White Peanuts | whatsinit

About

What it is and where it shows up.

White peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) are the shelled, skin-removed kernels of the peanut legume, widely used as a snack, in confectionery, peanut butter, and as a protein-rich food ingredient. They are valued for their high protein content (comparable to meat and eggs by PDCAAS), healthy fats, fibre, and bioactive compounds.

Safety summary

The regulatory and scientific consensus.

Peanuts are safe for the general adult population and recognized as GRAS; however, they are one of the most potent food allergens — classified as a major food allergen under US FALCPA and EU Regulation 1169/2011 — capable of causing severe anaphylaxis. Peanuts are also susceptible to aflatoxin contamination from Aspergillus molds; IARC classifies naturally occurring aflatoxin mixtures as Group 1 human carcinogens, and regulatory limits (FDA: 20 µg/kg; EU: 4 µg/kg total aflatoxins for direct consumption) are enforced globally to minimize this risk. For healthy adults consuming peanuts from regulated supply chains, no significant safety concern exists beyond allergenicity.

Regulatory landscape

What food-safety regulators have decided.

Jurisdiction	Status	Note
FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand) (Australia)	Approved	Peanuts are approved for food use. Peanuts are a mandatory declared allergen under Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code Standard 1.2.3. Aflatoxin maximum level for peanuts is 15 µg/kg (total) per the Food Standards Code.source
EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) (European Union)	Approved	Peanuts approved for consumption; mandatory allergen labeling required under EU Regulation 1169/2011 (14 major allergens). Aflatoxin B1 maximum level: 2 µg/kg in peanut products for direct human consumption; total aflatoxins: 4 µg/kg for ready-to-eat peanuts (Commission Regulation EU No. 165/2010). EFSA CONTAM Panel recommends exposure be kept as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA) due to genotoxic carcinogenicity of aflatoxins.source
FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) (India)	Approved	Peanuts approved for food use in India. FSSAI mandates aflatoxin limits in groundnuts (total aflatoxins ≤30 µg/kg for groundnuts/peanuts per Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins and Residues) Regulations, 2011). Allergen labeling for peanuts required on packaged foods.source
FDA (Food and Drug Administration) (United States)	Approved	Peanuts are approved for consumption and recognized as GRAS. Classified as one of nine major food allergens under FALCPA (2004) and FASTER Act (2023); mandatory allergen labeling required on all packaged foods. Aflatoxin maximum level set at 20 µg/kg (ppb) total aflatoxins in peanuts and peanut products (FDA CPG Sec. 570.375).

Who should approach with care

Whose guidance would steer them away.

Nut Allergy — Peanuts are one of the nine major food allergens recognized by FDA and EU regulators; they cause IgE-mediated reactions ranging from hives to life-threatening anaphylaxis and are the leading cause of food allergy-related death — strict avoidance is the only management strategy, as there is currently no cure.

Infants — Infants with severe eczema and/or egg allergy are at high risk of developing peanut allergy; the FDA qualified health claim recommends consulting a healthcare provider before introducing peanut-containing foods, and the AAP advises healthcare-provider-guided introduction between 4–10 months for high-risk infants.

Children — Peanut allergy is the most common food allergy in children and a leading cause of anaphylaxis and allergy-related death in the pediatric population; children with known or suspected peanut sensitization should consult a physician before consumption.

Liver Disease — Individuals with pre-existing liver disease or chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection face multiplicatively higher risk of hepatocellular carcinoma from aflatoxin co-exposure (even at low levels); they should source peanuts only from regulated suppliers with confirmed aflatoxin testing.

Research citations

The sources behind this verdict.

1EFSA. Aflatoxins in food – EFSA CONTAM Panel scientific opinions. efsa.europa.eu
2FDA. CPG Sec. 570.375 Aflatoxins in Peanuts and Peanut Products. fda.gov
3PubMed. Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) Allergen Powder-dnfp: The First FDA-approved Oral Immunotherapy for Desensitization of Peanut Allergy in Children, 2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
4FDA. FDA Acknowledges Qualified Health Claim Linking Early Peanut Introduction and Reduced Risk of Developing Peanut Allergy, 2017. fda.gov
5PubMed. Peanuts as functional food: a review, 2016. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
6PubMed. Global Risk Assessment of Aflatoxins in Maize and Peanuts: Are Regulatory Standards Adequately Protective?, 2013. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Independently researched7 citations