FDA orders recall of peanut butter

MANILA, Philippines - The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a recall order on a certain batch of Lily’s Peanut Butter after it was found to be contaminated with aflatoxin, a by-product of molds.

FDA director general Kenneth Hartigan-Go said in an advisory they ordered Newborn Food Products to pull out from the market Lily’s Peanut Butter’s 170-gram jars identified under Lot No. A1 10:26, with an expiry date of May 23, 2014, due to “an unacceptable level of aflatoxin.”

“The recall involves only  the specified product under the mentioned lot number and no other Lily’s peanut butter variants and sizes are affected by the recall,” he noted.

“Consumers are hereby assured that the FDA conducts continuous monitoring and market surveillance of all peanut-based food products for the purpose of ensuring protection of public health,” he maintained.

Aflatoxin can stunt growth and cause nutritional deficiencies in children. Prolonged exposure to aflatoxin can increase the risk of cancer.