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Course:FNH200/Assignments/2025/Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter vs. Kraft Light Peanut Butter

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Introduction

Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter & Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter

Kraft is one of the most well-known peanut butter brands in Canada, offering a range of peanut butter varieties to suit different dietary needs. Their original smooth peanut buteer is recognized for its rich taste and creamy consistency, while the light version is marketed as a lower-fat alternative for health-conscious consumers.

Our team chose to compare the regular and light versions of Kraft Peanut Butter to evalulate the nutritional differences, ingredient changes, and potential effects on tatste and texture. The comparision will help us understand how manufacturers adjust popular products to reduce fat while trying to maintain their original flavor and appeal.

Product Pictures

Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter
Image 1: Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter
 Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter
Image 2: Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter
Image 3: Nutrition Facts & Ingredients of Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter
Image 4: Nutrition Facts & Ingredients of Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter


Ingredient lists (4 points)

1. Ingredients

Regular Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter (25% less fat)
  • Select roasted peanuts
  • Soybean oil
  • Sugars (corn maltodextrin, sugar)
  • Hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed and rapeseed oil)
  • Salt
  • Mono- and diglycerides
  • Select roasted peanuts
  • Sugars (corn maltodextrin, sugar)
  • Soybean oil
  • Salt
  • Hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed and rapeseed)
  • Mono- and diglycerides

2. Substitutes & Additives Used

Regular Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter
Fat Substitutes None Corn Maltodextrin
Sugar Substitutes None None
Additives
  • Corn maltodextrin
  • Hydrogenated vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • Mono- and diglycerides
  • Corn maltodextrin
  • Hydrogenated vegetable oil
  • Salt
  • Mono- and diglycerides

3. Role of Substitutes & Additives

Regular Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter

Fat Substitutes: None

Sugar Substitutes: None

Additives:

  • Corn maltodextrin: It is a carbohydrate-based additive commonly used in processed foods as a bulking agent and mild sweetener. In peanut butter, it helps improve texture and spreadability, making the product smooth and consistent. It also slightly increases the sweetness without using artificial sweeteners. In Canada, maltodextrin is widely added to foods such as snacks, sauces, and spreads to help with texture and mouthfeel.
  • Hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed and rapeseed oil): This is a processed oil used to prevent the natural peanut oil from separating out of the peanut butter. By stabilizing the product, hydrogenated vegetable oil keeps the peanut butter smooth and easy to spread, and also extends shelf life. In Canada, hydrogenated vegetable oils are permitted in a variety of processed spreads and bakery products.
  • Salt: It is added for flavor enhancement and also acts as a mild preservative, helping to prevent spoilage by inhibiting microbial growth.
  • Mono- and diglycerides: Mono- and diglycerides are emulsifiers, which means they help blend ingredients like oil and water together, preventing separation. In peanut butter, they keep the mixture smooth and stable, improving texture and shelf life. In Canada, these additives are commonly found in products like bread, ice cream, and spreads for their emulsifying and stabilizing properties.

Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter

Fat Substitutes:

  • Corn maltodextrin[1]: It is a carbohydrate-based ingredient that acts as a fat substitute and bulking agent. In light peanut butter, it replaces part of the fat to lower calorie content while helping to maintain a thick, creamy texture and spreadability. In Canada, corn maltodextrin is widely used in low-fat spreads and snack foods for its ability to mimic some of the properties of fat.

Sugar Substitutes: None

Additives:

  • Corn maltodextrin[2]: (See above.) In addition to acting as a fat substitute, it also functions as a texturizer and thickener, contributing to a smoother, more consistent product.
  • Salt[3]: Salt enhances the overall flavor of the peanut butter and also acts as a mild preservative, helping to inhibit spoilage from microbial growth.
  • Mono- and diglycerides[4]: Mono- and diglycerides serve as emulsifiers, helping to blend and stabilize the oil and peanut solids. They prevent the peanut butter from separating and contribute to a smoother, more stable spread. These additives are frequently used in Canadian processed foods such as spreads, breads, and baked goods for improved texture and consistency.

4. Compare and Contrast

Similarities: Both Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter and Kraft Smooth Light Peanut Butter share most of the same main ingredients and additives, including roasted peanuts, sugars (corn maltodextrin, sugar), soybean oil, hydrogenated vegetable oil (cottonseed and rapeseed oil), salt, and mono- and diglycerides.

Differences: The key difference between the regular and light versions is the proportion of ingredients. In the light version, the amount of peanuts and oils—both major sources of fat—is reduced, which lowers the overall fat content. To compensate for the reduction in fat and maintain a creamy, spreadable texture, the light peanut butter contains a higher proportion of corn maltodextrin, a carbohydrate-based bulking agent with little or no fat. While both versions contain the same stabilizers and emulsifiers (hydrogenated vegetable oil and mono- and diglycerides), these are used in similar roles to ensure product consistency and prevent oil separation. As a result, the light version achieves its "25% less fat" claim mainly by modifying the ratio of peanuts, oils, and bulking agents, rather than by introducing new types of fat substitutes or sugar substitutes.

Labels (1 points)

Both the regular and light versions of Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter display clear and informative front labels that are compliant with Canadian food labeling regulations. The regular product is labeled simply as “Kraft Smooth Peanut Butter,’ with no health or nutrient claims. In contrast, the light version is labeled as “ Light Peanut Butter - 25% Less Fat than our regular Product,” which meets Health Canada’s requirement that a comparative claim must reflect at least a 25% reduction in fat. The light version also includes the mandatory comparison statement indicating it is being compared to Kraft’s regular peanut butter. Both products feature bilingual labels, a complete and properly formatted Nutrition Facts Table (NFT), and ingredient lists in descending order by weight. Additionally, allergen information (peanuts) is clearly indicated, as well as the country of origin (Canada). As indicated above, the nutrition label of this product shows a sufficient amount of information for pre-packaged foods, including the levels of calories, fats, saturated fats, trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, carbohydrates, fiber, sugars, protein, calcium, iron, and Vitamins A and C.  Overall, the information displayed on both products is compliant with Health Canada’s regulatory requirements for labelling.

References

  1. ↑ Roberson, S., Marion, J. E., & Woodroof, J. G. (1966). Composition of commercial peanut butters. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 49(3), 208-210
  2. ↑ Roberson, S., Marion, J. E., & Woodroof, J. G. (1966). Composition of commercial peanut butters. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 49(3), 208-210
  3. ↑ Roberson, S., Marion, J. E., & Woodroof, J. G. (1966). Composition of commercial peanut butters. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 49(3), 208-210
  4. ↑ Roberson, S., Marion, J. E., & Woodroof, J. G. (1966). Composition of commercial peanut butters. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 49(3), 208-210


This Food Science resource was created by Course:FNH200.
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