• Kebs found levels of aflatoxin are almost double the acceptable levels.
• Six others, including those manufactured by Zesta Fressy, Supa Meal and Sue's Naturals also suspended.
The Kenya Bureau of Standards has suspended Nuteez peanut from the Kenyan market, the second time since February.
Nuteez peanut, manufactured by Jetlak Foods Limited, is among seven other peanut butter products suspended for containing high aflatoxin levels.
The others are True Nuts (Truenutz Kenya), Fressy (Fressy Food Company Limited), Supa Meal (Supacosm Products Limited), Sue's Naturals (Natures Way Health), Zesta (Trufoods Limited) and Nutty by Nature (Target Distributors).
“The suspension follows test results undertaken by Kebs which confirm that their levels of aflatoxin are higher than the maximum limit allowed by the bureau,” Kebs corporate communications manager Zeyannah Abdullah said in a press release on Monday.
Kebs the manufacturers to promptly discontinue distribution, recall all products in the market and undertake corrective actions.
Additionally, the standardisation body has suspended the manufacturers' permits that enable them to use the Kebs standardisation mark.
The suspension will be lifted after the agency is satisfied that the affected companies have taken the corrective measures.
In February, Kebs suspended Nuteez after tests revealed high levels of aflatoxin at 24.08 ppb.
The permitted levels of aflatoxin content in peanut butter as per the agency's standard are 15 parts per billion (ppb).
The bureau reinstated the company's permit two months later after the manufacturer took corrective action to reduce the aflatoxin levels in the product.
Kebs had reiterated that it would continue monitoring Jetlak's controls on its peanut butter to safeguard public health.
Yesterday, Kebs emphasised its continued collaboration with relevant agencies to curb the growing prevalence of aflatoxin in unprocessed groundnuts.
“Kebs is working with all government institutions in the peanut butter value chain to resolve the root cause of the problem of aflatoxin in unprocessed groundnuts,” the firm noted.
Aflatoxin is a fungal toxin that affects various crops, including peanuts, maize, tree nuts and cottonseed. It is caused by poor storage of crops after harvesting.
It is responsible for the increased risk of liver cancer as well as kidney complications and even death.
High aflatoxin levels are also a threat to food security, putting many people at risk of starvation.
In 2017, for instance, the Ministry of Agriculture revealed in a report to Parliament that approximately 124,000 bags of maize in the Strategic Food Reserve contained high levels of aflatoxin.
Edited by R.Wamochie