Alexandria, Va. (June 30, 2025) — The American Peanut Council was successful in achieving the discontinuation of a proposed international standard for aflatoxin levels in ready-to-eat (RTE) peanuts during last week’s Codex Committee on Contaminants in Food (CCCF) meetings in Bangkok.
For years, APC has raised concerns about a proposal to establish a separate aflatoxin limit for RTE peanuts, pointing out that Codex already has a global standard of 15ug/kg for peanuts intended for further processing (FFP). According to APC, the proposal lacked the necessary data and risk assessments to justify a new standard, an argument that ultimately prevailed.
“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. peanut industry on the U.S. delegation in Bangkok. “Codex plays a critical role in shaping international standards that impact U.S. exports. Thanks to the leadership of the U.S. Codex delegation and the technical expertise of APC staff and consultants, we achieved a meaningful outcome that supports continued market access for U.S. peanuts.”
APC worked closely with the U.S. government delegation to Codex, providing detailed analysis and industry perspective. While the proposal has now been discontinued, APC will continue monitoring CCCF activities in case the issue resurfaces in the future.
The CCCF also adopted an updated Code of Practice (COP) for controlling aflatoxin for further processed peanuts, a development supported by APC. The revised COP includes updated best practices for managing aflatoxin from pre-harvest through storage and processing. APC worked closely with U.S. shellers to provide substantive input to the U.S. delegation during the drafting process.
