It’s hard to believe that the most basic of all staples has come under health scrutiny. Peanut Butter. Seriously how could something like this happen? It turns out we should have learned about this a long time ago. OK, I get it. We were probably better off without knowing that little piece of info.

Only the most allergic ever grew up without peanut butter. It has always been an option, a possible sandwich solution, and most importantly, a relatively affordable, easy-to-stock item. With food prices skyrocketing, peanut butter sales were quite impressive: 6 lbs of peanuts and peanut butter a person is an impressive figure! Now according to the FDA, we have a problem. We can even sign up for alerts and notices so we can track what has become our problem!  

Basically no one seems to know the extent of the ever-escalating recall, but recognize the salmonella outbreak is pervasive. That’s the worst. Remember last summer when the enemy was tomatoes–tomatoes in the summertime. True sacrilege. Now the all-season, all-purpose peanut butter could be causing severe illness. Whether a chunky or a smooth lover, this cuts to the heart of our sandwich culture, and our ice cream, our power bars, our candy bars and the endless possible fears associated with Girl Scout cookies. It’s almost un-American!

Maybe cartoonist Mike Luckovich said it best:

mike luckovich

Let’s look out for the real toxins and get our lives back on a steady keel. We need our peanut butter samwiches, our cookies, candy, ice cream, and… 

What’s next?