"I Ate It for Health Because It Was '100% Korean'... Shock as Carcinogen Found in Peanut Butter"

Emergency Recall by Food Authorities
Study Also Finds Potential for Accelerated Aging

A peanut butter product marketed with the emphasis of being "100% Korean peanuts" has been found to contain carcinogens, prompting food authorities to initiate a recall.

Nutiful Peanut Butter Smooth Detected with Group 1 Carcinogens. Ministry of Food and Drug Safety Website

On August 29, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that the "Nutiful Peanut Butter Smooth" product, produced by Foodholic in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province and sold by Kubrick Corporation in Gangnam, Seoul, was found to contain levels of the mold toxin "aflatoxin" that exceeded regulatory limits.

Aflatoxin is a toxic substance that can develop in grains and nuts in hot and humid environments. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified it as a Group 1 carcinogen. If accumulated in the human body, it can cause severe health effects such as liver damage, bleeding, and diarrhea.

The affected product has a marked expiration date of August 18, 2026, and a total of 567.8 kg (approximately 2,839 units) was distributed in the market. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has instructed the Goyang City Government to recall all of these products and has urged consumers to immediately stop consumption and return the product to the place of purchase.

Peanut butter has seen a sharp rise in popularity as a snack combination with apples. This is largely due to the perception that it helps prevent blood sugar spikes and is beneficial for health.

However, recent research has also drawn attention to the possibility that peanut butter could actually accelerate aging. On August 18 (local time), the New York Post cited a study by a research team at the University of Barcelona in Spain, reporting that the form in which peanuts are consumed can affect their impact on aging.

The researchers divided 58 adults aged 18 to 33 into three groups, having each group consume daily: 25g of roasted peanuts with skins, 32g of commercially available peanut butter, or 32g of peanut butter made from peanut oil. They then measured changes in telomere length in saliva samples over a three-month period.

Telomeres are located at the ends of chromosomes and serve to protect genetic information during cell division. It is known that the shorter the telomeres, the faster aging progresses. The experiment found that the group consuming roasted peanuts with skins showed a significant increase in telomere length, while the group consuming commercial peanut butter showed no notable change. In fact, about 20% of participants in the peanut butter group experienced a decrease in telomere length.

The research team explained, "Natural peanuts are rich in antioxidants such as vitamin E and niacin, which are effective in inhibiting cellular aging. However, these components are lost during processing, reducing the effect." They added, "For health, it is preferable to consume foods in their original form rather than processed versions."

This study was published in the March issue of the international journal "Antioxidants."