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Peanuts

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) sold as raw, roasted, in-shell, shelled, salted, unsalted, or with seasonings.

Researched by
K. Pendergrass iD
Last updated: 2026-06-09
Page Snapshot
19 corpus sources
Reconstructable record

Peanuts

Peanuts (Arachis hypogaea) sold as raw, roasted, in-shell, shelled, salted, unsalted, or with seasonings. Peanut butter is a separate row (15). Contaminated row of the Row 8 / Row 9 / Row 10 triplet: peanuts are geocarpic legumes (pods develop in soil), giving direct soil contact during seed development. Chen 2022 peanut Al 64-119 mg/kg, 1-2 orders of magnitude above other legumes/nuts; Step 0E flags single-research-group finding pending second-source confirmation.

This page is a Step 0 lock scaffold for Cat 4 Row 10. Literature evidence will be populated as routed source pages accumulate per the synthesis workflow in CLAUDE.md Part 9. The Step 0 lock document at Category4_Step_0_Output_LOCKED.md is the canonical reference for the row’s clean-vs-contaminated framing and platform attribution.

Who this page is for

Brand legal teams evaluating HMTc Cat 4 certification for the Peanuts row need to know what the cited literature reports per panel metal, what the applicable regulatory caps are, and how this row relates to its clean-contaminated pair (when applicable). Retailer compliance teams stocking the produce, dried-goods, and snack aisles need the row-level assortment-eligibility view. HMT&C certification thresholds for products in this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetaltested.com, not on this page.

Methodology

This page reports what the cited sources say about heavy-metal concentrations in the Peanuts row. Speciation is non-substitutable per CLAUDE.md Part 14 (iAs vs tAs, MeHg vs tHg, Cr-VI vs total Cr). Basis is preserved (as-sold or as-consumed depending on the product form). Non-detect handling follows each source’s convention. Pooling avoided across LOD/LOQ, period, geography, and analytical-basis differences. HMT&C certification thresholds for products in this row are developed under the certification program at heavymetaltested.com, not on this page; this public page reports literature evidence only.

Cat 4 lock empirical basis: Pass 2 occurrence-data extraction from the heavymetalindex.com wiki corpus (build claude/zealous-bhabha-d422c9, 896 source pages). The Step 0 lock document at Category4_Step_0_Output_LOCKED.md records the splitting decisions and platform attributions; this row inherits its scope from that document.

Pair relationship + platform attribution

This is the contaminated row of a Cat 4 clean-contaminated split. The clean counterpart is Row 8 (Legumes and Pulses, Other). The categorical metal-load difference is attributable to platform ingredient(s) carrying load on Al, Ni. Cross-row platform coordination per the Cat 4 Step 0 lock: the Standards Workbench’s CC anchor for each platform is shared across all rows that share the platform, with per-row final limits diverging based on commercial-product variation.

Literature Evidence Summary

Literature Evidence Summary

The table below summarizes what the peer-reviewed and government literature cited on this page reports for heavy-metal concentrations in Peanuts. Values are pulled directly from cited sources without re-aggregation; pooling, percentile selection, and threshold math sit in the staff Standards Workbench rather than this public page.

Methodology rules for speciation, basis preservation, non-detect handling, and source pooling are stated in the Methodology section above and apply to every row below.

AnalyteSubcategoryReported concentration rangeDetection rateApplicable regulatory capSourcesConfidenceBasis
AlPeanuts (no contributing evidence loaded)No concentration data loaded for this analyteSample-level detection rate not reportedNo applicable cap loaded0data gapBasis not reported
NiPeanuts (no contributing evidence loaded)No concentration data loaded for this analyteSample-level detection rate not reportedNo applicable cap loaded0data gapBasis not reported
PbPeanuts (no contributing evidence loaded)No concentration data loaded for this analyteSample-level detection rate not reportedNo applicable cap loaded0data gapBasis not reported
CdPeanuts (no contributing evidence loaded)No concentration data loaded for this analyteSample-level detection rate not reportedNo applicable cap loaded0data gapBasis not reported

Source Evidence Inventory

_Hand-curated section. Populated by the synthesis pass as Cat 4 sources route to this row. Initial scaffold state: zero contributing sources. The Cat 4 corpus search prioritizes sources reporting concentration data on the specific commodity in this row; broad-scope produce surveys are filed under the master.

Broad Product Context: Author-Scope Index

Pending: regenerated by tools/evidence/apply-product-broad-context.mjs once broad-scope Cat 4 sources route to this page.

Federal/Regulatory Limits vs Field Findings

Pending. Cat 4 regulatory landscape: Codex GSCTFF and EU Regulation 2023/915 set finished-product limits on fruits and vegetables (Pb, Cd) and on specific commodities (e.g., spinach Cd at 0.20 mg/kg per eu-2023-915); FDA Closer-to-Zero applies to infant fruit purées (Cat 1, not Cat 4) but informs the regulatory baseline; California Prop 65 covers cumulative Pb/Cd exposure across produce categories. Awaiting agency-page ingest.

Levers to reduce contamination

The Cat 4 Step 0 lock framework distinguishes lower-contamination row produce/seed rows from contaminated-platform commodity rows (where species or production system carries elevated metal load by characteristic). For this row, the levers below are ordered by impact magnitude per the literature evidence base; sourcing-and-agronomic levers dominate the per-product metal load, with processing-and-formulation levers offering additional reduction.

  1. Sourcing levers (highest impact): supplier and origin-region selection for the platform commodity. Within-species variance by origin region is documented in the literature; pre-screened low-impurity supply is commercially available.
  2. Agronomic levers: soil amendments (Cd accumulation in spinach/sunflower is reducible via soil-pH and silicon-amendment interventions documented in phytoremediation literature; geocarpic Al uptake in peanuts responds to soil-Al management).
  3. Cultivar/varietal selection: where within-species variance is documented, low-accumulating cultivars are commercially viable.
  4. Processing levers where applicable: rinsing, hulling, blanching may reduce surface-bound metal load on whole-seed/whole-bean formats; refining-grade differences for butter formats.
  5. Formulation levers: reduce the platform-commodity fraction of multi-ingredient products where function permits.
  6. Testing/QC levers: lot-level ICP-MS on raw commodity and finished product. Cat 4 supply chains routinely COA at the µg/kg level for premium-spec commodity.
  7. Regulatory levers (not brand-controllable): supporting Codex and state-level fruit/vegetable Pb/Cd limits drives industry-wide tightening.

How standards math uses this page

The percentile arithmetic that informs HMTc Cat 4 thresholds for this row lives on the staff Standards Workbench (data/workbench/standards/peanuts.md, to be generated). This public page reports literature evidence; the workbench applies the Cat 4 methodology (which includes the literature evidence occurrence-data-driven derivation and below-LOQ regulatory-floor fallback per the Step 0 lock) to produce candidate threshold values. The gap between literature evidence and HMTc thresholds is named honestly on the workbench, not hidden.

Historical recalls and enforcement

Cat 4 (produce, nuts, seeds) regulatory enforcement intersects two domains: heavy-metal contamination (the focus of this row) and microbial contamination (FDA recall notices for E. coli/Salmonella/Listeria in fresh produce, a separate concern). FDA Total Diet Study and Pesticide Data Program surveillance reports establish the heavy-metal occurrence baseline (FDA 2022). State-level Cd-in-leafy-greens enforcement has been active in California under Prop 65; the related Mateel Environmental settlement framework has shaped compliance practice. Per CLAUDE.md Part 12, individual brand recall actions are not enumerated here.

Sources

Auto-generated from source-page frontmatter. The “Used on this page for” column is populated by the orchestrator’s POPULATE-SOURCE-LEGEND action; pending entries appear as *[awaiting synthesis]*.

#CitationYearTypeUsed on this page for
1Zhang et al. 2026. Trace metal pollution and ecological effects on five crops around a typical manganese mining area in Chongqing, China, Scientific Reports2026Peer-reviewedCN tAs, Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni occurrence in Five crop species from Xiushan County, Chongqing, adjacent to typical manganese mining and smelting area; rice n=16, maize… (n=71)
2Alatise et al. 2025. Assessment of natural radioactivity and heavy metal accumulation in selected edible fruit nuts from Lagos and Ogun State markets, Nigeria, Nigerian Journal of Theoretical and Environmental Physics2025Peer-reviewedNG Pb, Cd, Cr, Ni, tAs, tHg occurrence in peanuts, cashew nuts, walnuts, date nuts, tiger nuts, and kola nuts from Lagos and Ogun State markets (n=six nut types)
3Liu et al. 2025. Heavy metal synergistic pollution risk assessment in the soil-crop system of the Nanyang Basin, Scientific Reports2025Peer-reviewedCN tAs, Cd, Cr, tHg, Pb occurrence in 5778 surface soil samples, 185 wheat samples, 75 corn samples, 114 peanut samples, and 374 root soil samples… (n=6252)
4Belew et al. 2024. Heavy metals concentration and health risk assessment in peanut and date palm from Jigjiga City Markets, Ethiopia, Discover Environment2024Peer-reviewedET tAs, Pb, Cr occurrence in six peanut samples and six date palm samples from Jigjiga City markets, Ethiopia (n=12)
5Wu 2024. Contamination of Heavy Metal(Loid)S in Cereals, Vegetables, and Legumes Purchased from Local Markets of Jiaozuo, China and The Associated Health Risk Assessment, International Journal of Natural Resources and Environmental Studies, 2(1): 180-2002024Peer-reviewedCN Pb, Cd, Cr, tAs, tHg, Ni, Cu, Zn occurrence in 244 retail food samples purchased from 13 sampling points (6 supermarkets, 6 farmers’ markets, 1 wholesale market) across… (n=244)
6Ding et al. 2023. Characteristics and Mechanisms of Soil Co-Contamination Affecting the Transfer of Cadmium and Arsenic in Peanut (Arachis hypogaea L.), Agronomy2023Peer-reviewedCN Cd, tAs occurrence in Outdoor pot experiment using peanut cultivar Ganhua No. 5 in red soil from China, with four replicate pots… (n=4)
7Meng et al. 2023. The innovative and accurate detection of heavy metals in foods: A critical review on electrochemical sensors, Food Control2023ReviewPb, Cd, tAs, tHg, Ni, Cr occurrence in Review of electrochemical sensor literature for heavy metal detection in food matrices
8Tjoa et al. 2023. Nickel acquisition affected by root density of mono- and mixed-cropping peanut and choy sum, Jurnal Penelitian Kehutanan Wallacea2023Peer-reviewedID Ni occurrence in Peanut and choy sum grown in limonitic laterite soil from nickel-mining context in mono- and mixed-cropping pots
9Bazie et al. 2022. Evaluation of metallic trace elements contents in some major raw foodstuffs in Burkina Faso and health risk assessment, Scientific Reports2022Peer-reviewedBF Cd, Pb, Cr, Ni occurrence in rice, maize, peanut, tomato, and dried fish samples in Burkina Faso (n=222)
10Chen et al. 2022. Determination of macro, micro and toxic element concentrations in peanuts from main peanut producing areas of China by ICP-MS: a pilot study on the geographical characterization, RSC Advances2022Peer-reviewedCN Pb, Cd, tAs, Cr, Ni, Al occurrence in Peanuts from 6 Chinese provinces (Jilin, Liaoning, Henan, Hebei, Guangxi, Guangdong) (n=66)
11Masite et al. 2022. Trace Metals, Crude Protein, and TGA-FTIR Analysis of Evolved Gas Products in the Thermal Decomposition of Roasted Mopane Worms, Sweet Corn, and Peanuts, International Journal of Food Science2022Peer-reviewedZA tAs, Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb occurrence in Roasted mopane worms (Gonimbrasia belina), sweet corn, and peanuts purchased from South African markets (n=3)
12Bielecka et al. 2021. Assessment of the Safe Consumption of Nuts in Terms of the Content of Toxic Elements with Chemometric Analysis, Nutrients2021Peer-reviewedPoland tAs, Cd, Pb, tHg occurrence in One hundred twenty edible nut samples purchased from Polish markets between January and March 2021: ten samples each… (n=120)
13Wang et al. 2020. Contamination and health risk assessment of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and aluminum from a total diet study of Jilin Province, China, Food Science & Nutrition2020Peer-reviewedCN Pb, tAs, Cd, Al occurrence in Jilin Province total-diet-study composites across 12 food groups and 48 product groups, with consumption inputs for 7700 residents…
14Gu et al. 2019. Prediction and risk assessment of five heavy metals in maize and peanut: a case study of Guangxi, China, Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology2019Peer-reviewedCN Cd, Cu, tHg, Pb, Zn occurrence in Sixty-five maize grain samples and thirty-five peanut grain samples paired with rhizosphere soils from Binyang County and Xingbin… (n=100)
15Hussain et al. 2019. Arsenic and Heavy Metal (Cadmium, Lead, Mercury and Nickel) Contamination in Plant-Based Foods, Plant and Human Health, Volume 22019Book chapterGLOBAL tAs, Cd, Pb, tHg, Ni occurrence in Review chapter compiling published occurrence ranges for arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel in plant-based foods including cereal…
16Blair et al. 2017. Evaluating Concentrations of Pesticides and Heavy Metals in the U.S. Peanut Crop in the Presence of Detection Limits, Peanut Science2017Peer-reviewedUS tHg, Cd, Pb, tAs occurrence in Randomly selected farmer-stock peanut samples from 16 buying points in the Southeast, Southwest, and Virginia-Carolina U.S. growing regions… (n=290)
17EFSA 2015. Scientific Opinion on the risks to public health related to the presence of nickel in food and drinking water, EFSA Journal 2015;13(2):4002, 202 pp.2015Government reportEU Ni occurrence in 18,885 food samples and 25,700 drinking water samples (final dataset after exclusions) submitted to EFSA from 15 European… (n=18885)
18Iyabo et al. 2015. Toxic and Essential Metals in Staple Foods Commonly Consumed by Students in Ekiti State, South West, Nigeria, International Journal of Chemistry2015Peer-reviewedNG Zn, Cu, Cd, Pb occurrence in Thirty listed staple food items identified from a questionnaire of 200 volunteered Ekiti State University students and purchased… (n=30)
19Zealand 2008. Final Assessment Report - Application A552: Cadmium in peanuts, Food Standards Australia New Zealand Final Assessment Report 12-082008Government reportAU/NZ/CN Cd occurrence in FSANZ regulatory assessment using Australian AQIS 2001-2006 imported-food cadmium tests, USFDA Total Diet Study 1991-2004 peanut values, Chinese…

Page history

The five most recent substantive edits to this page. The full version history lives in git; when DOI minting comes online (see schema docs), each entry below will also link to a version-pinned DataCite DOI.

CommitDateDescription
ae6c1292026-07-01feat(auth): large login + role-based signup screens (design, burgundy)