Assessment of Label Accuracy and Yeast-Mould Contamination in Commercial Hazelnut and Peanut Butter Products
Işıl Var, Sibel Özçakmak, Demet TOY, Manaf AlMatar, Sevgi ErdoğanIntroduction:
Information on prepackaged and non-prepackaged foods (packaging information for packaged foods marketed on consumer order and/or food prepackaged for direct selling) should be in accordance with the relevant horizontal and vertical Codex standards.
Methods:
The aim of the research was to determine the compliance of label information with Codex standards for 13 hazelnut butters and 12 peanut butters manufactured by different companies available in pre-packaged form in Adana, Mersin, and Samsun provinces. Furthermore, the amount of yeast-mold contamination of the samples was also examined. ISO 21527-2 method was used for the estimation of yeast and molds.
Result:
Only 8 out of 25 samples (32%) met Codex standards, of which 62.5% were hazelnut butter and 37.5% peanut butter samples. The non-compliance was primarily related to allergen labeling and claims about the nutrient content, such as “high in protein” and “source of fiber.” The microbiological tests showed the level of yeast and mold contamination to be within the range of 1.0 × 102 to 9.5 × 103 CFU/g. It was found that only a peanut butter sample was contaminated with yeast at 1.1 × 103 CFU/g, while the remaining 14 samples were negative for yeast. The overall findings also showed the presence of mold in 44% of samples with a mean count of 1.6 × 103 CFU/g.
discussion:
For yeast and mold estimation, ISO 21527-2 method was employed. Following the study, it was realized that 32% (8/25) of the samples (Hazelnut butter: 62.5%, peanut butter: 37.5%) met the conditions of the codex described, and the deficiencies were related to the statements of "allergen information, fiber source, high protein source". Based on the analyses accomplished for the presence of yeast and mold, it was found that contamination existed between 1.0x102 and 9.5x103 cfu/g. From the yeast-samples examined, only one peanut butter (1.1x103 cfu/g) contained finding, whereas in 44% of mold-samples examined there was evidence of contamination ranging from 5x102 to 9.5x103 and with a mean of 1.6x103 cfu/g
Discussion:
This study has revealed that very few products meet the requirements of Codex for labelling. Additionally, the presence of fungi in the samples suggests that more attention should be paid to hygiene practices and a reevaluation of microbiological criteria for nut butter manufacturing.
Conclusion:
The results confirm that fungal contamination of hazelnut and peanut butter products, including the possibility of the presence of mycotoxins in the products, is a serious concern for public health.