APRIL 2ND IS NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY DAY
Do You Like Crunchy or Creamy? Strawberry or Grape?

Kids of All Ages Reveal Preferences on How They Like Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches

ORRVILLE, Ohio, March 2002 - In the last half-century, peanut butter & jelly has become a gastronomic icon in America – a true cultural phenomenon. In fact, the average American will have eaten 1,500 PB&J sandwiches by the time they graduate high school! A staple for many since childhood, PB&J is a revered classic. Celebrities and regular-folk alike love the ubiquitous sandwich, which counts President Bush, The Backstreet Boys and Chef Emeril Lagasse among its biggest fans. But how do Americans like to prepare their PB&Js? The preparation itself is a personal ritual for many and just about everyone can tell you exactly how he or she likes it to be made. In celebration of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day on April 2, The J. M. Smucker Company commissioned a nationwide survey to get to the sweet truth about America's many PB&J preferences ranging from...crunchy or creamy? Strawberry or grape? Crust or no crust?

"Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are an all-American favorite and we wanted to find a way to honor the classic combination for National PB&J Day," said Brenda Dempsey, Director of Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. "We've discovered that, for many, the preparation of PB&J requires specific preferences and methods for creating the perfect sandwich and the various combinations seem endless."

Making the Cut
Any way you slice it… cutting a PB&J is more likely a preference among children than adults, and it is more likely a preference among women than men. Only one in four parents refrain from cutting their kids sandwiches. Among the parents who do cut them, diagonal (40%) and horizontal (31%) cuts are most commonly used, however, some parents admitted to cutting the sandwiches in a variety of fun shapes including hearts, circles, stars and animals. While 73% of adult males do not cut their sandwiches, 60% of women do. The habit of cutting the bread, whether diagonally or horizontally, is all part of the PB&J preparation ritual.

The Spread on Bread
Overall, white bread is the leading variety preferred among respondents for PB&J sandwiches. In total, 62% of adults said they favor white bread when preparing the sandwich for themselves, 27% chose wheat and the other 11% chose multi-grain or other types of bread for their PB&J.

The survey was an online, omnibus study conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of The J.M. Smucker Company. Among a nationwide cross section, 2,571 U.S. adults were interviewed from March 7 to March 11, 2002. Figures for age, gender, race, education, geographic region and income were weighted where necessary to bring them in line with their actual proportions in the population. “Propensity score” weighting was also used to adjust for respondents propensity to be online.

The J.M. Smucker Company (www.smuckers.com) was founded in 1897 when the Company’s namesake and founder sold his first product – apple butter – from the back of a horse-drawn wagon. Today, over a century later, the Company is the market leader in fruit spreads, ice cream toppings, health and natural foods beverages, and natural peanut butter in North America. The J.M. Smucker Company has over 2,000 employees worldwide and distributes products in more than 70 countries.

Smucker's is a registered trademark of The J.M. Smucker Company

History of PB&J