Going nuts: The aflatoxins causing the fuss are produced by fungi in the soil. They are unlikely to have an adverse effect unless consumed in large amounts over time.
Consumers have been urged to be wary of cheaper peanut butter brands that might not have been tested for high levels of cancer-causing aflatoxins.
This warning from food experts and manufacturers comes after the National Consumer Commission (NCC) last week released an expanded list of nine local suppliers that have recalled the commodity.
Suppliers that have recalled peanut butter products in recent weeks include Dis-Chem, Woolworths, The House of Natural Butters, Fugies Products, Wazoogles, Pharmamark, Carvalho Beverages and Clover, NCC spokesperson Phetho Ntaba said.
“Following the first four recalls, the NCC issued a notice to all producers, manufacturers, and suppliers of peanut butter, peanut butter-based products and products containing peanuts to immediately test their products for aflatoxin levels and submit their results.
“The commission has received 42 responses. We are still consolidating the number of tests received from each supplier,” Ntaba said.
She said suppliers and manufacturers should follow the department of health’s hazard analysis critical control point food safety requirements before selling peanut products.
The regulation and enforcement of food safety standards needs to be improved and peanut import tariffs must be raised, said Alfonso Visser, president of SA Peanuts, a major processor of locally grown peanuts used in snacks and peanut butter.
Producers and manufacturers of peanut products do not all adhere to the same standard of food safety testing because of the cost, Visser said.
“It is not fair that some manufacturers incur all these costs to ensure food safety standards of their product while others do not. We need an industry standard of food safety testing for all food processors, issued by the food safety regulators.
“There is a need for our food safety regulators to increase import tariffs and also put more strict regulations on food safety procedures before a product is put on a shelf,” Visser said.
“It is not fair for consumers to be satisfied with substandard products in stores and not to be sure about their safety. South Africa is a country blessed with rich soils, perfect climate, fantastic farmers and expertise in the food industry to ensure excellent-quality food on our tables.”
According to Visser, South Africans consume between 80 000 and 85 000 tonnes of peanuts annually. An estimated 70 000 tonnes are expected to be sourced locally this year, representing the country’s biggest crop ever. By comparison, local farmers produced 50 000 tonnes of peanuts last year. They are also sourced from Zambia and Malawi.
The Pietermaritzburg Economic Justice and Dignity Group’s household food survey shows peanut butter is leading the surge in price increases in shopping baskets. The price of two 400g jars rose 17% to R77.38 in February, compared with the same period last year.
“Consumers may complain about the increased price of a reliable brand’s products and consider the cheaper option instead,” Visser said.
“But there is always a reason why the product is cheaper. Aflatoxin tests contribute to the overall overhead costs of peanut product processing and therefore, certain processors may neglect to test it, putting the entire industry from manufacturer to consumer at risk.
“This may have a negative impact on the peanut industry in SA, which is already a smaller agricultural industry in our country.”
Anelich Consulting food microbiologist and former president of the South African Association for Food Science and Technology, Professor Lucia Anelich, said it is not possible to fully prevent the presence of aflatoxins in susceptible foods because it is a fungus present in nature.
“It is about managing the product from farm to fork to ensure the level of aflatoxins is as low as possible. The South African regulation for total aflatoxins follows the Codex Alimentarius Commission standard, which is an international standard.”
Countries may have stricter or more lenient levels, depending on risk assessments conducted. For example, the US has an action limit of 20 parts per billion for total aflatoxins, while South Africa allows a maximum of 10 parts per billion in foodstuffs ready for consumption.
South Africa’s aflatoxin levels are controlled under Regulation R1145 of the Foodstuffs Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act of 1972.
“Companies in the formal sector that have good food safety management systems in place would typically ensure testing is conducted along the peanut and peanut butter manufacturing chain,” Anelich said.
She said the fungi that produce aflatoxins are present on peanuts in the field, from the soil. After harvesting, they must be stored in cool and dry conditions to prevent aflatoxins reaching unacceptable levels.
“Hot and humid storage conditions of raw peanuts promote aflatoxin production. Once present, they are very difficult to remove.”
Anelich said if consumers ate peanut products containing aflatoxin levels slightly higher than regulatory levels over a very long period of time, depending on how much and how frequently the products were consumed, it could lead to liver cancer years later.
A contaminated product has no visible or olfactory changes and appears normal.
“On a short-term basis, there is unlikely to be any effect, however, some people may experience nausea. Excessively high levels, that is, in the thousands of parts per billion together with large portions ingested frequently, with little variety in the diet, would most likely cause liver failure in a very short period of time, that could lead to death,” she said.
However, she said no acute aflatoxicosis cases, the severe and acute form that causes liver failure relatively quickly, have been documented due to aflatoxins in peanut butter.
“The only documented aflatoxicoses have been due to contaminated maize, of which one occurred in India and two occurred in Kenya.
“Secondly, the informal sector where peanut butter is often manufactured from cheap peanuts that have been rejected by the larger formal companies, and produced in premises that are not necessarily visible to government, is a major concern as those peanuts are most likely contaminated with high levels of aflatoxin,” Anelich said.
“These products are not regulated and hence not tested, so we have no, or very little, idea of people in that sector consuming these products and the ill effects they are experiencing.”
Peanut butter is a “relatively affordable source of heart-healthy fats”, noted Nathalie Mat, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Association for Dietetics in South Africa.
“Peanut butter is also a source of protein, niacin, calcium and magnesium which makes it great to support growth in kids,” she added.
Aflatoxins are a carcinogen and have been linked to liver cancer, poor absorption of nutrients and decreased immune function.
“Acute symptoms of aflatoxin exposure include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, convulsions and signs of liver damage. Aflatoxicosis (acute poisoning) can be fatal,” Mat said, adding, however, that commercial processing removes most of the aflatoxin, even if it is present on nuts before processing.
She advised consumers who are uncertain about whether peanut butter they have bought has been contaminated to take it back to the shop to check if it is from a recalled batch.
Clover spokesperson Steven Velthuysen said consumers should stop eating the company’s Go Nuts Peanut Butter 400g with the 12 June, 18 June, 19 June and 19 July 2025 best-before dates and to return these to the store for a full refund.
“The NCC has informed us of its investigation in relation to this matter and we are cooperating fully with the NCC to provide them with the required information.
“We will continue to work closely with the NCC, our distributors and the retailers in the formal and informal trade to ensure all affected Go Nuts Peanut Butter products are off the shelves,” he said.
Pick n Pay said it had recalled No Name Smooth Peanut Butter, Eden Smooth Peanut Butter and Eden Crunch Peanut Butter.
“Customers who might have bought these peanut butter products are urged to return them to Pick n Pay for a full refund if any product has an expiry date between now and July 2025,” the retailer said.
Woolworths said it had recalled all its affected peanut butter ice cream and discontinued the product.
Visser said consumers should select peanut butter carefully. The average customer should not be afraid of buying peanut products from well-known brands.
“If a peanut butter brand is much cheaper and not well known, you should think twice before purchasing.”
He said price is a possible indicator a company has not paid the extra costs for food safety tests.