Peanut oil

History

Due to war shortages of other oils, the use of readily available peanut oil increased in the United States during World War II.

Production

In 2021, world production of peanut oil (reported as groundnut oil) was 4.75 million tonnes, led by China with 39% of the total (table). India was a major secondary producer.

Uses

Unrefined peanut oil is used as a flavorant for dishes akin to sesame oil. Refined peanut oil is commonly used for frying volume batches of foods like French fries and has a smoke point of 450 °F/232 °C.

Unrefined peanut oil is commonly used for cooking due to its natural flavor and nutritional benefits. It's also used in skincare products for its moisturizing properties.

Unrefined peanut oil is often used in salad dressings and marinades for its rich, nutty taste.

Biodiesel

At the 1900 Paris Exhibition, the Otto Company, at the request of the French Government, demonstrated that peanut oil could be used as a source of fuel for the diesel engine; this was one of the earliest demonstrations of biodiesel technology.

Crude peanut oil can be filtered and placed in a reaction tank with methanol and sodium hydroxide to yield methyl ester - the Biodiesel fuel.

Other uses

Peanut oil, as with other vegetable oils, can be used to make soap by the process of saponification. Peanut oil is safe for use as a massage oil.

Composition

The oil is 93% fat, composed of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat (57% of total), linoleic acid, a polyunsaturated fat (20%), and palmitic acid, a saturated fat (16%).

Nutritional content

In a reference amount of 100 g, peanut oil is a rich source of vitamin E, providing 101% of the Daily Value (table). There is no protein or carbohydrate content, and no other micronutrients in significant amounts (table).

Health issues

Toxins

If quality control is neglected, peanuts that contain the mold that produces highly toxic aflatoxin can end up contaminating the oil derived from them.

Allergens

Those allergic to peanuts can consume highly refined peanut oil, but should avoid first-press, organic oil. Most highly refined peanut oils remove the peanut allergens and have been shown to be safe for "the vast majority of peanut-allergic individuals". However, cold-pressed peanut oils may not remove the allergens and thus could be highly dangerous to people with peanut allergy.

Since the degree of processing for any particular product is often unclear, many believe that "avoidance is prudent".

References

References

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3. "USA-Grown Peanut Sources - Peanut Oil". National Peanut Board.
4. "What Does Smoke Point Mean?".
5. (2024). "Production of peanut oil in 2021; Pick lists by Crops/Regions/Production Quantity/Year". United Nations, [[Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database]].
6. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ngwEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22peanut+oil%22&pg=PT70 "The Peanut Situation" (Dec 12, 1942) ''The Billboard'']
7. [https://www.thespruce.com/smoking-points-of-fats-and-oils-1328753 The Smoke Point of Fats & Oils] {{Webarchive. link. (26 February 2018 - TheSpruce.com)
8. (2010). "Peanut Biodiesel". Boiled Peanut World.
9. [http://www.soap-making-resource.com/saponification-table.html "Saponification Table Plus The Characteristics of Oils in Soap", Soap Making Resource]
10. (28 April 2021). "Peanut oil per 100 grams". FoodData Central, [[Agricultural Research Service]], [[United States Department of Agriculture]].
11. (29 December 2011). "Aflatoxin suspected in cooking oil". United Press International.
12. [https://web.archive.org/web/20170918012143/https://www.foodallergy.org/common-allergens/peanut Common Allergens - Peanut] FARE (FoodAllergy.org)
13. "Peanut Oil".
14. (2000). "Allergenicity of refined vegetable oils". [[Food and Chemical Toxicology]].
15. (1997). "Randomised, double blind, crossover challenge study of allergenicity of peanut oils in subjects allergic to peanuts". BMJ.
16. "Peanut Allergy". [[Food Allergy Initiative]].
17. Carlson, Margaret. (13 January 2012). "Deaths Show Schools Need Power of the EpiPen: Margaret Carlson". Bloomberg.