Peanut skins are a low-value byproduct of peanut processing and about 60,000 tons of peanut skins are produced as waste every year in the US as a result of peanut processing, according to background information in the Journal of Food Science.
“The potential exists for value added use of this material to improve antioxidant capacity and shelf-life of lipid-containing foods,” said the Chellani Hathorn and Timothy Sanders from North Carolina State University.
Hathorn and Sanders’ new research suggests that peanut skins, which are a good source of anitoxidants, could be incorporated into peanut products and increase the antioxidant capacity of the peanut paste and peanut butter by 52 and 63%.
A panel of 12 tasters was used to assess how the addition of peanut skins would affect the taste of the peanut products. Results showed that the tasters did not detect any difference in the peanut paste and butter when peanut skins were added at a level of 1%.
However, greater addition of peanut skins significantly affected taste descriptors, said the researchers, with 5% addition increasing peanut skin related flavors and 10% addition resulting in an overall reduced flavor.
“This study indicated a potential limited application for peanut skins in peanut paste and peanut butter and perhaps in other products to improve nutritional quality,” they concluded.
Source: Journal of Food Science
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02953.x
“Flavor and Antioxidant Capacity of Peanut Paste and Peanut Butter Supplemented with Peanut Skins”
Authors: C.S. Hathorn, T.H. Sanders