Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) sparked debate after it recently confiscated a jar of Jif. The move divided the public on whether peanut butter is liquid or not.
Peanut Butter Is Liquid, TSA Says
Every regular flier knows the TSA rules: liquids can only be transported in containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or smaller in volume. Based on the guideline, the TSA seized a jar of Jif in March, which caused a stir among peanut butter devotees.
Security critics may speculate that the police officers were hungry and wanted to create their own peanut butter & jelly sandwiches. However, according to the TSA, peanut butter is a liquid, and a full-size jar of Jif exceeds the 3.4-ounce weight restriction, The Atlantic reported.
TSA seemingly addressed the controversy by clarifying the issue on social media. In a post on Twitter, TSA announced that it considered peanut butter a liquid and should be less than 3.4 oz when a passenger takes it with them in carry-on baggage.
TSA also shared a snap explaining why peanut butter is liquid. According to the post, liquid has no definite shape and takes its container's form, just like peanut butter.
According to CBS News, TSA usually makes puns while reminding passengers of their check-in baggage. Another tweet reminds passengers to ensure their creamy sauces are 3.4 oz or less if they want to enjoy their favorite chips and dip. Otherwise, it would be confiscated. TSA said all liquid should be travel-size and has to fit in a single quart-size bag.
In another post, TSA said that "any item you can spread, smear, spray or spill" should be 3.4 oz or less. Additionally, all liquids should fit in a quart-size bag.
You may not be nuts about it, but TSA considers your PB a liquid. In carry-on, it needs to be 3.4oz or less. Make sure all your travel-sized liquids fit in one quart-sized bag. #PeanutButter pic.twitter.com/4RzDv3Up7B
— TSA (@TSA) March 21, 2023
Is Peanut Butter Solid or Liquid?
While TSA considers peanut butter liquid, Spoon University is inclined to side with NYU, which classifies it as colloid - as it has properties of both liquids and solids.
One of the three main categories of mixes is a colloid; the other two are solutions and suspensions. A colloid is a mixture of particles with diameters between 1 and 1000 nanometers that can yet maintain their uniform distribution in the fluid, per LibreTexts Chemistry.
Since the ingredients stay scattered and don't sink to the bottom of the container, these are also called colloidal dispersions. One component is uniformly distributed throughout another in colloids. While the substance in which it is distributed is in the continuous phase, the substance being dispersed is said to be in the scattered phase.
The substance in the dispersed phase must be larger than the size of a molecule but less than what can be seen with the naked eye to be categorized as a colloid. It can be measured more precisely since the substance must have at least one dimension between 1 and 1000 nanometers. The substance is regarded as a solution if the dimensions are below this and a suspension if they are above this.
The phase of the dispersed substance and the phase it is disseminated in are two frequent criteria used to categorize colloids. Sol, emulsion, foam, and aerosol are several kinds of colloids.
Peanut butter can be considered sol, a colloidal suspension with solid particles in a liquid, including jellies, gels, pearls, and opal.
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