Global Aflatoxin Proposal Shelved After Peanut Industry Pushback

In what the American Peanut Council is calling good news for the U.S. peanut industry, a proposal to set new international limits on aflatoxin in ready-to-eat peanuts has officially been shelved. That decision came during Codex Committee meetings held in June in Bangkok.

Codex, short for the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is an international food standards body established by the United Nations. Its guidelines aren’t law, but they often shape national regulations and global trade practices.

For years, the American Peanut Council raised concerns about the need for a separate aflatoxin standard, pointing out that Codex already has a global limit of 15 micrograms per kilogram for peanuts intended for further processing. The Council argued the proposal lacked the necessary data and risk assessments—a stance that ultimately won out.

“This decision is the result of years of technical analysis, engagement and persistence,” said APC President and CEO Richard Owen, who represented the U.S. industry as part of the official delegation.

In a related move, Codex also adopted an updated Code of Practice for managing aflatoxin in processed peanuts, with input from U.S. shellers and the Council.