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There is concern at the moment about high aflatoxin levels in peanuts. The following information is for customers who buy peanuts supplied by H G Gladwell & Sons Ltd.
Aflatoxin is the name for a group of toxins (poisonous chemical compounds) that are produced by two fungi called Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus. These toxins occur naturally and have been found in a wide range of commodities (including peanuts) used for animal and human consumption. Depending on the levels, the toxins can severely affect the liver and they are a known human carcinogen (ie. causes cancer). In many developing countries aflatoxin is a major health risk to humans and animals due to the high levels of contaminated product consumed. In the UK aflatoxin is not a health risk because of the thorough testing done at various stages along the food chain and the effective technology and procedures employed by agribusinesses to eliminate contaminated product.
All peanuts supplied by H G Gladwell & Sons Ltd and under the Copdock Mill brand are sourced from a very limited number of reputable suppliers who employ staff to test for aflatoxin in the peanuts before loading. A certificate stating the results of these tests is supplied to the shipper. We require 0 to 0.005 mg/kg as the range acceptable for this test - the legal requirement is 0.02 mg/kg as set out in the Feeding Stuff Regulations (2005) Schedule 7. As this is done for every load of peanuts we buy it is not necessary to link a particular certificate with an individual bag of peanuts. We do not buy rejected loads or loads that do not have a traceable supply line as they can quite easily be peanuts with a high aflatoxin level.
The presence of mould on the surface of peanuts is not evidence of aflatoxin as this particular toxin resides within the body of the peanut.
Aflatoxin can only multiply in conditions of high humidity and in temperatures in excess of 30C. UK conditions rarely reach these levels and if they do then it is not for any extended period.
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