Steam-roasting may reduce allergenicity of pistachio

Monday, 04 October 2010 12:06

A study led by researchers in Iran has investigated the differences between different cultivars of pistachio nut and the impact of various processing methods (raw, roasted, and steam-roasted) on the potential allergenicity of the nut.

Using Western blot techniques, the researchers found no difference between the different cultivars, nor the different processing methods in terms of allergic potential. However, the IgE-binding capacity was significantly lower for the protein extract prepared by the steam-roasted method, than from raw and dry-roasted pistachio nuts.

While steam roasting successfully reduced the IgE-binding by pistachio extracts, the steam roasting process did not significantly change the sensory quality of product.

Reference: Noorbakhsh et al. 2010. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. Vol 58 (18), pp 10231–10235 Doi: 10.1021/jf101364g