B. P. I.— 754. 



PEANUT BUTTER. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The growing popularity of peanut butter as a food has led to 

 many inquiries regarding the methods employed in its manufacture. 

 Peanut butter is in reality a very simple preparation, consisting 

 merely of fresh-roasted peanuts ground finely and salted to suit the 

 taste. Several large factories and a large number of smaller ones 

 are now devoted to the manufacture of this product with which to 

 supply the rapidly increasing demand. Some of the larger factories 

 are almost models in their construction, equipment, and management, 

 while many of the smaller establishments, which have no elaborate 

 equipment, are turning out an excellent product. 



Peanut butter was first manufactured and offered for sale as a 

 food for invalids, but the article was soon adopted by many persons 

 who for one reason or another, such as a preference for vegetable 

 foods only, objected to the use of ordinary dairy butter. It soon 

 outgi-ew this condition of limited use, and its development on a 

 commercial scale has been as a general food product. It was never 

 intended that this product should be used as a substitute for or a 

 competitor of butter, but as a luncheon delicacy and to add variety 

 to the diet. Peanut butter is a Avholesome and nutritious food 

 product and has become a popular article upon our markets. Last 

 year one manufacturer used over 130 cars of shelled peanuts in the 

 production of (5,000,000 small jars of this food. Other manufacturers 

 used large quantities, the total consumption of peanuts for the manu- 

 facture of peanut butter alone amounting during the year 1911 to 

 approximately 1,000 cars of shelled goods, or 1,000,000 bushels. 



In order to produce high-class peanut butter the manufacturer 

 must employ the ])est of materials. On the other hand, the use of 

 (lie best stock obtainable will be of little avail unless the w^ork of 

 converting it into a salable product is conducted in a sanitary 

 manner. 



The peanut-butter factory should be arranged and conducted along 

 the same general lines of cleaidiness as any model food-packing 

 plant. Peanut butter should never be jirepared in a room or build- 

 ing attached or adjacent to a peanut-cleaning establishmen(. as the 



53862°— Cir. 98—12 



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