Bio treatment of groundnuts / peanuts
The bio treatment for the preservation of groundnuts, or commonly known as peanuts, is a delicate subject. Conservation of peanuts like the Runner, Spanish, Virginia or Valencia, means to preserve its sensory attributes fighting rancid development and off-flavors through lipid oxidation.
According to the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), 25% of the world’s food crops are significantly contaminated with mycotoxins (Boutrif and Canet, 1998). On peanuts industry this reality is very present on day to day affairs. Significant deterioration caused by mould occur through storage and, as consequence, the development of aflatoxins on groundnuts.
Polypropylene bags are not airtight and groundnut pods are susceptible to fungal and aflatoxin contamination (Hell et al., 2000; Udoh et al., 2000)
It’s also observed that pods stored in jute bags are significantly higher in moisture content, mould growth, aflatoxins and free fatty acid content, than in those stored in polyethylene-doubled bags (Bulaong and Dharmaputra, 2002).
The approach of VacQPack is higher in quality, using a liner of 7 layers and 200 microns, that will ensure no condensation problems in raw peanuts packaged and shipped by container. This feature is especially important when peanuts are shipped to northern hemisphere latitudes on winter time, where they will find a drastic and swift change of temperature. This situation, frequently observed in transoceanic voyages is responsible for a considerable amount of spoilage due to condensation and rancidity.
Oxidation is the most direct risk in the preservation of groundnuts/roasted peanuts. Its sensitivity to oxidation is very high, so the packaging must reach a modified atmosphere with oxygen levels below 4%, even in big bulks.
Arachis hypogaea
Regarding pests, Indianmeal moth is considered to be the most serious pest, followed by the red flour beetle, the merchant grain beetle, the almond moth and cockroaches (Blatella germanica and Peripalneta americana). Application of Carbon Dioxide CO2 at low pressure and using storage temperature as an ally have proven to be an effective way of organically controlling and killing pests.
Traditional chemical treatments on peanuts are: malathion, syngergized pyrethrins, diatomaceous earth (DE), and fumigation using phosphine gas. Methyl bromide was a commonly used fumigant in the peanut industry, but it’s now forbidden. The chemical option can be traded by a bio fumigation with a lower impact on the environment, less health risks and effective worldwide.
Rich oil and source of vitamin B complex, proteins, riboflavin, niacin, thiamin, pantothenic acid, vitamin B6 and folate. Also contain copper, manganese, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.
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