Peanuts harbor mycotoxins and aflatoxins a fungal toxin that can cause cancers liver damage and the potentially fatal respiratory disease aspergillosis for birds!! Can Birds Choke On Peanut Butter?
Birds can develop liver cancer, and it is possible that eating poor quality food with low levels of mold contamination over long periods of time may contribute to this,” related Muscarella. "However, while peanuts are prone to Aspergillus contamination, grains and cereals can also be contaminated. The USDA monitors grains produced in the U.S. for aflatoxin-producing molds, so perhaps the major problem is private storage. Hence, the lesson to be learned is that only high-quality, carefully stored products should be fed to our pets.
"As for peanuts, in particular, I am not opposed to feeding a few peanuts here and there as a snack, or some peanut butter on whole-grain bread. Peanuts are a good protein source, a good source of vitamin E and even some "healthy” types of fats. However, I prefer to use the highest-quality peanut products and only those intended for human consumption. Make sure your own storage conditions (particularly in warm, humid climates) are carefully maintained for all bird food.
I asked Muscarella about the safety of roasted peanuts and peanut butter. "Does roasting destroy aflatoxin?” She believes that small amounts of roasted, "for human consumption” quality products are generally safe, but cautions that roasting does not destroy aflatoxin. "Commercial food producers test peanuts for aflatoxin levels to ensure that their products are safely below the USDA-permissible levels.
"Organic peanut butter is free of added sugar, but there may be more variables in peanut sources and storage conditions in locally made peanut butter as compared to a big brand-name company. If you give your bird peanut butter as a treat, a well-known commercial brand might be a better choice because of the routine testing is done by large companies. Don’t trust bulk peanut products that may have been stored under questionable conditions or for an unknown length of time. Look for an expiration date on the package.” Dr. Muscarella added that there’s no way her African grey parrot, Maxie will go without his little open-faced peanut butter sandwich … but it’s got to be his favorite brand of peanut butter on multi-grain bread, or it lands on the floor, peanut butter side down!
Dr. Noah Abou-Madi, a senior lecturer, and veterinarian in the exotic animal program at the Companion Animal Hospital at Cornell pointed out that other nuts, such as almonds and nut butter, may be preferable to peanuts and should be considered as well. Dr. Abou-Madi cautioned that the same conditions for storage and safety apply to other nuts as well as to peanuts.
The bottom line: the chance of you – or the birds in your backyard – becoming sick from tainted peanut products is small but real. It is definitely not safe to feed birds any of the human foods included in the CDC’s recall – you should throw those products away without opening them. And it’s always a good policy to keep your bird feeders clean and to stay on the lookout for sick birds around your backyard.
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