Peanuts getting healthier, longer lasting

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Dr. Charles Simpson holds the peanuts which were grown in a test plot located at the experiment station located in Stephenville. -Photos by Mandy Spikes

September 18, 2003 -- Two new peanut varieties have recently been released by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station, headquartered in College Station. These two varieties, named OLin and Tamrun OL01, are being called healthier than other peanuts due to the healthful monounsaturated fat in them.

"The difference with these peanuts is the content of oleic acid and linoleic acid, which are two of the primary fatty acids in foods," stated Dr. Charles Simpson, professor emeritus at the experiment station in Stephenville. "Because there is a higher amount of oleic acid and a lower amount of linoleic acid, it makes these peanuts healthier.

"While the current varieties of peanuts are good for you, these two varieties will be even better. Peanuts in general are a heart healthy food. They don't have any cholesterol in them and they help lower bad cholesterol, but these peanuts will be even better."

The findings came after eight years of study by a team of researchers. The members of this team included Simpson, Michael Baring, A.M . Schubert, Yolanda Lopez, Hassan Melouk, and James Kirby. "Dr. Olin Smith, who was a peanut breeder at Texas A&M University, was the original leader of the project, but he passed away suddenly in 1999 and I was then asked to take over and continue his work.

"We really appreciate what the Texas Peanut Producers Board has done for us. A large amount of funding and support came from them. They were interested in using the varieties that we discovered and so gave us the funding to do the work."

Originally started as a way to create a peanut that would have a longer shelf life in food stores, the project also resulted in healthier peanuts. "The difference in the quality of the peanut was not the issue we were

looking at in the beginning. What we wanted to accomplish, with this experiment, was to make peanut products taste ever better because the peanuts would be even fresher due to the longer shelf life.

He explained that the new peanuts do not last longer in storage until they are roasted. "Roasting releases the combination of composition of peanuts to give the longer shelf life." How much longer will they last? "We are not really sure!"

The Tamrun OL01 peanuts, along with OLin peanuts, are being called healthier than other peanuts due to the healthful monounsaturated fat. -Photos by Mandy Spikes

Besides the candy bar manufactures taking an interest, the peanut butter companies also were intrigued when the project first began. "At the time, they were really excited about what we were doing and thought it was a good idea. Since then they have changed the packaging of peanut butter, and the freshness factor is no longer a big issue with them."

Simpson added that olive oil is recognized as a superior oil to use in cooking. The oil from the new peanuts will make the oil just as good as olive oil.

He does warn that while the peanuts are healthier, it does not mean that a person can eat more than the recommended amount. "The recommended amount for an individual serving is a golf ball size of peanut butter or a small bag of peanuts. When the new peanuts reach the market, they will be more healthy, but that doesn't mean that you can eat more than the recommended amount. The fat content did not change, just the composition."