A couple years back a TJ staple we buy, the steak and stout pie, was off the shelf and remained so for about six months. A couple months into the period, when the cashier asked her, “Did you find everything you wanted?” I replied that I really missed the S&S pies. She said, “From what I understand, we’re looking for a new supplier.”
I’m guessing I wasn’t the first to complain.
On a side note, it’s amazing to me that most peanut butters have their peanut oil removed and replaced with cheaper oils. It seems the companies makes more money selling the peanut oil off separately.
That’s one reason I buy TJ’s. It has only one ingredient: Valencia peanuts. Which means the oil in it comes from those peanuts that were ground up. They’re not the only brand with this property, but you have to check the ingredient list to make sure.
A few weeks back I was in Walmart and they were completely out of the large containers of chunky and/or extra chunky PB. Jif, Skippy, house brand, all of the large containers were sold out.
Re: Peanut products and no salt.
I eat roasted peanuts sans salt.
Of course this means our local store is out of that, and only that, more often than not.
In addition, they put the jars of peanuts on the bottom shelf. So I have to get down on my hands and knees to look at the back of the shelf to see if they are any jars hidden there. Fun and dignified!
As a computer person I just marvel at how computerized inventory track and just-in-time delivery has made running out of products at stores a thing of the past!
I’ve seen TJ’s plagued from time to time with recalls; I once had to take back several jars of almond butter because of possible listeria contamination. They may have had a problem with the supplier for that product going south on them, and they’re still cleaning the gunk out of the works.
I highly doubt that there manufacturing the peanut butter in the backroom of your Trader Joes.
Never said they were. Nor did I mean to suggest they were. “They” in this case, meant whoever TJ’s contracted with to make it. I figured most people were aware that house brands are made under contract by someone else.
To whom it may be of interest: Another good brand of “natural” peanut butter is Adams (no relation to the former Guru of the Dope, as far as I know). Comes in the usual 4 varieties: Crunchy or creamy (ingredients: Peanuts and a little bit of salt), and the same salt-free (ingredient: Peanuts). Not all 4 varieties are always available at all locations.
As with other “natural” PB brands, the oil separates, so you have to stir it. And once opened, you have to refrigerate it. When refrigerated, the oil doesn’t separate again.
I am now craving peanut butter, extra-crunchy. I’ll have to head to TJ’s tomorrow. I’ll post if they have creamy, no salt.
I think it’s most likely something to do with this.
I remember having to go four weeks with out my Tums because of a supplier issue. I even tried to look for it at other stores to no avail.
Adams is our go-to PB and you can get it for a lot less at Winco. We (when I say we, I mean “I”) eat a lot of PB. I have carpal tunnel from so many years of stirring the big glass jars.
An additional factor that I might suggest is to point out that salt is a preservative. Any salt-free, organic PB is probably going to have a much shorter shelf-life so they can’t just stock loads of it in the back to replace what’s on the shelves if there’s a run for it.
Adams creamy with salt is our go-to peanut butter. I know it says you’re supposed to refrigerate after opening, but we literally never do. Refrigerating makes it difficult to spread, and also makes it cold (which I hate). I have never had it go bad. The "worst part is you might have to stir it up a little if you haven’t used it in a while (which never happens at our house.)
Bacteria can’t grow in pure peanut butter (it’s too dry), so the only way it goes bad is if the peanut oil goes rancid. That means it’s oxidizing and it takes a while to do that. You have to be a really slow consumer of PB to have it go rancid.
Having to stir it occasionally may be an issue with some people, but I’m another who eats it so fast that it doesn’t have a chance to do that.
Chalk that theory off, then. 
I was doing my routine shopping in the local Trader Joe’s today and thought of the OP. While we are not consumers of TJ’s peanut butter, I was compelled to go down that aisle and check out the stock. I’d like to report that my neighborhood Trader Joe’s had all 4 varieties. 
I’ve had name brand peanut butter go bad. Don’t remember which brand because it’s all the same to me. It was some kind of “natural” stuff. First it separated almost immediately and wasn’t creamy, then a few months later it was obviously rancid smelling. It said to refrigerate after opening (I think they all say that) and my place is really hot during the day, I have to keep my A/C on all year round when I’m home.
Edit: I think it was Jif
A few months is enough time for PB to become rancid. Refrigeration might retard that, but probably not by much. The reason they say to refrigerate is to keep the oil from separating out again. That instruction is usually only on the ones without emulsifiers. Apparently that’s what the makers of Jif think means “Natural”, but notice that it is only 90% peanuts. Not sure what the other 10% is, but that’s not what I consider to be natural. (I’m not going to say what I really think of Jif, but let’s say words like “toxic” and “sludge” may be used.)
