How to label nut butter for FDA retail sale

The short answer

A US jar of peanut, almond or cashew butter needs identity, net weight, ingredients (often just the nut and salt), the specific nut named as a major allergen, Nutrition Facts, and an address. Peanut butter is peanut. Almond butter is almond. A “nut butter trio” pack is three declarations.

Where this shows up in a real kitchen

Natural peanut butter looks simple until honey, cocoa, soy lecithin or coconut oil join. “Sunflower butter” is the school-safe cousin and is not a FALCPA major — unless you added honey-roasted seasoning with wheat or dairy. Shared grinders between peanut and almond are a process story, not a reason to skip the ingredient names.

The US rule

FDA packaged food. FALCPA: peanut vs the tree-nut type. Standard of identity exists for peanut butter (21 CFR 164.150) if you are calling it peanut butter — added fat and sweetener have limits. Nutrition Facts with a tablespoon-class serving. BE disclosure may apply to some oils.

How to apply it

If the jar is 100% dry-roasted peanuts, the list is peanuts, and Contains: peanut. Almond butter: almonds, Contains: almond. A honey-cinnamon peanut butter adds honey (added sugars) and still Contains: peanut. Do not write Contains: tree nuts on peanut butter.

1. Name the nut in the identity and in Contains.
2. List salt, oil, honey or cocoa if you added them.
3. Keep peanut off the tree-nut line.
4. Set net weight and a tablespoon serving for the panel.

Worked example

16 oz “Crunchy peanut butter”: peanuts, salt. Contains: peanut. Nutrition Facts per 2 tbsp. An almond-vanilla sister: almonds, vanilla, salt. Contains: almond. A duo-pack sleeve still leaves each jar with its own line — peanut is not almond.

A “mixed nut butter” with Contains: nuts

If the grind is peanut, cashew and almond, the pack names peanut, cashew and almond. A lump word hides the peanut from someone who only avoids tree nuts, and hides the cashew from someone who only avoids peanut.

Questions