Nuts to you, New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, for roasting the Valley’s own STEEM caffeinated peanut butter.
Schumer, a long-time naysayer of caffeinated products, called for an FDA investigation last month into whether the stuff is safe to consume. And although no one wants dangerous products on the market (Schumer’s desire to regulate concentrated caffeine powder, for example, sounds good to us) his quixotic quest to smash these nuts is misguided. We should know — we just tried it.
The creamy, tasty concoction, created by 37-year-old Christopher Pettazzoni of West Springfield and two friends, was originally designed to be a hangover cure. But so far STEEM, which went into production last year at the Franklin Community Development Corp.’s Food Processing Center in Greenfield, has been most popular with athletes and fitness groups.
That’s no surprise, really, since STEEM delivers not just caffeine but protein and electrolytes (it is peanut butter, after all). One serving, which is 2 tablespoons, provides 8 grams of protein and 150 milligrams of caffeine — the rough equivalent of one 16-ounce coffee.
“We knew from the beginning that it would be so important to be completely compliant with whatever regulations exist,” Pettazzoni told the Daily Hampshire Gazette last month. “Thankfully, there aren’t that many. We didn’t want the technicalities of doing something correctly to be what made us fail. If there were safety issues that we were unaware of, we wanted to make sure of that. We’re doing everything we’re supposed to do.”
We’re sure Schumer would be happy to hear that, but to be fair, that’s not the Senator’s point. Regulations on caffeinated products are pretty terrible, and they should get better. Not only does the FDA impress no limit on the amount of caffeine in a given food product, but the makers of that product aren’t even required to list the caffeine content on the packaging (STEEM, for the record, does).
Even so, Chuck, you’re barking up the wrong tree. Don’t ban this stuff. It’s good. STEEM’s 150 milligrams of caffeine, which is extracted from green coffee beans, fall well under the 400 milligrams per day that the FDA considers healthy. As long as it’s eaten conscientiously, it ain’t bad butter.
Of course, we had to put our money where our mouths are. So the Advocate offices got STEEM-y last week when we brought in a jar for an 11 a.m. snack break. I tried a tablespoon or two, as did self-described mixed nuts Amanda Drane (staff writer), Kristin Palpini (editor), and Jennifer Levesque (art director).
Survey says: thumbs up. How much you enjoy this spreadable edible really comes down to what type of peanut butter you prefer. Kristin, a Skippy kid, found STEEM to be a little short on sweetness (and it’s true that a dollop of honey in that jar would be delish!) but Amanda and I, who grew up eating earthy-crunchy Teddie peanut butter, felt that the quality of STEEM is on a par with that great, grainy, all-natural brand.
“I wouldn’t want to put it in a sandwich or cookie,” Kristin said, “But I might try putting it in a peanut satay.”
Amanda’s first bite, she said, had a slightly bitter aftertaste. By her second bite, however, she didn’t taste anything amiss.
Jen was happy to give the jar a quick stir, because although the peanut oil in STEEM doesn’t separate as much as it does in a jar of Teddie, there’s still enough separation to make for a slightly dry mouthful without a good stir. “I liked it,” she said, “but I definitely want to wash it down with something.”
We were all happy to agree that nothing about it tasted synthetic or chemical-y, thank goodness. And what about that caffeine kick? Over the next few hours, we felt suitably charged up. When given the proper portion size, STEEM seemed to do the trick (I didn’t even bother to go out for my routine second cup of coffee in the afternoon).
It’s definitely a product to be careful with — the label warns against serving STEEM to animals, young children, or sad undergrads during Pledge Week — but at least now we know what all the buzz is about.
The ingredients in STEEM are peanuts, salt, organic agave nectar, peanut oil, and green coffee extract. It is available for purchase online for $5.99 per 8-ounce jar and in stores throughout Massachusetts and Connecticut.•
Contact Hunter Styles at hstyles@valleyadvocate.com.
