Do peanuts cause cancer?

Although they often contain traces of aflatoxin, to give you some peace of mind, it's highly unlikely that the consumption of commercially-packaged peanuts or peanut butter will give you cancer.

Aflatoxins are a type of mycotoxin (the metabolic by-products of certain moulds and bacteria), which when exposed to them at very high levels (acute exposure) or very often (chronic accumulation) can increase the risk of cancer.

Aflatoxin contamination in peanuts is common, so governments usually impose safety rules and limits to ensure there aren't elevated aflatoxin contamination levels in the foods we eat, which can be a risk to our health.

For example, the US FDA rules that aflatoxin in food should not exceed 20 ppb (that is 20 parts of aflatoxin per billion parts of peanuts, for instance).

Manufacturers are closely controlled and if they don't comply with food safety rules they are severely penalised. The same applies to food imports.

You can check which government body regulates the safety of food and drink products in your country, so when you're unsure about certain products or substances, you can explore what their regulations say about them.

For example, in the UK, aflatoxin in food is regulated and closely controlled by the FSA (see more here) and in the EU by the European FSA.

On the positive side, as you've learned in your course, garlic (as well as carrots, parsnips, celery, parsley, and other apiaceous vegetables) can inhibit pro-carcinogens like aflatoxin. Here's an interesting study abstract on that.

In our Detox Specialist Certification we examine carcinogens and harmful toxic substances (e.g. genotoxic, neurotoxic, and so on) in great length, and review the scientific literature regarding which foods can help counteract their negative effects in your body.

You can learn more about aflatoxin in this Wikipedia resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aflatoxin

AUTHOR: Alex Ruani, Research Director

Updated on: 27/10/2026