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Are you one of the 3 million Americans suffering from peanut allergies? If so, we empathize with your quest for the perfect nut and are happy to note that it might not be far off. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups of the world, this is your official warning!
Turns out that a fella named Dr. Mohamed Ahmedna, a North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University scientist, has developed a simple process to make peanuts allergen-free. In fact, using this new technique, scientists were able to completely deactivate the allergens in whole roasted peanut kernels. The newly-processed peanuts then showed no reaction in tests on human serums from severely allergic people.
With peanut allergies in children doubling in the United States between 1997 and 2002, it’s no wonder food companies are chomping at the bit to license this process. Said to not compromise the taste or quality of the doctored-up nuts, this technique could possibly even make peanuts easier to integrate as a food ingredient. Naturally, this is good news for the peanut industry, which is the 12th largest crop in America and is worth about a billion smackers.
Even better? Dr. Ahmedna doesn’t plan to make it all about the nut. He’s working on maximizing the process to strip allergens from other foods as well.
Do I hear a collective cheer from shellfish?
More Info: North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University
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