Zambia quarantines peanut butter with high toxic levels

Authorities in Zambia have quarantined over 11,000 containers of Lyons peanut butter from various shops in Lusaka, the country's capital, after test results revealed high presence of aflatoxins, its standards agency said on Tuesday.

The Zambia Bureau of Standards (ZABS) said it quarantined the peanut butter because laboratory tests received indicated the commodity failed one critical parameter known as aflatoxins.

"We are concerned about this development because we know that products that do not conform to set standards can be a danger to the health and safety of consumers, who have the right to be protected from defective and dangerous levels," Hazel Zulu, head of marketing and public relations at the standards agency said in a statement.

She said inspectors conducted routine market surveillances and inspections last month to ascertain the safety of peanut butter in the country after concerns that the product on the market had high levels of aflatoxins.

According to the standard agency, aflatoxins levels found in peanut butter in Zambia is at 15ppb (parts per billion) against the internationally acceptable standard of 10ppb.

The standards agency has since cautioned consumers to desist from consuming the peanut butter on the market until the agency was satisfied that manufacturers have complied with the required standards. Endit