Preservatives:

Packaged peanut butter contains preservatives which are harmful to human health. Though these preservatives are permitted by the health officials, it is difficult to forecast the effect of these on the human health. Inducing property of preservatives such as BHA (Butylated hydroxylanisole) which is mostly used in peanut butter shows the cancer according to study. In kids, raised utilization of peanut butter can cause a serious problem. Home made fresh peanut butter is best to eat than processed.

Other additives of Peanut Butter:

Cheap oil, palm oil is mostly added to peanut butter to prevent the natural oil from separating out. Palm oil contains high amount of saturated fats. Palm oil that mostly used by brands contain 16 to 20 percent more saturated fats. Some brands also use mono – and di-glycerides of fatty acids, known as glyceryl monostearate or distearate as an alternative to palm oil. As an artificial stabilizer, E471 is used.

Another common additive in peanut butter is sugar. Frequently, sugar is camouflaged on the label as dextrose, sucrose or fructose. Sugar adds to the calorie count of the product without any nutritional benefit. Many undesirable conditions from obesity to dental decay are also caused by it.

Natural peanut butter:
Look for a brand of peanut butter that contains peanuts and nothing else if you want to avoid these and other additives. Also, avoid too much salt because it can lead to high blood pressure. Small amounts of salt are safe to use. 0.4 grams sodium per 100 grams peanut butter is acceptable, anything higher is not acceptable. In the market several brands of peanut butter are available that are completely free of additives. They are described as ‘natural’ peanut butters. These brands include Meridian (available in Europe and Australia), and Food Mill, Natural Value and Maranatha (in the US). Although, natural peanut butter has shorter shelf life compare to the mass-market variety. But, it can be kept well by refrigeration.

Disadvantages of the additive-free brands:

Emulsifiers are not present in the additive-free brand which is the main disadvantage of it. The natural peanut oil tends to separate out without emulsifiers. By stirring, it is easy to back from separation. For stirring in the oil, it is even possible to buy a special mixing gadget.