Peanuts |
Product name
Peanuts are the leguminous fruits of an annual of the papilionaceous plant family (Leguminosae), growing underground (geocarpy) to a length of 2 - 6 cm. They have a thin, netted, wrinkly, fragile shell (pod) with 1 - 4 (generally 2) kernels, which are 1.5 - 2.5 cm in size. The shell fraction amounts to 25%.
Also known as groundnuts or monkey nuts. It gets its name groundnut because as the pods ripen, they are actually forced underground. Peanuts are high in protein and contain 40-50% oil. The oil is used in cooking, as salad oil, in margarines and the residue is fed to animals. Whole peanuts can be eaten raw or roasted or made into peanut butter (look out for brands which do not contain hydrogenated oils, which are highly saturated). As they are usually inexpensive, they can be mixed with other kinds of nuts to bring down the cost, while still maintaining flavour and good nutrition. 100g peanuts contain 24.3g protein, 2mg iron and 3mg zinc.
Peanuts are transported both shelled and unshelled. Peanut kernels are surrounded by a fine, brown seed coat, which contains antioxidants which protect the kernels against the penetration of atmospheric oxygen and thereby prevent them from becoming rancid (oxidative rancidity).Contrary to what their name implies, peanuts are not true nuts but a member of a family of legumes related to peas, lentils, chickpeas and other beans. Peanuts start growing as a ground flower that due to its heavy weight bends towards the ground and eventually burrows underground where the peanut actually matures. The veined brown shell or pod of the peanut contains two or three peanut kernels. Each oval-shaped kernel or seed is comprised of two off-white lobes that are covered by a brownish-red skin.
Oil content
Quality / Duration of storage
Peanuts are harvested and shipped all year round. The color and size of the peanuts vary depending on the country of origin, the color of the peanuts varying from light brown to red/reddish brown depending on the color of the soil; the lightest peanuts are the most desirable.
It is very important for the insurer to ascertain the year of harvest: it must be taken into consideration that the nuts may be mixed with nuts from the previous year's harvest. Fresh peanut kernels have a smooth, shiny appearance. Old peanuts are dull and wrinkly. Peanuts from the previous year's harvest have a tendency to insect infestation (beetles and moths) and rancidity. Thus, there is also an increased risk of aflatoxin production
Usage of Peanuts:
As a legume with a high protein content (24 - 35%), the peanut is one of the world's most important staple foods after wheat.
They are grown to be eaten fresh and for oil extraction (20 - 60% oil content). After soya oil, peanut oil occupies second place in world vegetable oil production. Peanuts are also used in the bakery and confectionery industries, as an ingredient in trail mixes, especially salted or unsalted as a snack food and as peanut butter.
Countries of origin
Health Benefits
Peanuts are a very good source of monounsaturated fats, the type of fat that is emphasized in the heart-healthy Mediterrranean diet. Studies of diets with a special emphasis on peanuts have shown that this little legume is a big ally for a healthy heart. In one such randomized, double-blind, cross-over study involving 22 subjects, a high monounsaturated diet that emphasized peanuts and peanut butter decreased cardiovascular disease risk by an estimated 21% compared to the average American diet. In addition to their monounsaturated fat content, peanuts feature an array of other nutrients that, in numerous studies, have been shown to promote heart health. Peanuts are good sources of vitamin E , niacin , folate and magnesium . In addition, peanuts provide resveratrol , the phenolic antioxidant also found in red grapes and red wine that is thought to be responsible for the French paradox: the fact that in France, people consume a diet that is not low in fat, but have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to the U.S. With all of the important nutrients provided by nuts like peanuts, it is no wonder that numerous research studies, including the Nurses' Health Study that involved over 86,000 women, have found that frequent nut consumption is related to reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
Peanuts Rival Fruit as a Source of Antioxidants
Not only do peanuts contain oleic acid, the healthful fat found in olive oil, but new research shows these tasty legumes are also as rich in antioxidants as many fruits.
While unable to boast an antioxidant content that can compare with the fruits highest in antioxidants, such as pomegranate, roasted peanuts do rival the antioxidant content of blackberries and strawberries, and are far richer in antioxidants than apples, carrots or beets.
Research conducted by a team of University of Florida scientists, published in the May 2005 issue of the journal Food Chemistry , shows that peanuts contain high concentrations of antioxidant polyphenols, primarily a compound called p-coumaric acid, and that roasting can increase peanuts' p-coumaric acid levels, boosting their overall antioxidant content by as much as 22%. Plus, in recent years, researchers at University of Florida and several other universities have bred new peanut varieties with higher levels of oleic acid¡ªthe monounsaturated fat responsible for many of olive oil's health-promoting effects. Called SunOleic peanuts, these cultivars, which contain 80% oleic acid and only 2-3% linoleic acid, not only provide the health benefits associated with this monounsaturated fat, but remain fresh 3 to 15 times longer than regular peanuts, and are also much lower in saturated fat.
English |
Peanuts, groundnuts, earthnuts, monkey nuts |
German |
Erdn¨¹sse, Arachisn¨¹sse |
French |
Arachides, Gland de terre |
Spanish |
Cacahuetes/man? (am.) |
Scientific |
Arachis hypogaea |
CN/HS number * |
1202 ff. |
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20 - 60% [1] |
|
42 - 52% [2] |
|
40 - 50% [3] |
Asia |
China, India, Israel, Taiwan, Burma, Indonesia, Japan |
Africa |
Nigeria, Sudan, Uganda |
Europe |
Italy, Spain, Turkey |
America |
USA, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico |
Australia |
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