When aflatoxins are mentioned, is the first thing that comes to mind peanuts?
But actually...
Peanuts are quite wrongly accused. 😂
Because aflatoxins are not produced by peanuts themselves, but by certain fungi as metabolites under suitable environmental conditions.
So what truly needs attention is: "What did this peanut go through before becoming peanut butter?" 👀
🌱 Quality is partially determined from the field
When peanuts are still in the ground, if they encounter growth stresses such as drought, extreme high temperatures, or pest infestations, the risk of fungal infection and aflatoxin contamination may increase.
Therefore, the quality of a jar of peanut butter actually begins when the peanuts are still in the field.
This is why we've always believed: 👉 Good peanuts are the first step to good peanut butter.
🚚 Don't let your guard down after harvesting!
After peanuts are harvested, if they are not properly dried, or if they are exposed to humid, high-temperature environments for prolonged periods during transportation or storage, the risk of fungal growth and aflatoxin formation may increase.
So from:
🌱 Field
→ 🥜 Harvesting
→ ☀️ Drying
→ 🚚 Transportation
→ 📦 Storage
Every step is actually very important.
🥜 What about after peanuts are made into peanut butter?
Here's a little-known fact:
Peanut butter itself is a low water activity food.
Simply put, it contains very little "free water" and is not a very suitable environment for many microorganisms to grow.
Therefore, peanut butter that is produced, packaged, and stored normally is not a food that easily allows for massive microbial growth.
But! What we fear in life is this "but" 😂
This doesn't mean you can completely neglect it after opening!
If peanut butter is exposed to moisture for a long time, kept in a humid environment, or used with wet utensils, it may increase the chance of localized dampness and microbial growth.
So please remember:
Use a clean spoon, avoid moisture, and seal it properly after use.
💛 What is De Pindakaaswinkel doing?
① 🥜 Starting with good peanuts
We select high-quality peanuts from Argentina because we believe that the first step to delicious peanut butter is
to find a peanut that has been well cared for
② 🔍 Quality control before raw materials enter
Aflatoxin control shouldn't just be about "handling it after it's made into peanut butter"
What's truly important is starting from the raw materials
Therefore, all our peanuts meet EU inspection standards
③ 🌡️ From grinding to packaging, continuous process management
After the peanuts enter the production process as raw materials, they go through grinding, filling, and packaging.
We continuously monitor the temperature, humidity, and hygiene conditions during the process to minimize the chance of product contamination and quality degradation.