Selling it

The label, and why allergens matter more here

Updated October 2026

On this page7

The five Cross-contact is the real question Which makes the cleaning record part of the label Sesame is now a major allergen in the United States Order labels last Be careful with may contain References

The usual five elements apply, and this is the property where the allergen statement does the most work, because the product is itself a major allergen and shares equipment with others.

The five

Statement of identity, which for peanut butter is a standardized name carrying the standard with it.
Net quantity, from the jar and the fill.
Ingredients in descending order by weight, which for a single-nut product is a short list and the rule still applies.
Allergens, declared as required.
Name and place of business of the responsible party.

Cross-contact is the real question

If peanuts and tree nuts run through the same grinder, the almond butter has a peanut question whatever the recipe says. Buyers with a peanut allergy read these labels with more care than any other category, and the people relying on them are relying on them completely.

Which makes the cleaning record part of the label

Whatever you say about shared equipment has to be true of how the equipment is actually run, and the way to know that is a cleaning and changeover record. A statement about a dedicated line is a claim about your operation, and it will be checked.

Sesame is now a major allergen in the United States

Which matters here because seed butters and mixed products are a natural extension of this craft. If your range grows into tahini or a seed blend, that changes the declaration on everything sharing the line.

Order labels last

Net quantity depends on a settled jar, the ingredient list on a settled formulation, and the allergen statement on a settled equipment plan. All three move during development, and labels ordered early are labels reprinted.

Be careful with may contain

A precautionary statement is not a substitute for a control, and used reflexively it shrinks the market for every product you make while telling allergic buyers nothing useful. Use it where it reflects a real risk you have assessed, and solve the risk where you can instead.

The buyers who read these statements most carefully are the ones most likely to become loyal customers of a maker whose labels they trust, so precision here is commercially worth something as well as being right.

References

21 CFR 164.150, Peanut butter: optional seasoning and stabilizing ingredients “do not in the aggregate exceed 10 percent of the weight of the finished food”, the fat content “shall not exceed 55 percent”, and artificial flavorings, artificial sweeteners, chemical preservatives and color additives are not suitable ingredients. law.cornell.edu

United States Food and Drug Administration. Guidance for Industry: Measures to Address the Risk for Contamination by Salmonella Species in Food Containing a Peanut-Derived Product as an Ingredient. fda.gov

Written from federal regulation, FDA compliance policy and published food-safety research, not from a laboratory. The kill-step pages describe a real hazard and are a starting point for a conversation with your state department of agriculture and a process authority, not a determination that any roast you run is adequate.