Product Description
Creamy, brown spread made from ground, roasted peanuts.
Chemicals/Microbes usually present
Salmonella spp.
Aflatoxin
Common Diseases Caused By Contaminants and Their Symptoms
Salmonellosis
Symptoms: diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps
Incubation period: 12-72 hours
Duration- 4 to 7 days
Aflatoxin - affects liver; cancerous
• Zearalenone- hyper-estrogen, can cause reproductive failure
• Vomitoxin - feed refusal; vomitting
• T-2 toxin - affects epidermal tissue
• Ochratoxin - affects kidney and reproductive system
Prevention / Risk reduction
- Unopened peanut butter can last for 6-9 months; if opened, 2-3 months at room temperature.
- Refrigerate after opening.
- Keep in a clean, cool, dry place and away from heat and direct sunlight.
- Consume before the indicated expiration date.
- Wash hands properly and regularly. Practice good personal hygiene.
- Purchase peanut butter from reliable sources.
Control Measures
- Seek medical help immediately if any of the abovementioned symptoms appear.
References
- Burnett, S. , Gehm, E. , Weissinger, W. and Beuchat, L. (2000), Survival of Salmonella in peanut butter and peanut butter spread. Journal of Applied Microbiology, 89: 472-477. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2672.2000.01138.x. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2000.01138.x.
- https://edition.cnn.com/2015/09/20/us/peanut-butter-salmonella-trial/index.html
- http://www.cdc.gov/salmonella/2009/peanut-butter-2008-2009.html
- https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/09/salmonella-in-sunland-peanut-butter-again/
- https://poisonousplants.ansci.cornell.edu/toxicagents/aflatoxin/aflatoxin.html
- Mupunga, I., et al. (2014). Natural Occurrence of Aflatoxins in Peanuts and Peanut Butter from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Journal of Food Protection: 77:10, pp. 1814-1818. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-14-129. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25285504.