Search
ConAgra and the Death of Peter Pan
The title of this blog sounds something like a terrorist plot, but it's not. I never thought I'd write about this, never thought I'd say it, or even think it! But it is possible that Peter Pan has died.
I don't mean that little boy, created by J. M. Barrie, who refuses to grow up and becomes the nemesis of the pirate Captain Hook. I mean Peter Pan the peanut butter. It was over a month ago that ConAgra, the makers Peter Pan peanut butter, issued a recall of their top-selling peanut butter due to the risk of contamination with salmonella.
When I read of this, I hurried to my cupboard to check my Peter Pan jars for the dreaded 2111 code on the lid. Sure enough, there were two jars, one newly-opened and the other unopened. Two full jars! The newspaper article advised throwing away the jars of peanut butter and sending the lids to ConAgra for a refund. I complied.
As much as it killed me to throw away two perfectly good jars of Peter Pan peanut butter, I figured salmonella would kill me worse. So into the trash they went, and off to Nebraska went my lids. I wanted at least to receive money for the emotional damages of throwing away my beloved peanut butter.
After all, the only, and I mean only, peanut butter I have eaten since birth is Peter Pan. You can talk about your Skippy and your Jif, but I'm a Peter Pan boy. In the Gagnon home we only were fed the best, Peter Pan. And, as a kid, when you ate your peanut butter sandwich at the neighbor's house, Mrs. Prentice served up Peter Pan peanut butter sandwiches. So did June Tellstone and Betty Quilliam and, I'm certain, so did Mary Gagnier, Peggy Froehlich and Evelyn D'Avignon and all the other moms on Johnson Avenue.
And in my own adulthood, never once has any other brand of peanut butter invaded my cupboards. Only Peter Pan enters Foxy Gagnon's place. That is, until all this salmonella mess took place!
After finishing off February without my weekly peanut butter sandwich (not to mention Peter Pan on celery and Peter Pan on crackers) I was dying for some peanut butter. But I refused to give in. I checked the store shelves every few days, waiting anxiously for the return of Peter Pan. It's been over a month now. We are almost finished with March, and still no store in the North Country has restocked their shelves with my favorite brand.
So, this weekend, with peanut butter hunger pains getting the better of me, I gave in. I cursed ConAgra ceremoniously, and I purchased a jar of Skippy peanut butter. Of course, I immediately made a sandwich and hoped for the best.
But what I got wasn't the best. Although the first few bites of the peanut butter sandwich were tasty, after several bites I knew that Skippy just wasn't the same. I was getting a funny feeling in my stomach, and I couldn't finish the entire sandwich. The final one-quarter of the sandwich went into the trash instead of my stomach.
It's hard to explain, but the taste, the smoothness, the something, just wasn't the same. I guess I'm just a Peter Pan boy for ever!
And yesterday a letter arrived from ConAgra, thanking me for my purchase of Peter Pan peanut butter in the past. They vowed, "We are committed to providing you with safe, wholesome products." They further promised, "Because your trust and loyalty are important to us, we are working diligently to take whatever steps are necessary so that we can bring Peter Pan peanut butter back to the consumers who love it." That's me!
To seal the deal, a check was included. It's for $5.30, based on suggested retail price of two jars, plus cost of shipping the lids to them. Wow! $5.30 for the pain and suffering of going without my favorite peanut butter sandwich for over a month.
Don't worry about me, though. Somehow I'll survive. And when Peter Pan finally returns to the store shelves, you can bet there will be one whale of a sandwich party over at Foxy's house!
Comments
I could have written that article!! I broke down and tried Skippy too!...and also did not finish the sandwich. I am searching the web to see when my beloved Peter Pan will be back on the Market so I can stock up. I regret throwing away the half eaten jar I had!!
Posted by: Kathy | July 25, 2007 8:31 PM
Interesting story. We switched to natural peanut butter years ago, and what a difference in taste. We have been buying Kraft and Presidents Choice here in Ontario but when we go Stateside it's Smuckers Natural lightly salted, or as a reasonable facsimile Teddi. Both better than their Canadian counterparts.
Foxy, I suggest you go au natural, you will never return to the processed brands and I assume Peter Pan is processed.
Norm
Posted by: Norm Stotland | April 1, 2007 9:38 PM
how old is sister genevieve? I left OLVA in 1944. there was a nun by same name then. fond memories of school and church. married by FATHER ROBILLARD. LIVED ON jONHSON AVE AND SOUTH PERU ST.
K. MONETTE
(Foxy's note: Sr. Genevieve passed away many years ago. She was still teaching through the 1960s. OLVA school closed in 1969. I, too, am a Johnson Avenue boy, Ken.)
Posted by: KENNETH MONETTE | April 1, 2007 12:38 PM
I cant believe all the crying over a particular brand of peanut butter being banned from the store shelves temporarily. Being a bologna and cheese sandwich type of guy, I just dont get what all the fuss is over!! I dare say I could take three different brands of peanut butter (your so-called nectar of the Gods) remove the labels and you would not be able to distinguish between the beloved Peter Pan or those other "inferior" brands. Now, there's a real taste challenge. Any takers???? Bobby's Lounge would be happy to provide the playing field as we all know how thirsty peanut butter sandwiches make us!!
Posted by: speedy | March 21, 2007 4:20 PM
Hi, My husband, like so many of you, is a Peter Pan person. I buy a 6 lb. container ( not #2111) from Sam's Club and put it in small jelly jars and put them in the refrig. We finally ran out about 2 weeks ago--of course, the first item on my grocery list is Peanut Butter, the shelf looked bare where the Peter Pan is supposed to be-- it took me awhile to decide which brand would be best for my "honey", so I picked up Jif and then put it back down, the word Creamy caught my eye--it's Reese's peanut butter, it is not Peter Pan according to my husband but he is coping, he says it sticks to the roof of his mouth. I have one thing to say-- look out grocery stores when you put Peter Pan back on the shelves. JUDY
Posted by: Judy | March 21, 2007 3:34 PM
I,too, am a Peter Pan fan from as far back as I can remember and have never bought anything but Peter Pan. I am sorry, Bill, but although I, too, live in KY, Jif will never get, or be on, my bread. I had one of those jumbo super economy size Peter Pan jars when I found out about the recall. It was almost empty but I checked the lid and sure enough, I found the dreaded numbers 2111. I tossed that jar and the unopened jar in my cabinet. It has been a long, long month or so and I have had to resort to eating Skippy a couple times but something about it just isn't right. Long Live Peter Pan!!
Posted by: Kathy | March 21, 2007 1:11 PM
Foxy, George Washington Carver would be proud of you! Are you aware that our favorite twosome, the very same, risked life and limb by going ahead and finishing off a jar of Peter Pan which they had already opened? Egads! I mean, just because they hadn't dropped dead from the first half of the jar doesn't mean that something evil did not lie beneath!
Kids! Sheesh! Will they ever listen? Next thing you know they will be running stop signs!
(Foxy's note: Kathy is the Mom of my son Erik's wife, Sarah. I guess those kids learned well from their parents -- Peter Pan is #1.)
Posted by: Kathy Baumgarten | March 21, 2007 12:16 PM
We need Peter Pan to return ASAP! My wife, Susie, brought home some generic brand after things happened and it tasted absolutely awful. Then Jiff appeared out of desperation. No go. Peter Pan we are waiting....
Posted by: The Donald | March 20, 2007 7:43 PM
foxy...buy "jiff" peanut butter..made here in lexington ky by procter and gamble...great product and the ky economy can use your money....
Posted by: bill glasscock | March 20, 2007 3:51 PM
Foxy, I laughed so hard at this blog, because you just described myself. I eat a peanut butter sandwhich almost EVERYDAY for lunch. And, you guessed it, I'm a peter pan guy too! I've tried jif, and I hated it! I then tried best choice, which was a huge let down as well! I'm with you, long live Peter Pan!
Posted by: Aaron | March 20, 2007 1:45 PM
I'm with you! As soon as PP is back on the shelves, I'll be right behind you in the check out line. I took my PP back to Price Chopper and they accepted the jar and gave me a refund on the spot. Hey - Isn't it great sometimes to sweat the small stuff and save the big stuff for later?
Posted by: miss d | March 20, 2007 12:57 PM
Foxy, since your blog has appeared there has been another recall, this one in the pet food industry. Recalls seem to have become a part of our lives, whether due in part to poor and/or lack of quality control measures, worker discontent/malicious behavior, or for reasons beyond the control of the manufacturer. At any rate, as you indicated, customer loyalty to a brand that is being recalled, if not lost altogether, can be severely strained. Recalls in the auto industry, perhaps because there are so many of them and they seem to include most if not all of the major auto makers, tend to be taken more in stride and have less of an effect on customer brand loyalty. I am leasing a Chevrolet Colorado and have had to bring it in for 2 recalls within the past 2 yrs but I will probably lease another Chevy as I have faith in the brand. It's a shame that your lifelong allegiance to Peter Pan was rewarded with only a check for $5.30 and a form letter from ConAgra.
Posted by: UPS Dave | March 20, 2007 11:24 AM