So how safe do you feel right now about your food? What you currently have on hand, and what you need to purchase? What about the food supply?

These are all major topics for anyone concerned about recent recalls and salmonella outbreaks. Would you feel better, if you received a 35-cent off coupon? Well, it depends, you say. How about if it was for peanut butter? Would you run out and grab as many of those coupons as possible and rush to the store believing that this one company sending the coupon really was 100% positive about its products? Or would you wait?

That is the problem. Today’s local paper had a Jif coupon. The content surrounding the coupon had a statement regarding the purchasing and testing of all the J.M. Smucker peanut products. We should feel great about their message, but I am not certain that everyone is ready to get out the jelly. I’m not.

In our house we have taken  the approach of not buying peanut butter until the “All Clear” siren is sounded. We have also stopped using the peanut butter on hand as we are part of the “who knows” category of consumers.  We realize we are not the norm on this topic, but defer to our personal comfort level. We can wait.

A PR group probably advised the company to spend some serious advertising dollars and send out “a good will notice” in the form of we are not part of the problem and here’s a little token for you. That’s fine. The coupon does not expire until the end of April. We will be ready to cash-in by then. With the economy on its continual downward spiral, the irony of the peanut butter scare is that the product is such a soothing recession-proof item!

Can one company right this mess? I am doubtful, but appreciative that the attempt is being made. I just need more information.

Where is the FDA on this? Speaking of comfort levels, this agency needs a major overhaul, Congress agrees: Food Safety needs to be a reality.