Toxic substance present in peanuts increases risk of cancer

The association of consumers, an analysis of eight brands of peanut Japanese and five of the raw product showed high concentration of aflatoxin in raw peanuts Brand Kisabor.

The level of contamination is found ten times higher than the Brazilian law allows - up to 30mg of aflotoxina / kg of food. The problem was not repeated in other tested batches of the same product, but the fact that there a lot with a very high level of contamination is cause for great concern.

For Ana Carolina Gagliardi Miguel Moron, Nutrology of Incor, this is a frequent problem in Brazil. "The aflotoxinas are produced by fungi that are present in nature and in many foods such as peanuts, nuts and corn, and can be consumed in small quantities. The problem is when the food is much toxin as the Pro Test it."

Aflatoxin is a toxin derived from fungi. It is dangerous to health and potentially carcinogenic. The substance has a cumulative effect in the body and when consumed in high doses, can cause serious damage to health, such as cirrhosis, hepatitis B and hemorrhage in the kidneys. In pregnancy, aflatoxin can cause mutations in the fetus.

A Pro test asked the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) and the Ministry of Agriculture and the prohibition of the collection of 03,073 batch of raw peanuts Kisabor. The agency promised that it will take action.

In previous years, lots of other foods made with peanuts were prohibited.