Steem

Steem, often styled STEEM, was a caffeinated peanut butter brand produced by STEEM Peanut Butter, Inc. The company was co-founded by Chris Pettazzoni, Keith Barnofski, and Andrew Brach and operated from Greenfield, Massachusetts. It sold the product in the United States from its launch in March 2014 until production ended by 2019. The concept emerged from an attempt to develop a possible hangover remedy. During experiments with sandwiches and peanut-butter-based foods, the founders considered incorporating powdered, flavorless caffeine into the spread. The caffeine was sourced as anhydrous caffeine derived from coffee beans, and Keith Barnofski, who had experience as a sous-chef, developed recipes for incorporating it into peanut butter. The formulation mixed the caffeine with the fat component of the spread so that it could be distributed through the product. Steem was initially produced in rented space at a community center in Greenfield and launched roughly two years after the original concept was developed. The brand sold its peanut butter through its own website and through a limited number of retailers and gyms in New England. Its initial retail price was reported as $4.99 per jar; by January 2016, an eight-ounce jar was priced at $6. The available source material does not establish a broader national retail rollout or international distribution. The product's main point of difference was its caffeine content. A recommended two-tablespoon serving contained 150 milligrams of caffeine, an amount described as comparable to approximately two cups of coffee or five cans of Coca-Cola. Steem presented peanut butter's relatively slow digestion as a reason the caffeine might be absorbed over a longer period and produce what the company characterized as a more gradual or mellow energy effect. Marketing also targeted bodybuilders and other fitness-oriented consumers because peanut butter supplied protein as well as calories and fat. The label emphasized a short ingredient list consisting of peanuts, peanut oil, salt, agave nectar, and caffeine. The company promoted the product as using natural ingredients and as an alternative to conventional coffee consumption. At the same time, the unusually high caffeine level made the brand the subject of public-health scrutiny. In November 2015, New York senator Chuck Schumer urged the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to investigate Steem, arguing that products with added caffeine could present particular risks to children and should carry stronger warnings or be subject to limits. The FDA subsequently contacted the company on December 15, 2015, requesting information about the use of caffeine in Steem. The inquiry formed part of a broader agency examination of foods containing added caffeine, especially products that might appeal to younger consumers. Steem's website also warned that the product was not suitable for pets, including dogs and cats. By October 2019, the company website stated that Steem was no longer in production. The brand is therefore best understood as a discontinued, niche functional-food product whose commercial identity centered on combining a familiar protein spread with a stimulant ingredient.

Steem was developed in the United States as a caffeinated peanut-butter product by Chris Pettazzoni, Keith Barnofski, and Andrew Brach. The idea reportedly began as a possible hangover remedy. While preparing sandwiches and experimenting with peanut butter, the inventors considered whether powdered caffeine could be incorporated into the spread. They obtained flavorless anhydrous caffeine derived from coffee beans from a Virginia supplier serving the dietary-supplement industry. Barnofski, whose background included work as a sous-chef, worked on recipes and on methods for distributing the caffeine through the peanut butter. The ingredient was blended with the product's fat component. Initial production took place in rented space at a community center in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The brand launched in March 2014, approximately two years after the original concept was formed. Steem's commercial proposition was unusual: it combined a familiar food spread with a substantial dose of caffeine. The product was sold online through the company's website and through a small number of retailers and gyms in New England. It was initially priced at $4.99 per jar, with the price later reported at $6 for an eight-ounce jar in January 2016. The company promoted the spread as an alternative to coffee and emphasized the idea that peanut butter's slower digestion could make the caffeine experience more gradual. Its marketing referred to a potentially more mellow effect than coffee, while also targeting bodybuilders and fitness consumers because of peanut butter's protein content. The formulation's stated ingredients were peanuts, peanut oil, salt, agave nectar, and caffeine. A two-tablespoon serving contained 150 milligrams of caffeine, a quantity compared in contemporary descriptions with two cups of coffee or five cans of Coca-Cola. The concentration became central to the brand's public profile. In November 2015, Senator Chuck Schumer called on the FDA to investigate Steem, raising concerns about high-caffeine foods and possible exposure among children. He also advocated restrictions or clearer warnings for products containing added caffeine. On December 15, 2015, the FDA sent Steem's creators a letter requesting additional information about the product's caffeine use. The correspondence was associated with a broader FDA investigation into foods containing added caffeine, including products that might appeal to younger consumers. The company also posted a warning that Steem was unsuitable for pets such as dogs and cats. Steem remained available in the United States for several years after its launch, but the available reference material does not document a sustained expansion beyond its limited regional and online distribution. By October 2019, the company's website stated that the product was no longer in production. No later operating activity, successor brand, parent company, or international business is established by the supplied sources.

1. 2019Production ends

   By October, the company's website indicates that Steem is no longer in production.

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2. 2016Reported retail price reaches six dollars per jar

   By January, the reported price is $6 for an eight-ounce jar, up from the initial reported price of $4.99.

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3. 2015Caffeine-content controversy reaches federal regulators

   Senator Chuck Schumer calls for an FDA investigation into Steem's caffeine level, and the FDA later requests information from the company as part of a wider review of foods with added caffeine.

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4. 2014Steem launches

   Steem launches in March as a caffeinated peanut-butter spread produced in Greenfield, Massachusetts, following development work by its three co-founders.

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A functional peanut-butter spread marketed as an energy and caffeine alternative to coffee, with secondary appeal to fitness consumers seeking protein and calories.

• Steem caffeinated peanut butterFunctional food spread2014

  Steem's principal and apparently sole product was a peanut-butter spread containing added caffeine. A recommended two-tablespoon serving provided 150 milligrams of caffeine. The stated ingredient list comprised peanuts, peanut oil, salt, agave nectar, and caffeine. The product was marketed as an energy source and coffee alternative, while also being promoted to fitness consumers because conventional peanut butter supplies protein and calories. The company claimed that peanut butter's slower digestion could create a more gradual stimulant experience.

• 2014Coffee alternative and energy positioning

  United States · New England

  Steem was marketed as a caffeinated alternative to coffee, using the product's peanut-butter format and claimed slower digestion to distinguish it from conventional caffeinated drinks.

  Outcome. The product achieved limited regional and online distribution, but the available sources do not document a large-scale national campaign.

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• 2014Fitness and bodybuilding positioning

  United States · New England

  The brand promoted Steem toward bodybuilders and fitness-oriented consumers, highlighting peanut butter's protein content alongside its caffeine-based energy proposition.

  Outcome. Steem was sold through a small number of gyms and retailers, although no quantified campaign results are available.

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• 2019Discontinuation of productionOther

  After several years of limited U.S. availability, the company website indicated that the product was no longer being made.

  What changed. STEEM Peanut Butter, Inc. ended production of Steem.

  Aftermath. The brand became defunct. No successor product, acquiring company, or later commercial activity is identified in the supplied material.

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• 2015Response to caffeine scrutinyStrategy

  Public criticism and an FDA information request focused on the product's high caffeine content and the suitability of added-caffeine foods for younger consumers.

  What changed. The company maintained the product's energy-oriented positioning and published a warning that Steem was not suitable for pets, while the FDA sought further information.

  Aftermath. The episode became the defining regulatory controversy associated with the brand. The supplied sources do not document a formal enforcement action or a reformulation.

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• 2014Launch of caffeinated peanut butterProduct launch

  The founders sought to turn an experimental caffeine-and-peanut-butter concept into a commercial food product and initially produced it in rented community-center space.

  What changed. Steem launched in March 2014 and was sold online and through selected New England retailers and gyms.

  Aftermath. The brand established a niche position as a coffee alternative and functional food, but the available sources do not show broad international or national expansion.

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• 2015Concerns over high caffeine contentControversy

  Senator Chuck Schumer criticized Steem's 150-milligram caffeine content per recommended serving and asked the FDA to investigate potential health risks, particularly for children. The FDA subsequently sought information from the company as part of a broader review of foods with added caffeine.

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• 2019Steem is no longer in production

  By October 2019, the company's website had been updated to indicate that Steem was no longer being produced.

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1. Steem (peanut butter)