Making peanut butter allergen-free

Tuesday, 14 April 2009 20:44

Scientists from the United States Department of Agriculture have found that adding polyphenols such as caffeic, chlorogenic and ferulic acids to liquid peanut butter could reduce the levels of major peanut allergens, Ara h 1 and Ara h 2, through the irreversible formation of insoluble complexes.

The study has been reported in the journal Food Chemistry, where the authors cautioned that a removal of certain proteins would have a detrimental effect on both the nutritional value and the flavour of the peanut, which would then be unlikely to retain consumer appeal.

As a result, the researchers point out that while their work may lead to the development of less allergenic products for those allergic to peanut protein, it would still be a long time before any such products would be found on supermarket shelves.

Reference: Chung & Champagne 2009 Food Chemistry Vol 115, pp 1345-1349.