Peanut butter manufacturer fined R500 000 for contamination in some products
The National Consumer Tribunal has confirmed a settlement agreement between the National Consumer Commission (NCC) and peanut butter manufacturer House of Natural Butters (Pty) Ltd, trading as Eden All Butters, in which the supplier agreed to pay an administrative penalty of R500,000.
This follows a product safety investigation launched after several peanut butter products were found to contain high levels of aflatoxin, a toxic substance produced by certain moulds.
According to the NCC, the supplier and the commission entered into the settlement agreement on February 25, 2025, which was subsequently referred to the Tribunal. On 3 June 2025, the Tribunal confirmed the agreement and made it a consent order in terms of section 74(1) of the Consumer Protection Act (CPA).
The NCC said it had first been alerted to the issue in February 2024 through product recall notifications issued by Dischem and Pick ‘n Pay. These recalls were prompted by elevated levels of aflatoxin in certain peanut butter products supplied by House of Natural Butters.
“The NCC established that the affected products had higher than legally acceptable levels of aflatoxin, as set out under R1145 Regulation Governing Tolerance of Fungus-Produced Toxins in Foodstuffs,” the commission had stated.
Following discussions with the manufacturer, it emerged that House of Natural Butters also produced items for other suppliers. As a result, the company launched broader recalls starting on February 2, 2024.
An NCC investigation found that between 11 May 2023 and 6 November 2023, House of Natural Butters had “imported and supplied contaminated, decayed and impure peanuts, groundnuts and byproducts to South African consumers through various retailers.”
In confirming the consent order, the Tribunal noted: “The respondent imported the products from Malawi and Zambia using trucks and trailers, via land borders and port entries. The trucks and trailers did not have the requisite certificates of acceptability required for the transportation of food. Further laboratory test results from various accredited food testing laboratories established that the products were contaminated, decayed and impure.”
The matter involving another peanut butter manufacturer implicated in the case is still ongoing.
Acting Commissioner of the NCC, Hardin Ratshisusu, welcomed the outcome in the House of Natural Butters matter.
“The NCC welcomes this consent order as it brings this matter against House of Natural Butters to a finality. It is incumbent upon suppliers of food products in the South African market to ensure strict compliance with food safety regulations and the Consumer Protection Act.”