By:  Nick Wilson – News24

Woolworths is recalling its peanut butter ice cream brand with immediate effect over possible health risks, urging customers who had purchased the product to return it to their local store for a full refund.

The JSE-listed retailer announced the recall of its Woolworths Peanut Butter Ice Cream brand on Friday after tests showed the product contained higher than legal levels of the naturally occurring Aflatoxin, which can be dangerous to humans.

Woolworths said the recall applied only to the peanut butter dairy ice cream sold under the Woolworths brand. All other products containing peanut butter, including its own range of the spread, remained "100% safe for consumption".

Woolworths said it had conducted tests on a range of its products after some South African peanut butter products were found to have higher than regulated levels of Aflatoxin.

While Woolworths' peanut butter was found to be safe for consumption, it decided, as a precaution, to systematically assess all related products in the wake of the initial recalls by others in the industry. These products include biscuits, sauces, pretzels, energy bars and ice cream.

Woolworths added that Aflatoxins had to be consumed in "very high quantities to be toxic to humans".