Researchers Get One Step Closer to Hypoallergenic Peanuts

You can soon avail of hypoallergenic peanut products in grocery stores as an agreement to commercialize these products has been signed.

The North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has recently signed an agreement with a Toronto-based firm 'Xemerge' for the patented process that reduces allergens in peanuts by 98 percent..

"This is one of the best technologies in the food and nutrition space we have seen," Johnny Rodrigues, Chief Commercialization Officer of Xemerge, said in the news release. "It checks all the boxes: non-GMO, patented, human clinical data, does not change physical characteristics of the peanut along with maintaining the nutrition and functionality needed, ready for industry integration from processing and manufacturing to consumer products."

Dr. Jianmei Yu, a food and nutrition researcher in School of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences in collaboration with two former A& T faculty members, Dr. Mohamed and Dr. Ipek Goktepe, developed the new process that treats roasted peanuts removed from shell and skin with certain food grade enzymes that are commonly used in food processing techniques.

"Treated peanuts can be used as whole peanuts, in pieces or as flour to make foods containing peanuts safer for many people who are allergic," Dr. Yu said. "Treated peanuts also can be used in immunotherapy. Under a doctor's supervision, the hypoallergenic peanuts can build up a patient's resistance to the allergens."

Using this process two main allergens Ara h1 and Ara h2 can be lowered by almost 98 percent.  The finished product looks and tastes like roasted peanuts.  These peanuts are, however, not genetically modified.  They tested the effectiveness of the process in human clinical trials conducted at the University. The tests were done using skin pricks.

Compared to other approaches, this new process doesn't use any chemicals or irradiation and uses only the food processing equipment.