WATCH out for moldy peanuts.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has directed the manufacturer of Nagaraya Cracker Nuts to voluntarily withdraw a batch of their products from store shelves for containing unsafe levels of aflatoxin.
The toxin, a product of molds, was found in a a batch of Nagaraya’s Original Butter Flavor which comes in 160 gram packs.
The affected batch of the product is part of lot no. 14019 with expiry date 01242015F. .Breeding ground
Peanuts are a common target of fungus and easily develop molds, that contain aflatoxin, said Regional Director Dr. Jaime Bernadas of DOH Central Visayas.
Aflatoxin is a “fungal toxin that commonly contaminates maize and other types of crops during production, harvest, storage or processing” according the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Exposure to aflatoxin is known to cause both chronic and acute hepatocellular injury. In Kenya, acute aflatoxin poisoning results in liver failure and death in up to 40 percent of cases,” the center said
The liver is most vulnerable to afflatoxin atttacks, said the health official. It is also known to cause cancer in the colon and stomach.
The distributor of Nagaraya, Food Industries Inc. has started recalling the contaminated products of March 6, 2014.
“FDA continuously monitors the supermarkets and stores. This means that there is no selling of this product,” Bernadas said.
Violators face penalties like reprimand or closure but so far there were no reports of violations, said Bernadas.
How to report
Consumers who bought the product can contact the Sales Department of Food Industries Inc. at (63)(2) 8100141. The public may also send their queries and other concerns to FDA’s e-mail address info@fda.gov.ph.
The FDA assures the public of their continuous monitoring and market surveillance of all peanut-based products.