In a move that has left many Australian pantry shelves looking a little emptier, Sanitarium Health Food Company has announced it will cease production of its beloved peanut butter range. This decision has sparked a wave of disappointment and frustration among fans who have been loyal to the brand for generations.
Sanitarium, a household name best known for its Weet-Bix, has been a staple in Australian homes for over a century. The company’s peanut butter, cherished for its rich flavour and quality ingredients, has been part of the Australian breakfast ritual for many of those years. However, citing ‘declining customer demand,’ Sanitarium has decided to discontinue this product line.
‘Our people have proudly produced every jar made and we thank all our loyal consumers over the last 100 years for loving our quality range of peanut butters,’ a company spokesperson expressed to 7NEWS. The spokesperson continued, ‘Sanitarium understands that this may be sad news to some consumers, and we sincerely apologise for any disappointment caused.’
The end of production in late July came as a shock to many, despite some rumours and speculation on social media platforms like Reddit, where users had been inquiring about the disappearance of Sanitarium peanut butter from supermarket shelves.
As the news spread more widely, the reaction from the public has been one of dismay and disbelief. Tributes to the ‘RIP Sanitarium Crunchy Peanut Butter’ have flooded the social media, with one fan lamenting, ‘This has been my favourite peanut butter for decades.’ Another customer called the decision ‘ridiculous,’ expressing incredulity that such a beloved product could be discontinued.
What’s your go-to peanut butter now, and are there any brands you’d recommend to fellow fans? Let’s discuss in the comments below and remember the impact our collective voices can have on the products we love and wish to see on our shelves.
Maybe the drop in demand was caused by the banning of peanut butter in school lunch boxes … The evil bureaucracy strikes again.
As a mother of a child with severe peanut allergy I agree with the schools banning peanut butter. It’s not a big deal for children to have something else in their lunch boxes, eat the peanut butter at home. My child only has to be near someone who has eaten peanut butter to cause a reaction and/or anaphylaxis.
Fortunately, Bega has a no added sugar/salt option but I’m wondering if sales of peanut butter have declined generally as I can’t see that Sanitarium’s quality declined.
I wondered why I couldn’t fined it on the Supermarket website and bought Bega instead. It is a shame as I really enjoyed Sanitarium Peanut Butter.
Oh, the humanity !!
Speaking of Bega Peanut Butter, why is the Australian content less than 10%. Where do the peanuts come from? Kingaroy still produces heaps of them.
Also the reduced fat version compensates by increasing the sugar content to over 10% but the Australian content is still less than 10%. Maybe they do not use Australian sugar either!