Location: Food Science and Market Quality and Handling Research Unit
2024 Annual Report
Objectives
1. Improve peanut flavor, flavor consistency and nutritional composition through integration of novel peanut genetic/genomic resources.
1A. Investigation of peanut composition using targeted and non-targeted analyses to identify compounds and metabolomic pathways of formation related to peanut flavor formation.
1B. Evaluate the flavor and quality characteristics of specific peanut varieties or breeding lines in cooperation with U.S. peanut breeders.
2. Identify commercially-viable bioactive compounds from raw/roasted peanuts and characterize their functional food attributes. [NP306, C1 PS1B]
2A. Evaluate peanut skins as an antimicrobial ingredient in livestock feed.
2B. Determination of the effectiveness of extracts from peanut skins as a natural antioxidant in preventing the onset of rancidity in peanut butter.
3. Enable the commercial use of whole high-oleic peanuts and/or by-products as a livestock (poultry, swine, and aquaculture) feed ingredient.
Approach
The United States peanut industry generates approximately $4.4 billion annually in economic activity. With a value of over one billion dollars at the farm level, the peanut crop ranks twelfth among USA food crops, grown on approximately 7,500 farms with 1.4 billion acres producing over five billion pounds of peanuts in the shell. In addition, the peanut industry is composed of producers, shellers, and manufacturers. These manufacturers produce peanut butter, candies, confections, bakery goods and ingredients for other foods, in addition to snack peanuts. The USA peanut industry is vibrant, but the private sector relies on the USDA-ARS to increase and expand markets through continual improvement of peanuts and peanut products across all segments of the industry, from farm to processors and consumers. This project is one of only two public research programs dedicated to improving the value of the crop by enhancing flavor, nutrition, and post harvest processing using modern food science technology. The specific objectives are: Objective 1, improvement of peanut flavor, flavor consistency and nutritional composition through integration of novel peanut genetic/genomic resources; Objective 2, the identification of commercially-viable bioactive compounds from raw/roasted peanuts and peanut processing waste materials and to characterize their functional food attributes; Objective 3, to enable the commercial use of whole high-oleic peanuts and /or bi-products as a livestock feed ingredient. This research will be accomplished using chemical and molecular biological techniques and methodology as well as sensory analytical techniques.
Progress Report
ARS scientists at Raleigh, North Carolina believe that with a value of over $1 billion dollars at the farm level, the peanut crop ranks as second only to soybeans in terms of oilseed value. In addition, the peanut industry is composed of producers, shellers, and manufacturers. ARS scientists at Raleigh, North Carolina are focused on addressing issues of flavor, nutrition, processing, and value-added products that are critical to delivering optimized peanut products across all peanut industry segments.
Objective 1: Research continued on the goal to improve peanut flavor, flavor consistency and nutritional composition through integration of novel peanut genetic/genomic resources. Sub-objective 1A. Samples of the Spanish and Valencia market types were analyzed in the raw state for nutritional content (protein, moisture, total fat, fatty acid profiles, free and total amino acid profiles, sugar profile, tocopherols) and compared to runner market types by scientists in Raleigh, North Carolina. All samples were blanched (skins removed) before analysis. Samples were then roasted, and descriptive sensory analysis was performed by the trained sensory panel composed for ARS scientific personnel. The volatile and semi-volatile compounds in both the raw and the roasted samples were determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry in order to determine the compounds that could be associated with the differences in roasted peanut flavor between the market types. This information is needed to for comparison of the Spanish and Valencia market types with other market types to increase their use in USA peanut products. In addition, genomic researchers can use the data for determination of genetic markers for the compounds of interest.
Sub-objective 1B. Samples of peanut cultivars in development for seed release during the crop year 2022 were evaluated by ARS scientist at Raleigh, North Carolina. The samples were grown in the United States by public plant breeders participating in the Uniform Peanut Performance Trials (UPPT) and send to the USDA-ARS National Peanut Research Laboratory (NPRL) at Dawson, Georgia. After shelling and sizing at NPRL, the samples were forwarded to ARS scientists at Raleigh, North Carolina. The samples were analyzed for total fat, total protein moisture content, fatty acid and sugar profiles and tocopherol content. In addition, the samples were roasted, and the sensory characteristics were determined by a trained sensory panel. The data set was processed and reported to the cooperators and to the program website at the USDA, ARS, NPRL and North Carolina State University Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.
Objective 2: Research continued on the goal to Identify commercially-viable bioactive compounds from raw/roasted peanuts and characterize their functional food attributes. Subobjective 2A.
Subobjective 2B. This sub-objective was completed in 2022. Peanut skins and extracts of peanut skins were incorporated into ground peanut paste to evaluate the possible antioxidant/anti-rancidity properties of this peanut processing waste material. Some lipid oxidation was delayed over the course of the 6-month shelf-life study. The resulting changes in flavor, texture, and color were considered to be negative effects of the peanut skins and their extracts. The study was published in the journal, Peanut Science.
Objective 3. Research continued on the goal to enable the commercial use of whole high-oleic peanuts and/or by-products as a livestock (poultry, swine, and aquaculture) feed ingredient.
Accomplishments
1. Roasted peanut flavor is optimized by roasting conditions. The highest intensity possible of roasted peanut flavor is needed for processed food products such as peanut butter, candies and peanut ingredients for bakery products. ARS researchers at Raleigh, North Carolina evaluated the roasted peanut flavor using descriptive sensory analysis from peanuts roasted at a temperature commonly used by industrial roasted over a range of times to determine the time that resulted in the highest intensity of roasted peanut flavor and related that to a color that could be recommend to as the target roasted peanut color in an industrial setting.
2. High oleic soybean meal can serve as an alternative poultry feed. Full-fat soybean meal, a good source of dietary protein and energy, was evaluated as a replacement for solvent-extracted defatted soybean meal and vegetable oil in poultry rations by ARS scientists in Raleigh, North Carolina. It was found that feeding full-fat high-oleic soybean meal did not adversely affect broiler performance or meat quality in a 6-week feeding trial, which parallels results from previous high-oleic peanut poultry feeding trials. Poultry meat samples from broilers fed the full-fat high-oleic soybean meal had more monounsaturated fat, less polyunsaturated fat, and reduced saturated fat levels in the breast meat as compared to the controls. These studies demonstrated that high oleic oilseed cultivars may positively influence animal food production and can be utilized to enrich the commodities produced (poultry meat and eggs) with monounsaturated fatty acids while reducing saturated fats.
Review Publications
Muhammad, A., Joseph, M., Alfaro-Wisaquillo, M., Quintana-Ospina, G., Patino, D., Vu, T.C., Dean, L.L., Fallen, B.D., Mian, R.M., Taliercio, E.W., Toomer, O.T., Oviedo-Rondon, E. 2024. Effects of high oleic full-fat soybean meal on broiler live performance, carcass and parts yield, and fatty acid composition of breast fillets. Poultry Science. 103(3):103399. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.103399.
Ali, M., Joseph, M., Alfaro-Wisaquillo, M., Quintana-Ospina, G., Patino, D., Penuela-Sierra, L., Vu, T.C., Mian, R.M., Taliercio, E.W., Toomer, O.T., Oviedo-Rondon, E. 2023. Standardized ileal amino acid digestibility of high-oleic full-fat soybean meal in broilers. Poultry Science. 102(12):103152. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.103152.
Ali, M., Joseph, M., Alfaro-Wisaquillo, M., Quintana-Ospina, G., Peñuela-Sierra, L., Patino, D., Vu, T.C., Mian, R.M., Toomer, O.T., Oviedo-Rondon, E. 2024. Influence of extruded soybean meal with varying fat and oleic acid content on nitrogen-corrected apparent metabolizable energy in broilers. Poultry Science. 103(3):103408. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2023.103408.
Weissburg, J.R., Dean, L.L., Hendrix, K. 2024. Changes in runner peanut quality parameters as a function of roast times. Peanut Science. 51(1):45-58. https://doi.org/10.3146/0095-3679-51-PS23-8.
Dean, L.L. 2023. Peanut as a source of sustainable vegetable protein-processes and applications. In: Nadathur, S., Wanasundara, J. P. D., Scanlin, L., editors.Sustainable Protein Sources Advances for a Healthier Tomorrow. Cambridge, MA: Elsevier. Chapter 15. p. 311-322.