Mycotoxins and peanut butter

The Food Standards Agency has issued a food alert because Active brand peanut butter has been found to be contaminated with excess levels of aflatoxins. The Food Alert advises local authorities that if any of these products are found during routine inspections, local authority food law enforcement officers should ensure the products are withdrawn from sale and destroyed.

The maximum permitted limits in groundnuts and processed products are 2 μg/kg for aflatoxin B₁, and 4 μg/kg for total aflatoxin, and these limits are enforced under the Contaminants in Food (England) Regulations 2007, as amended.

The Active brand peanut butter is distributed in the UK by Marduro, believed to be from Croydon area and is manufactured by Marduro in Ghana. Despite enquiries by local authorities in London, the Agency has been unable to establish distribution details. In previous cases believed to have involved this company, distribution was restricted to the London area and appeared to be distributed through direct van sales, where retailers who sell African or Afro-Caribbean food products are the main clients.Follow the link for more product details.

Source: FSA website.