Hey, Marco here and I'm bummed. I love peanut butter. I mean, I really LOVE peanut butter. But, last week saw a massive recall of peanut products ranging from the nuts themselves to products containing peanut butter. The recall started in September, when peanut butter sold at Trader Joe’s was found to contain a strain of salmonella that caused an outbreak including 29 cases in 18 American states. Last week, the recall expanded to include all raw and roasted peanut products made by Sunland, Inc.
Why are peanuts so susceptible to toxins? They are actually legumes, and not nuts. While nuts have a hard, protective shell (think about walnut and pecan shells and just how difficult they are to crack), legumes have a soft, permeable pod. Peanuts also grow underground, because they are part of the plant’s root system. Growing underground with a permeable pod leaves peanuts at the mercy of temperature and moisture conditions including warm humidity that allows for the growth of molds. Peanuts can also grow molds during storage, shipping, or even on grocery store shelves if the conditions are right for doing so.
This is true EVEN for organic peanuts or peanut butter, as it is the nature of the peanut itself and doesn’t have to do with pesticides or herbicides...
Peanut Butter
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