More peanut butter brands have been withdrawn from shelves at Pick n Pay, alongside those sold at Dischem, Clicks, Faithful to Nature and other health shops, adding to those affected at the beginning of the month, the National Consumer Commission (NCC) has announced.
These include Dischem’s Lifestyle 400g Smooth and Crunchy, Dischem’s Lifestyle 800g Smooth and Crunchy, Wazoogles Superfoods (all sizes), Pick n Pay’s No Name 1kg smooth and Eden All Natural.
The Pick n Pay, Eden All Natural and Dischem Lifestyle brands are distributed at stores nationally, with Wazoogles Superfoods products mostly available in the Western Cape, although they are sold widely online.
The NCC said the manufacturer of these peanut butters, House of Natural Butters, had found all of the brands to have higher than legally acceptable levels of aflatoxin, making them unsafe for human consumption.
Acting National Consumer Commissioner Thezi Mabuza told Daily Maverick the commission was investigating House of Natural Butters and would also conduct a nationwide assessment to establish whether other brands were affected.
It said aflatoxin could lead to health complications not limited to nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Food safety expert Professor Lucia Anelich said aflatoxins were produced by several fungi, especially Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These are found naturally in the environment and can be present on different crops, including maize, rice, some spices, cocoa beans, tree nuts and peanuts.
They are produced by the fungi while still in the field or when the commodities are stored incorrectly (in warm and humid conditions).
As potent liver carcinogens, they cause cancer in all animal species, including humans.
“It is estimated that around 4.5bn of the world’s population, mainly in developing countries, is exposed to aflatoxins. Because they are so abundant across many staple foods in developing countries…you could be exposed to low levels over a long time. In fact, this continuous exposure at low levels is known as chronic exposure and can be the cause of liver cancer many years later, estimated at around 20 years later,” said Anelich.
Thus far, she added, there have not been any reported acute aflatoxicosis cases related to peanut or peanut-based product consumption.
Long-term exposure
Chronic exposure to aflatoxin, where one is exposed to lower levels over a longer time, is mostly linked to liver cancer, immune system suppression and growth stunting.
Aflatoxin can cross the placental barrier, affecting the foetus, which may result in stunted growth after birth.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Pick n Pay recalls three peanut butter brands