Progress made on hypo-allergenic peanuts
Food scientists at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University have moved closer to developing hypo-allergenic peanuts since first announcing the post-harvest process in 2007, having recently secured funding to pursue clinical trials and published a report describing the post-harvest process. The scientists found that treating blanched, whole roasted peanut kernels with two food-grade enzymes for one to three hours reduced two of the top peanut allergens.
In a study appearing in the latest issue of Food Chemistry journal, “Enzymatic treatment of peanut kernels to reduce allergen levels,” researchers report on a post-harvest process that reduces the major allergen proteins in peanuts. The research is led by Mohamed Ahmedna and Jianmei Yu of the School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
