Who sells peanut butter for $375 a pound, 40 grams of powdered milk for $156, 50 grams of corn starch for $151, and a three-ounce jar of baby food for $58.25? Well, this isn’t any ordinary grocery store. These items are reference materials supplied by The National Institute of Standards and Technology. Their nutritional components have been completely analyzed for fat, fatty acids, elements like copper and calcium, and amino acids. The foodstuffs themselves are unremarkable, having been obtained from the same commercial sources your grocer patronizes. But if a food manufacturer or lab ever needs to check their own analysis against that of The Peanut Butter, they can order Standard Reference Material No. 2387. Of course if you need something a little different, like various types of Gold Bullion, Portland Cement, or perhaps Tomato Leaves, take a skim through their price list. (source: NY Times article)