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I have to admit this was quite a shocker to me. And from here, I'm not sure where to go; either switching to almond butter or refrigerating my peanut butter. Either way something has to give. Here's the low down:
Organic Authority wrote on a naturally occurring fungus in soil called aflatoxin. The fungus grows in the soil where peanuts are grown and has been linked to liver cancer in countries where an abundance of peanuts are consumed. The thin skin of the peanut increases the problem because aflatoxin can easily contaminate the nut.
The issue is even worse because natural peanut butters are actually more susceptible to the growth of the mold because they are less processed and have a shorter shelf life; therefore the mold is more likely to thrive.
According to the article:
Currently, all commercially-produced peanut butters, whether organic or not, must be tested for levels of aflatoxin. Some claim that conventional peanut butters contain lower levels of aflatoxin, whereas companies like Whole Foods Market advertise their products to be far below national standards.
The whole area is quite grey but there are ways that you can protect yourself. Refrigerating your peanut butter kills the toxins. But don't think that switching to the overly processed, non-organic version of peanut butter will save you because those peanuts are treated with a host of pesticides that seep right through that thin skin. Bottom line-don't keep peanut butter at room temperature where the toxins can thrive.
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