Chapter 15 – Peanut as a Source of Sustainable Vegetable Protein-Processes and Applications
Composition
Year Published: 2024
Journal
Advances for a Healthier Tomorrow
Authors
Lisa L. Dean
Methods
The peanut crop is produced in semitropical regions all around the globe. The resulting seeds are harvested and processed into a range of consumer products including edible oil, peanut butter, and roasted peanut snacks. The unused vegetation can serve as high-quality animal feed and the processing waste such as hulls and skins can be composted for soil enrichment and can be used as biomass fuel or further processed to recover the bioactive compounds such as small molecular phenolics having antioxidant activity. Most importantly, the peanut is a source of high-quality protein from a plant that is considered highly sustainable.
Key Findings
Key Findings: Low water usage, the ability to grow in semi-arid conditions, and soil nitrogen fixation characteristics make it a valuable crop to grow in rotation with more soil-depleting grain crops. Large amounts of peanut protein-rich material are available after the processing of peanuts for edible oil. In addition to the nutritional characteristics that make it valuable for both human food and animal feed products, the functionality of the peanut protein itself makes it a valuable ingredient for both food and nonfood applications. These characteristics of peanut protein as a sustainable source are discussed in this chapter.