Coles Peanut Butter Urgently Recalled After Toxin Discovered

The recall affects the supermarket chain’s 1-kilogram jars of smooth and crunchy peanut butter.

Coles is recallings its Smooth and Crunchy peanut butter 1kg jars. Courtesy of Coles

Australian supermarket giant Coles has been forced to issue a major product recall after the discovery of a dangerous toxin in its home brand peanut butter.

Both the smooth and crunchy varieties of Coles Peanut Butter, available in 1-kilogram jars, are affected nationwide, the company said.

The affected products were sold to customers between May and June of this year, and people should be wary of any jar with a best-before date of Feb. 5, 2027.

Food Standards Australia and New Zealand has warned consumers not to eat the product and to return it to the store from which it was purchased.

Anyone who bought it online should contact Coles customer care. The supermarket has said it will provide those affected with a full refund and apologised for “any inconvenience.”

The products are being recalled because they are contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxin produced by various fungi that are found on crops such as corn, peanuts, cottonseed, and tree nuts.

The fungi are typically found in warm and humid regions of the world and can contaminate crops at various stages, including in the field, during harvest, and in storage.

Because it is impossible to prevent, and around 25 percent of the world’s crops are affected, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) considers it an “unavoidable contaminant” of foods.

Since aflatoxins are heat-stable, there is no post-importation processing available that could reduce the levels of aflatoxin if present in peanuts and pistachios, the two products in which they’re most commonly found.

In general, Australians are at a relatively low risk of exposure to aflatoxins.

Data from the Imported Food Inspection Scheme of the Australian Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, covering the period from October 2005 to December 2015, showed that of 9,801 peanut and pistachio samples tested, 423 products exceeded the maximum level permitted in the Food Standards Code. That represents an overall failure rate of 4.3 percent.

According to the U.S. government’s National Cancer Institute, exposure to aflatoxin is associated with an increased risk of liver cancer. They are also genotoxic (able to damage DNA).

The European Food Safety Authority says, “Aflatoxin B1 is the most common in food and among the most potent genotoxic and carcinogenic aflatoxins.”

Symptoms of aflatoxin ingestion can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and convulsions. Anyone concerned about their health should seek medical advice.

To speak to a registered nurse, call Healthdirect on 1800 022 222

Coles Customer Care can be contacted on 1800 061 562 or 1800 455 400 for online shoppers.