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The National Consumer Commission (NCC) has issued a notice in terms of Section 60 of the Consumer Protection Act, calling on manufacturers of peanut butter, peanut butter-based products and products containing peanuts to immediately test the aflatoxin levels in their products.
The follows the recall of various peanut butter products in recent weeks.
The NCC urges manufacturers to check whether their products meet the acceptable levels of aflatoxin, since higher than acceptable levels of aflatoxin were found in products from some manufacturers.
Higher than acceptable levels of aflatoxin may lead to nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, the NCC says.
NCC acting commissioner Thezi Mabuza has expressed concern about the high rate of recalls.
The notice issued requires suppliers to conduct testing and present results to the commission within 14 days of receiving the notice. Suppliers are also required to submit their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Certificates.
“While investigating their products, manufacturers, importers and retailers are urged to take immediate corrective measures where their products are found to be unsafe.
“These include removing the products from the shelves following the NCC’s product recall protocols, informing relevant regulators in the space, as well as notifying consumers,” Mabuza states.