butter! All of the varieties are gluten-free.

Can Someone With Celiac Disease Eat Peanut Butter?

What is the perfect way to incorporate peanuts into a Celiac diet? Peanuts, peanut butter, and peanut and peanut flour are all gluten-free. This means they are safe for people who have Celiac Disease.

Are Jif Peanut Butter Gluten-Free?

Yes

Jif creamy peanut butter Spread is gluten-free, and it is stated as such on the product’s label.