CA1052172A - Process for making dehydrated peanut food product - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE

A process for making bland or flavorless food in-gredients and extenders from peanuts and the food products formulated with these ingredients. The process includes making precooked shelf-stable full-fat, partially defatted or com-pletely defatted peanut flakes and spray dried peanut flour and other forms by dehydrating an aqueous emulsion-suspension of finely ground raw peanuts alone or in mixtures with other food substances. In the production of shelf-stable oil-containing dehydrated materials, the process includes heating the emulsion-suspension to high temperatures prior to dehydration to stabilize the oil. The process for production of defatted pea-nut flakes also yields peanut oil. The defatted, partially defatted, and full-fat peanut materials are useful in many food products including formulations for sandwich spreads, dips, meat, poultry, and fish products, breakfast cereals, and con-fections. Removal of volatile peanut flavor compounds from an aqueous slurry of finely ground peanuts yields an essentially flavorless concentrate useful for preparation of milk-like beverages.

Description

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The present invention relates to essentially flavor-less, precooked, dehydrated peanut food ingredients having ex-tended storage life, and to the improved commercially feasible processes for producing them. The protein to oil ratio and texture may be varied to meet utilization requirements in formulations of meat, analogs, sandwich spreads, confections, breakfast cereals, and other food products. The process re-moves compounds responsible for "raw" as well as cooked peanut flavor.
~lmost all of the vegetable protein extenders com-mercially available are essentially free of oil or at since the processes by which most of them are prepared require that the oil or fat be removed. To achieve good nutritional qual-ity in the formulation of meat analogs or in the extension of many foods, it is necessary, however, that oil or fat be in- I
; cluded to achieve the nutritional value which exists in the '~1 natural items being extended, or imitated, namely, meats, poultry, fish, and cheese. In many areas of the world, there is not only a shortage of protein but of calories as well.
In the interests of economy and nutrition, it is desirable, ; when processing oilseeds into basic food ingredients, that methods be found for stabilizing the oil so that all or a portion of it can be retained along with the protein and other components of oilseeds which are important in nutrition, with-out the oil causing rancidity during storage. Even in those ;` instances where it is preferable to allow only a small per-centage of the total oil to remain in the processed oilseed material, it is essential that the remaining oil resist oxi- `
dation to prevent development of objectionable flavors caused by oxidation.
The factors which are important in providing high-~ qual~ty extenders for various food products will be more fully :: :

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discussed below.
Extension of storage life. Adequate precooking of finely ground peanuts dispersed in water to form a suspension of solids and an emulsion of oil has been found to increase the shelf life or peanut flakes produced from the material (U.S. Patent 3,689,287 and U.S. Paten 3,800,056 `). This may be viewed as an anomaly in view of the fact that peanuts, heat-processed by roasting were rancid and had a peroxide value of 90 meq of peroxide oxygen/kg after four weeks storage at 100F, -while coarsely ground raw peanuts maintained essentially zero peroxide values for at least six months Oxidation in the com- -plex system in oilseed produc~s is influenced by many variables, ;~
and the reasons for some phenomena observed are not clear. Be-cause of this, several studies were undertaken by this inventor with the objective of obtaining an understanding of the factors l~ -responsible for the increase in shelf life of dehydrated peanut material, such as precooked peanut flakes, which results from steaming raw shelled peanuts prior to grinding, and from pre- ~ ~-- cooking a suspension of finely ground peanuts in water. Since ~ `
changes caused by precookiny take place very rapidly in the finely ground peanuts when the suspension in water is subjected to heat, it was more feasible to collect data on some of these changes from studies made on whole shelled pe~nuts. As a re~
sult of these studies, the following observations have baen : ;
made:
First: The rate of oxidation of oil in raw shelled `;~
whole peanuts is very slow. The initial effect of moist heat treatment is to increase the rate of oxidation on subsequent storage, but the second effect is to stabilize the oil oxida~

tion; Table I and Table II.

Second: Lipoxygenase in whole shelled raw peanuts is inactivated by steaming at 212F in less than two minutes, but ;~ ~ ~

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peroxidase inactivation requires considerably longer, Table III, Third: Raw peanuts contain a heat-labile substance which rapidly destroys hydroperoxides in the absence of added water, Table IV.
The inactivation of enzymes in whole shelled peanuts during moist heat treatments also occurs in finely ground pea-nuts but at a much faster rate because of more efficient heat transer. Observations made with regard to the effects of heat treatments on lipid stability in whole shelled peanuts and pre~
cooked peanut fla]ces have demonstrated that the shelf life of the latter (and other precooked dehydrated peanut material con-taining peanut oil) is increased by precooking the finely ground peanut water mixture for periods of time longer than are required to inactivate peroxidase, Tables III and V. The ~
reasons for this are not entirely clear, but during heat in- ~;
activation of peroxidase, some quantity of the home moiety of the peroxidase molecule may be converted to a non-enzymatic iron-containing catalyst which promotes autoxidation of lipids.
Further heating probably causes changes in protein molecules ~ -~
` which result in the formation of small quantities of anti-oxidant compounds and metal complexing substances. The latter i may form complex compounds with non-enzymatic metallic catalysts for lipid oxidation and thus inhibit thelr pro~
oxidant effects. Reduction in the rate of oxidation of oil in full-fat peanut flakes was not the result of changes in the oil, but is the result of changes in other compounds~ This was determined by extracting oil from peanut flakes produced from finely ground peanut-water slurries heated for ~arious time periods prior to drying into flakes. The oils from each sample had essentially the same keeping times in hours when tested by -the active oxygen method ~AOM~
It has now been found that stabilization by pre

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cooking a suspension of finely ground peanuts in water is greatly amplified by the addition of anti-oxidants and synergists (metal complexing agents), and that the addition of these substances extends the shelf life of the precooked de-hydrated materials significantly without the necessity of the prolonged precooking times indicated in Table V.
The increase in shelf life of peanut flakes which - ::
results from steaming peanut flakes prior to grinding may be attributed to the fact that lipoxygenase is inactivated by this treatment and therefore cannot catalyze the initial formation of hydroperoxides which are known to catalyze autoxidation.

. .- ,, It was shown by data included in U.S. Patent 3,689,287 that the antioxidant, butylated hydroxyanisole, was not very effective in retarding oxidation of peanut flakes prepared from a non- - ;
precooked suspension of finely ground peanuts in water. It has `
now been found that anti-oxidants and metal complexing agents ;
extend the shelf life of peanut fla]ces prepared from precooked suspensions of finely ground peanuts in water~ The data in ;

Tables VI and VII were obtained by placing 20 grams of peanut `~

flakes in a ounce glass bottles closed with plastic screw caps and storing these bottles at a constant temperature of 100F.
This temperature was used for the purpose of accelerated ~ . .
stability testing, and i~ is not intended to imply that the flakes should be stored at this temperature in commercial practice, since the higher the temperature the more rapid is the rate of oxidation. The data in Table VII show that .: - ~ ; , tertiary butyl hydroquinone, ~TBHQ), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT~, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and propyl gallate are -; ~

effective in reducing the rate of oxidation in peanut flakes, ;- ;
The metal complexing agents, citric acid and ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA), also delayed oxidation and extended the shelf life of the flakes~ It should be understood that the .
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use of anti-oxidants and synergists for extending the shelf life of peanut flakes may not be limited to those cited in Table VII.
The principles which have been elucidated for ;-achieving satisfactory shelf life (more than six months at 100F) and elimination of flavor, apply to precooked peanut material dehydrated by drum drying, spray drying, belt drying, and other feasible dehydration methods. In practicing the -various dehydration methods, it is only necessary to adjust the water content before precooking to achieve the desired increase in consistency, during precooking~ best suited for ; ~ ~
each dehydration method. If only a sufficient amount of water ;~ `
is added to the finely ground peanut material to produce a moisture content of about 33 to 50 per cent, the material will congeal to a semisolid which can be formed into a thin stratum! `
strips or other forms by various means and subsequently de~
hydrated. If the dehydration method to be used is spray drying, a more fluid product is necessary in the precooked state, and therefore, from about 3 to 6 parts of water is mixed with l part by weight of finely ground peanuts prior to precooking. ~-~
Adjustm`ent of Texture of Flakes. According to the ` process described in U.S. Patent 3,689,287, and in U.S. -Patent 3j800,056 `, peanuts are dried to a moisture content of about 2 to 6 per cent prior to grinding into a smooth paste, consisting of fine particle sizes, which is then dispersed in -.
water. It has now been found that another method of grinding raw peanuts makes possible the production of peanut material having a texture somewhat more coarse with increased water ab~
sorption capacity. It also factilitates commercial production - ~ `
operations and saves time since the peanuts, after preliminary ` coarse grinding, are mixed with enough water to form a thick - pumpable slurry which can be ground to the desired fineness by .
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being passed through any suitable mill. We have used a colloid mill e~uipped with a carborundum surfaced rotor and stator.
This is a more rapid procedure than that of grinding the pea- ' -nuts to a fine paste and then mixing the paste with water to form a smooth suspension and emulsion. It is especially ad-vantageous to use this method for grinding whole blanched shelled peanuts which ha~e been steamed to inactivate lipoxygenase. During steaming, the peanuts absorb moisture, and to practice this method of grinding, it is not necessary to dry the peanuts, thus eliminating the time-consuming drying step after steaming. Grinding raw peanuts or steamed peanuts `'' in the presence of water disrupts the peanut structure in such a manner that the cellular tissue is torn into minute shreds.
Oil, water-soluble protein, and carbohydrate are released and ~orm an emulsion with the water. When the ground peanut ma-terial is suspended in water and precooked, prior to drying, ;~
the consistency increases as protein coagulates and starch gelatinizes. This entraps the oil and the shredded cellular tissue upon drying. The latter provides a slightly coarse -~ ' te~ture in the flakes, which is especially desirable when they ; are used to extend ground meats, in formulating or extending meat-type spreads, and when they are used as a substitute for ground or grated coconut in certain products. To provide additional texture, heat coagulable substances, such as al-` bumen, were added to the peanut material. Upon dehydration, ~ such substances are coagulated and provide the desired addi~
; tional textural strength.
`Ad`ju'stm'ent''o'f''Shape. To provide dehydrated pre- ~
cooked peanut material in various shapes and sizes, finely ~ ~' 3 ground peanuts are mixed with a limited amount of water and subjected to heat treatment to bring about gellation of starch '~

~ and coagulation of protein. This forms a product of firm ; ' 6 , ~ . . . : . .- ~

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consistency which can be coarsely ground, diced, cut into strips, sliced, or forced through openings in a die. All of these forms may then be dried. For example, finely ground peanuts were combined with water to give a mix consisting of ;~
about 33% water. In another embodiment, the mix contained about 50~ water. These materials ~ere heated to between 212 and 250F, cooled to a temperature of about 200F, forced through openings in a die, and dehydrated. Some of the forms obtained maintained their shapes upon soaking in water and even ;' ' when boiled in water for over 15 minutes. Peanuts from which various amounts of oil have been removed may also be used in '~ ' ;
this technique and a non-fat containing material, such as ex-tracted soy, cottonseed, or peanut flour may be mixed with the finely ground peanuts. ` ' Adju'stment'of' Pro'te'i'n to Oil R`atio. For many food product formulations, it is necessary that the composition of dehydrated precooked peanut material be within specified limits 1 with respect to protein, oil, and carbohydrate. ~djustments ~-., -in composition may be made by several methods. One of these .. , :.
methods depends upon the removal of a portion ~ almost all of ~ ~
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~' the oil from the peanuts by mechanical means, such as by hy- ~i draulic presses or by expellers prior to processing the peanuts into flakes. ' ;~1 If no oil is removed from peanuts prior to processing, '~
the flakes have an oil content of about 50 per cent, and the ~; protein content is about 30 per cent. The exact percenta~es depend UpOIl the variety of peanuts used. Wh~n about 50 per ; cent of the oil is removed from peanuts by hydraulic pressure ' priox to processing them into flakes or other dehydrated forms, ''~
~ 30 the dehydrated material produced has an oil content of about '~ 33 per cent and a protein content of about 44.0 per cent, If 80 per cent of the oil is removed from the peanuts by mechanical ' ~' _7_ ~5'~
means, the dehydrated material has an oil content of about 16.6 per cent and a protein content of about 55.0 per cent, Oil may also be removed from the suspension of finely ground peanuts in water by continuous centrifugation or from thinly sliced or comminuted peanuts and peanut press cake by solvent extraction.
For adjusting the composition of the precooked de-hydrated peanut materlal, finely ground peanuts may be combined prior to precooking, with other food materials, high in pro~
tein and low in oil. In this manner, food ingredients may be prepared having an adjusted protein : oil ratio ranging from 30 to 55% by weight of protein : 10 to 50% by weight of oil (or fat~. Materials, such as defatted soy, cottonseed, or peanut flour, protein and non-fat milk solids are suitable for `~
this purpose. Wheat or corn flour, potato or rice flour, starch and cassana may be mixed with the peanut-water slurry ; prior to drying. In this manner, blends have been prepared to -meet desired protein, carbohydrate and oil contents. These examples are not intended to limit the process to the addition . . I i~`.
of these spe~ific materials. It`is desirable to produce peanut -~ flakes, or dehydrated materials, of reduced oil content for applications in breakfast cereals r confections and extenders ~li for meats, poultry, and fish.
Nutrients, such as the amino acids methionine, ~ lysine, and threonine as well as food flavors and colors have `~ been added to the peanut materials prior to drying. `~
~ Peanut-cheese flakes have been produced in a manner `" such that the only detectable flavor is that of cheese. The ;~
shelf-life is unusually good. No rancidity develops and peroxide values remain at near zero levels for over six months -~ when this product is stored in glass bottles at 100 F. Flakes with fifteen per cent cheddar cheese, dry weight basis, have `

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been used with water as an extender to double the yield of cheese flavored egg omelet and scrambled egg~ The protein and oil contents of these items prepared with the peanut-cheese flakes are not diminished, thus nutritional qualities are maintained. The cholesterol content per serving is reduced by about fifty per cent since peanuts contain no cholesterol.
Peanut-cheese flakes containing thirty per cent cheese and seventy per cent full-fat peanut material have been used to prepare vary acceptable spreads for crackers and hors d'oeuvres.
Peanuts are highly valued in many areas of the ; world as a source of oil for food and industrial uses, since - ;
they have a protein content ~f 27 to 30 per cent, and an oil content of about 50%~ The oil is usually obtained by hydraulic `
or screw pressing. In these processes, it is necessary to heat the peanuts to high temperatures to obtain an efficient release of the oil. This results in scorching and browning of the `
material known as "press cake", from which the oil has been ` expressed. Since it is not possible to remove all of the oil by pressure alone, about 6 to 15~ of the oil usually remains ~ `
in the press cake. To obtain an oil-free press cake, it is `;
necessary to extract residual oil by means of solvents. How~
ever, because of the high temperatures generated in the press- -ing operation, the oil-free residue is dark in color and of poor flavor. For these reasons, the press cake from oil mills ;~ is usually not suitable for use in human foods, and is sold as ` an animal feed ingredient.
I As indicated in U.S. Patents 3l689,287 and 3~800,056, low fat, high protein peanut 1akes may be prepared from pre~
cooked full-fat peanut flakes ~y solvent extraction. While this is a feasible method of preparing essentially fat-free ~ -.-~
flakes, the applicant has improved the process for producing fat-ree flakes and peanut oil in a manner that greatly in~

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creases the rate of production and thus increases commercial feasibility. This process not only yields excellent quality peanut oil, but also provides essentially oil-~ree, white, flavorless, peanut flakes with a protein content of 54 to 60%
which may be used to increase the protein content of many foods.
A 100 per cent increase in the rate of production o~
flakes is achieved by drying an uncooked aqueous slurry of finely ground peanuts rather than a cooked slurry. When the slurry is heated, the proteins coagulate and starch gelatinizes, causing a great increase in consistency. Because of this, it is essential to use more water in preparation of a slurry which is to be cooked than in preparation of a slurry which is not to be cooked, since the consistency of the slurry must fall within limits which permit to spread evenly onto the surface of the drum for drying.
In the processes described in U.S. Patents 3,689,287 and 3,800,056, dry peanuts are ground to a very fine state, mixed with water, and cooked prior to drum drying. Drum drying of an uncooked slurry prepared in this manner results in leakage of peanut oil as the material is being dried. The effect of this is that the oil drops from ~he drum surface, resulting in an economic loss, and oily flakes which cannot be handled in a satisfactory manner. It has now been found that no oil leakage occurs when an uncooked slurry of finely ground peanuts is dried if the fine grinding is conducted in the presence of ~ ~ ~
water. This method, described in examples in this application, ; ~ `
involves grinding raw shelled whole peanuts, or peanuts from ~ ;
which a portion of the oil has been removed by pressure, with `
water to form a slurry of smooth consistency. Another advantage of this method is that fine grindingr mixing, and emulsifica- -~

tion are completed in one operation with resultant savings in -~

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time.
Since the purpose of the process of the Dresent in-vention is to produce fat-free peanut flakes and peanut oil, heating the aqueous slurry of finely ground peanuts prior to drying is not necessary since essentially no oil remains in the flakes after solvent extraction, and thus the flake has a long shelf life. Rancidity occurs as a result of oxidation of ~
fats or oils. The oil is also of good quality. ~-The inventive process provides a fla]ced form of the peanut from which the oil is easily removed by solvent extrac-tion, thus yielding white defatted flakes of high quality since the damaging effects of the high temperatures genera~ed in ; hydraulic and screw pressing are avoided. -This new process involves breaking the plant cells, which contain the oil, by grinding the peanuts with water. -~
Obviously, it is not commercialIy feasible to extract oil fxom -~
- a pasty mass of finely ground dry peanuts. On the other hand, ; ' oil is easily extracted from the flakes which are formed by drying the slurry prepared by disintegrating the peanuts in ~
2Q the presence of water. The texture of the flakes formed in ~;
this manner facilitates immediate penetration of the extraction ;; ~;
solvent.
Flakes prepared by the process described in this application are instantly rehydratable and have excellent water absorption and water holding capacity. These properties " , . . .
are important with respect to certain uses for peanut flakes -in food products, as for examplet in èxtending ground beef, ` fish or poultry.

Further advantages of the process described in this .:. .....
application are that various materials may be added to the water slurry of finely ground peanuts. By this means, the added materials are incorporated into the flakes formed by , ~ 1;, ', , --1 1--, , , ,, ,- ' L7'~

drying the slurry. Among such materials are soy flour or pro-tein, cottonseed flour or protein, food coloring such as caramel color, nutritionally essential amino acids and other substances which improve the color, texture, flavor, or nutritive values with respect to intended food uses. Antioxi-dants and synergists may be added to the slurry, if desirable, - to protect the extracted oil from oxidation.
To produce the highest quality flakes, it is pre~er-able that the red skins be removed from the shelled peanuts.
Depending upon the ultimate use of the flakes, it may be also desirable to remove the hearts which have a bitter flavor~
Shelled peanuts which have been blanched to remove red skins are commercially available and may be used in this process~ It is preferable not to use peanuts which have been roasted prior to or after blanching~
A convenient method for forming the aqueous slurry of finely ground peanuts involves an initial coarse grinding of ~;
the peanuts through 1/8 inch holes in the plate of a grinding mill, such as a meat grinder on a ~eitz Disintegrator, in order to reduce the particle size of the peanuts without break-ing enough oil cells to yield an oily sticky mass~ The coarse peanut meal obtained in this manner is then combined with only ~ .
enough water to form a slurry which can be transferred to a second mill where it is ground through a fine screen or passed 1 between the rotating carborundum rotor and stator of a colloid-type mill where the clearances are set to yield a slurry of smooth consistency free of any particulaLe matter. In addition to the grinding action, the oil is emulsified by this treatment, and the emulsion is stabilized by the soluble protein con- ; ~
stituents of the slurry. The slurry may be conveniently dried ; ~-on a double or single drum dryer, assuming that the moisture ~-;
content of the slurry is adjusted to provide a suitable con- ~

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sistency for the type of drum dryer which is used. The peanut flakes formed by this method should be subjected to solvent extraction as soon as possible to avoid oxidation of the oil.
Solvent extraction equipment which can be used for this purpose --is commercially available.
`~ It has been found that, although the dehydrated pea- -nut materials produced by the processes described previously in this application have a very bland flavor, it is possible to reduce the flavor to an essentially zero level if the peanut~
10 water slurry is treated to remove volatile flavor compounds `
prior to processing it into dehydrated forms. This was con-~ .
veniently accomplished in an agitated thin film evaporator operated at atmospheric pressure or under vacuum. The compounds `~
which are responsible for the flavor of raw peanuts are removed with the water vapor which evaporates from the thin film of slurry. The presence of the compounds in the condensate of evaporated water may be readily detected as a strong unpleasant i raw odor and flavor. The slurry, after passage through the -; thin film evaporator, or any other suitable equipment to remove ~; . -.-volatile flavor compounds, is then precoo]ced and dehydrated as described previously in this application. -;~
` The peanut-water slurry after passage through the ` ~`
thin film evapor~tor is excellent as a base for a milk-like ; -beverage. When such a slurry was diluted with water to a pro~
tein content of about 3.0 per cent, and an oil content of 5.0 per cent (one part full-fat peanut material and nine parts waterl, the appearance was essentially that of whole cow's !
milk. It was flavored to closely resemble cow's milk by the `-addition of a small amount of cream flavoring and sugar.
When it is desirable to produce the base material for the milk-like beverage, the peanuts may be finely ground before mixing with water, as described in U.S. Patents .... -~ , , : ~: : : , 3,689,287 and 3,800,056, or the peanuts may be finely ground with water.
Thus, certain objects of the present invention are achieved in a process of converting peanuts into bland-flavored precooked dehydrated forms, having excellent shelf-life with-out refrigeration, in which the oil has been stabilized against oxidation, the starch has been gelantiniæed~ the protein coagulated by heat, the enzymes inactivated, and pathogenic bacteria destroyed, which comprises the initial steps of la coarsely grinding raw peanuts and mixing the coarsely ground peanuts with about one to one and one-half parts of water by weight. Then, the aqueous peanut mixture is disintegrated and homogenized in such a manner that the cellular tissue is disrupted, thereby releasing protein, carbohydrate and oil to form a suspension of finely divided solid particles and an emulsion of oil in water. Thereaf-ter, water is added to the suspension to form a homogeneous mixture of one part peanut material and about 2-4 parts water by weight and this material is heated to a temperature between about 100C (212F) and 2a 160C (325F~ from about 5 seconds up to a~out 30 minutes.
Finally, the heated material is dried to a moisture content of about 1.5 to 5.0 per cent.
Certain objects of the invention are also attained in a proceSs for makirig pre-cooked, dehydrated peanut food ~ 1 ingredients which comprises,as an initial step, coarsely ~` grinding shelled peanuts without releasing oil, and without reducing the moisture content of the peanuts. Then, a . ~:
sufficient amount of water is added to the coarsely ground : . .
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peanuts to form a slurry and prevent congealment to a semi solid when the slurry is disintegrated. Subsequently, the slurry is disintegrated in such a manner that the cellular tissue is torn into shreds thereby releasing oil, water sol-uble pro~ein and carbohydrates to form an emulsion of oil with the water, and a suspension of solids. Thereafter, the emulsion-suspension is heated at a temperature of about 200F for 30 minutes up to about 325F for about 5 seconds . . .
to increase the consistency as the protein coagulates and starch is gelatinizedl and to stabilize the oil against oxidation. Finally, the resultant material is dried, there--by providing a slightly coarse texture in the dehydrated . ~
food ingredient.
Other objects of the invention are also realized ;
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in a process for producing ~lavourless, thermostable, fat-~free peanut flakes having utility as a high protein food extender which comprises the initial steps of coarsely grinding blanched, unroasted peanuts so as to release ~-only a minimum amount of peanut oil, and mixing the coarsely ground peanuts with one to two parts of water by `
weight. Then, th~ solids are disintegrated and the mix~
ture is homogenized to form a suspension of finely divided peanut particles and emulsified oil, which emulsion-sus-pension is then dried on a drum dryer to form flakes. As a final step, oil is extracted from the flakes with a sol-vent and any residual solvent is evaporated from the flakes -to obtain fat-free high protein flakes.
In addition, cextain objects of the invention . . .
are attained in a process for producing essentially ;~
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flavourless, pre-cooked peanut material having utility as a nutritioUs base for milk-like beverages, puddings, dips and other food products comprising the initial steps of coarsely grinding blanched unroasted peanuts so as to release only a minimum amount of peanut oil, mixing the coarsely ground peanuts with at least one part of water by weightf and disintegrating the solids and homogenizing the mixture to form a suspension of finely divided peanuts and emulsified oil. Then water is added to the suspension ~ ;
lQ to form a homogeneous mixture of one part peanut material and about 2-4 parts water by weight and a portion of the ~ -water is evaporated from the suspension until traces of peanut flavor are removed from the emulsion-suspension leaving it essentially flavourless. Finally, the emulsion-suspension is heated under pressure to a temperature between about 24GF and 325F for a sufficient amount of time to kill all micro organisms and stabilize the oil against oxidation.
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The following examples illustrate more fully the various methods by which this invention may be put into ~, practice.

EYA~LE 1 ~
Six hundred grams of raw blanched peanuts from which ~;
almost all of the hearts (epicotyl and hypocotyl~ had been -removed were coarsely ground through 1/8 inch holes in a food chopper or grinder in a manner which did not release oil, The coarsely ground peanuts were mixed with about 800 grams of water to make a slurry of thick but pumpable consistency. The ' ` -;, . - ~ .
slurry was pumped into a colloid mill equipped with carborundum ,~ ' surfaces on the rotor and stator which were set to provide a distance of about 0,006 to 0,010 inch between them, After ';`
passage through the mill, 880 grams of additional water was i~
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mixed into the slurry, and it was returned through the colloid ~' mill to accomplish additional mixing and homogenization, The , ;

- slurry, having a peanut to water ratio of 1 to 2.8, was heated . 1 ,: .
i to about 325F in a scraped surface-type heat exchanger. Other ,, suitable methods of heating such as direct steam injection can .
be used, The temperature remained at 325QF to 300F for up to about 45 seconds before the slurry was cooled to about 200F.
The consistency of the slurry increased from that similar to ~ -whole cow's milk to that of a thick custard during the cooking~

The cooked slurry was dried by top feeding it into the space between the revolving drums of an eight-inch laboratory double drum dryer wi*h chrome plated drum surfaces. The space between the drums was set at 0.016 inch, steam pressure in the drums was about 80 to 9Q psi,. and revolving speed about 1 revolution per 18 to 24 seconds. The cooked slurry may also be dried on ;~

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:lOS'~ 2 a single drum dryer, or it may be spray dried if the peanut to water ratio is adjusted to provide suitable consistencies for these drying methods. Clean, shelled unblanched peanuts or peanuts from which the hearts have not been removed may also be used if the slightly bitter flavor imparted by the hearts or the brown color of the skins is not objectionable in the de-hydrated peanut material prepared by this method. ~or highest quality, it is necessary to use raw blanched peanuts from which the skins and hearts have been removed.

This procedure was the same as Example 1 with the exception that the dispersion of ground peanuts in water was ~ `
heated to a temperature between about 212 and 325~'~ and main- "
tained at a temperature of about 212 to 250~F for from about 5 to 30 minutes. The lower the temperature, the longer the ~ -~
holding time required, and the higher the temperature attained the shorter the holding time required. The time temperature , ;

relationships were such that the oil was stabilized against oxidation as determined by accelerated storage stability tests i ,, at 100F during which the rate of oxidation of the oil was measured by periodic determinations of the peroxide number. ~
Twenty grams of flakes were placed in glass bottles and closed ;
with plastic screw caps. If no rancidity could be detected by taste or odor after six months at lQ0~, shelf life was con- `
sidered satisfactory. As has been stated~previously, the proteins coagulated and the starch gelatinized during this heat ;~
treatment, and, as a result, the consistency increased. Upon dehydration, the oil was absorbed on and entrapped within a matrix consisting of the precooked proteins and carbohydrate :` :
substances, and was thus protected to some extent from the oxygen of the atmosphere. This also contribut~d to the desired -18- I~

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~ length of storage life.
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Five hundred grams of blanched peanuts were steamed at 212 F for from 2 to 15 minutes to inactivate lipoxygenase.
They were then coarsely ground by being passed through 1/8 `~
inch holes in a food chopper. The coarsely ground peanuts were mixed with about 700 grams of water to make a slurry of thick --but pumpable consistency. The slurry was passed into a colloid mill equipped with carborundum surfaces on the rotor and stator which were set to provide a distance of about 0.006 inch be~
tween them. After passage through the mill, 600 grams addi~

,, . . ,: .
,~ tional water was stirred into the colloid-milled slurry which ,~

'~ was passed through the colloid mill again to achieve thorough mixing and homogenization. Since the peanuts contained about ,` `~

' 20 per cent moisture after steaming, the final peanut to water ; :.~- ,ratio was about 1 to 2.8. The material was precooked and dried ~ ~
, - . ~
according to procedures outlined in Examples 1 or 2.

Blanched peanuts of about 2 to 6 per cent moisture ,-~
, :~
~ were subjected to hydraulic pressure to remove some of the ~
. ~ ~
oil. The quantity of oil removed by this means is a function ~' of the pressure force applied over a given time perio~, and it is thus possible to control the per cent of oil which re~
mains in the peanuts. When it is desired to remove about 80 per cent of the oil, a pressure of about 5000 pounds per square `~
: '. : ~:
inch is applied for about 15 minutes. As much as 90 per cent is removed if sufficiently hi~h pressures are applied. When it is desired to remove only 50 per cent of the oil, a pressure of about 500 pounds per square inch is applied for 15 minutes. -,. , :
Two thousand ~rams of raw blanched peanuts from which J-~ s~L7~ ~

about 50 per cent of the oil had been removed by hydraulic pressure were ground through 1/8 inch holes in a ood chopper.
The coarsely ground material was mixed with about 3000 grams of water to form a thick but pumpable slurry which was ground to a homogenous consistency by passing it through a colloid mill equipped with carbonundum grinding surfaces on the rotor and stator. If too much water is added to the coarsely ground peanuts, it is difficult to maintain an even distribution of water and peanuts through the mill. The space between the rotor and stator was set at about 0.006 inch. An additional 6000 grams of water was added to the material after it had passed through the mill to achieve a 1 to 4.5 ratio of peanuts to water. (This is a greater amount of water than is used with full-fat peanuts. The consistency of the full-fat material ~
does not increase as much as the consistency of the partially ;~ -... . .
defatted material upon precooking.~ After addition of the ` final portion of water, the material was again passed through the colloid mill and then precooked, prior to drying as described in Examples 1 and 2.

Six thousand grams of coarsely ground raw blanched ;
peanuts which had been mixed with an equal weight of water ;
were passed through a colloid mill equipped with carborundum rotor and stator set to provide about 0,006 inch clearance, and the entire peanut material was dispersed in 25 liters of water. It was conveyed through scraped surface heat exchangers `~
at the rate of 56 pounds per hour. The temperature of the ~ ~
material at the exit from the final heating was 320F; it -~;
entered the cooling unit 45 seconds later at 285F and emerged at 170F. The material was then spray dried in a laboratory --size spray dryer. Inlet air temperature in the spray dryer 20~

~; ~;`

~05;~'7f~ :
was about 300F and outlet exhaust air temperature was about 170 F.
, :
: .

Six thousand grams of raw blanched peanuts from , which about 50 per cent of the oil had been removed by hy~
draulic pressure were coarsely ground through 1/8 inch holes ,. -, ~, in the plate of a food chopper and mixed with 9 liters of ~;~

water. This material was then passed into a colloid mill ~;
, ' 10 equipped with a carborundum surfaced rotor and stator. Clear- `~
; ance between the two was set at about 0.006 inch. An additional 18 liters of water was combined with the material which was ~`~
then pumped through a scraped surface heat exchanger at the ;-rate of 56 pounds per hour. The peanut material at the exit -~
from the heat exchanger was 285F and it entered the scraped surface cooler 45 seconds later at 250F and emerged at 160F. j~ ~`
- The material was then spray dried in a laboratory size spray dryer. Inlet air temperature of the spray dryer was from 280 to 300F and outlet exhaust air temperature was about 1600F~

EXAMPLE 7 ~-, The procedure was the same as in Examples 1, 2, 3,

- 4, 5 and 6 with the exception that an anti-oxidant (butylated - ~ ;
hydroxyanisole (BHA~, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), propyl ~ ~;
gallate, or tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ~ in amounts of ;~
about 0.01 to 0~02 per cent by weight of the peanuts in the slurry was thoroughly incorpoxated into the mixture prior to cooking. A synergist, such as ethylendiamine tetraacetic ` acid, derivatives of phosphoric acid, or citric acid in amounts of about 0~01 to 0.02 per cent by weight of the peanut material , -was added in some cases. Other synergists which have been ~ approved for foods may be used~
:. ~' '~,,~

,,, :

~n~ 72 The heating procedure used in this example i5 the same as described in Examples S and 6 with the exception that defatted peanut flour prepared by hexane extraction of thinly sliced raw peanuts was combined with 5.5 to 7 parts of water, by weight, prior to precooking. Dehydration was accomplished by drum drying or by spray drying. Peanuts were thinly sliced preferably using Urschel Model CC slicer set for .025" slices.

~ 10 One part finely ground raw blanched peanuts were ;- combined with 1/3 to 1/2 parts of water by weight. One hundredth of one per cent of tertiary butyl hydroquinone (TEHQ) and .01 per cent ethylenediamine tetracetic acid were added and the material was heated to between 220 and 300 ~. After cooling to a temperature below 212 F, it was formed into a thin `
,. ~, stratum or thin strips or other fo~ms by being passed through ', :, openings in a die and was then dehydrated. ;
, ~:
EXAMæLE 10 One part defatted peanut flour prepared by hexane extraction of thinly sliced xaw peanuts was combined with about ~ ;
an equal quantity of water by weight~ This material was heated to between 220 and 325 F, cooled to a temperature below 212F
and forced into a thin stratum or ribbon strips or particulate forms. It was then dehydrated. ;~

EXAMPLE ll - -~
Cheese flavored precooked peanut flakes were prepared `
: - . , in the following manner. One thousand grams of the aqueous peanut material prepared according to the procedure of Example 1 was combined thoroughly with 45 grams of spray dried cheddar `~
cheese powder and 12 grams of salt and drum dried. ~he flakes 7~

produced by drum drying the heated material contained about 15 -~
per cent cheese, on a dry weight basis, When it was desired to produce flakes containing 30 per cent cheese, dry weight basis, 115 grams of spray dried cheddar cheese was combined with 1000 grams of the cooked peanut material~
-: . .

The procedure used in this example is the same as described in Examples 1 or 2 with the exception that after -heating, the peanut-water slurry was cooled to room temperature and dehydrated egg albumen in an amount of 3 to 5~ by weight of the ground peanuts was added and incorporated thoroughly, The material was then drum dried~ In another version of this idea, sucrose in amount of about 10% by weight o the ground peanuts was also added to the peanut-water slurry. The addi~
tion of sucrose may be made before cooking the slurry~ Either albumen or sucrose when added to the peanut-water slurry pro~
vides a ~risp texture in the dehydr~ted flakes, and the addi~
tion of sucrose results in a sweet taste. Other materials, such as certain starches, may also be used to provide an in-crease in crisp texture of the dehydrated flakes~

EXAMPLE 13 ~
Raw shelled peanuts which had been subjected to a i;
pressure of ahout 500 pounds per square inch for about 15 -minutes or until about 50% of the oil was removed from the peanuts, and which contained about 30% oil, were ground to a `~
meal or flour. Water was added to the ground partially de~
fatted peanuts to adjust the moisture level of the peanut~
water mixture to about 30~. The peanut-water mixture was then conveyed into a screw-type extruder. During a residence time for about 1 to 5 minutes in the extruder/ the temperature of ` -23-;~', ~ 1-,.'.,, ~_ :

~ OS~

the peanut material attained a temperature of from about 230 to 300 ~. Some oil separation occurred during extrusion. The extruded material was dried to a moisture level between about 2.0 and 5.0%. In variations of this process, the peanut flour was mixed with wheat or corn flour to reduce the per cent of air in the extruded product and prevent oil separation during extrusion.

Five pounds of blanched unroasted peanuts were ground through 1/8 inch holes in a grinder, such as the type used to grind beef. The coarsely ground peanuts were mixed with five pounds of water and passed through a colloid mill equipped with carborundum-surfaced rotor and stator set for a clearance of about 0.004 to 0.010 inch. (Other types of mills might be used provided that the slurry formed is an emulsion-suspension of ;
oil and finely divided solids.) The smooth slurry was dried on "~
a drum dryer and scraped off with doctor blades, forming a dry stratum which was broken into flakes. The flakes were then ex-tracted with hexane to remove oil. Hexane was evaporated rom `~
the flakes. The fat-free flakes obtained were white, odorless~
and flavorless, with a protein content of between 55~60 per cent. Peanut oil of good quality was obtained by distillation of hexane from the extract.
, ,.. :.

Five pounds of blanched peanuts, from which about ~ -one-half of the oil had been expressed by applying pressure, were ground through 1/8 inch holes in a meat grinder. The coarsely ground peanuts were mixed with seven pounds of water and passed through a colloid mill equipped with carborundum-surfaced rotor and stator set for a clearance such that the .~ . .

1~5i~ Z
material which passed through the mill had a smooth consistency.
The clearance was usually set between 0.004 and 0.010 inch.
The smooth slurry was dried on a drum dryer and scraped off the revolving drum, forming a dry stratum which was broken into flakes. The flakes were then extracted with a fat solvent such as hexane to remove oil. After evaporation of hexane from the flakes, they were completely free of flavor and were white in color. The flakes are instantly rehydratable in water. The dry flakes were, for some purposes, ground into flour or powder form. Hexane was removed from the oil by evaporation, and the -oil was then suitable for refining in the usual fashion.
'.'` ' ~.

Peanuts were processed as described in Examples 1 and 2 with the exception that, after blanching to remove red skins, the hearts (epicotyl and hypocotyl) were separated from the .:. , ~.
cotyledons and discarded prior to grinding the cotyledones.
(The hearts contain substances which have a slightly bitter flavor, and if the finished peanut flakes are to be used in very bland foods, it may be advantageous to remove the majority of the hearts from thQ peanuts.) EXAMæLE 17 Peanuts were processed as described in Examples 1 and 2 with the exception that substances such as oil insoluble food coloring (caramel coloring) or flavors, nutrients such as j~
amino acids, Yegetable and animal proteins, and/or carbohydrates were incorporated into the slurry prior to drying it.

, : j: . ~, ~ 30 EXAMPLE 18 :.
Five pounds of blanched unroasted peanuts were ground through 1/8 inch holes in a grinder. The coarsely ground peanuts ,::
~ -25- I ~

~(~S'~7;~

were mixed with about five pounds of water and passed through a colloid mill equipped with carborundum-surfaced rotor and stator set for a clearance between about 0.004 and 0.010 inch.
This slurry, of smooth consistency, was mixed with about ten pounds of water. It was then passed into an agitated thin-film evaporator. The outer jacket of the evaporator was heated to a temperature between about 212F and 300 F. The flow rate of the slurry through the evaporator was such that the chemical compounds which cause uncooked peanuts to have a "raw peanut flavor" were removed along with the water which evaporated from the thin film of slurry as it passed through the evaporator.
The condensed water vapor which was removed from the peanut slurry had a pronounced unpleasant odor. When the process was conducted to reduce the moisture content of the emulsion-.
J suspension from about 75 per cent water to 66 per cent, or less, all "raw peanut flavor" was removed Erom the emulsion-suspension, or slurry, leaving i~ essentially flavorless. The slurry was then heated under pressure to a temperature between about 212F
and 325F in a scraped surface heat exchanger or by direct contact with injected steam or by a combination of both of these `~
heating methods. Within this temperature range, the desired ` effects which result in stabilizing the oil against oxidation, ; are achieved by heating for longer times at the lower tempera- `~
tures or shorter times at the higher temperatures. The required time at any temperature can be provided by suitable holding e~uipment. Prolonged holding at the higher temperatures must b~
avoided to avoid damaging the quality of the product. Heating as long as 60 minutes at 212F and about 1 second at 325F have been found to be satisfactory; however, in continuous commercial - 30 operation, it would obviously be impractical to hold the product for prolonged periods of time at elevated temperatures.

-26- ~

?
,. :

l~S~7~ ~

The procedure in this example was the same as in Example 5 with the exception that after passage through the heat exchanger, the cooked emulsion-suspension was drum dried or spray dried as has been described previously in this appli-cation ''!
' ,'~, ' EX'AMPLE 20 The procedure in this example is the same as in Example 5 with the exception that the thin-film evaporator - ~' was operated under vacuum by connecting a vacuum pump or steam ~ ~
.
ejector to the condenser. It was thus possible to remove water and "raw peanut flavors" at relatively lower temperatures~

The procedure in the example is the same as in - ' Examples 5 and 6 with the exception that the emulsion-suspension was not dehydrated and was used in preparation of a milk-like beverage. Water was added to the emulsion-suspension, after ::
removal of volatile flavor compounds in the agitated thin-film -~ evaporator, to achieve the desired protein to oil ratio~ When ;~
full-fat peanuts are used as the starting material, a dilution : ~` .
~ of 1 part peanut-solids with 9 parts water provides a beverage '' with about 3.0 per cent protein and 5.0 per cent oil. If pea- ~
; nuts from which one-half the oil has been removed are used as ~ ' the starting material, a dilution of the deflavored emulsion- '~ ~' suspension to achieve a peanut to water ratio of 1 to 9 pro~
vides a beverage with 4.1 per cent protein and 3.0 per cent ~' oil. Cow's milk contains about 3.2 per cent protein and 3.5 ;;
to 4.0 per cent fat. Other suitable methods might be used to ~ ' remove volatile flavors. ~-:`, . ~ . :~ ' ` -27- ~ ~;

E~ .`~
., ~.i 105'~ 2 The procedure in this example i5 the same as in Example 5 with the exception that flash evaporation of a portion of the water, brought about by direct contact of the emulsion-suspension with superheated steam at about 300 ~ was used to remove the chemical compounds which are responsible for "raw peanut flavor". Other methods of evaporation might also be used. For example, a similar process can be conducted at re-duced pressure ~in vacuum).

'' ~`

A. Imitation Coconut Candy. Precooked peanut flakes may be used as a substitute for ground or grated coconut in confections ~
when a method of preparation is followed which maintains the --integrity of the texture of the peanut flake or other dehydrated `~;
form. Thus, highly acceptable coconut flavored candy has been produced by the formula and procedure given in this example.
Since the confection is formulated to achieve the desired con- ~ -..~:, ,, sistency without cooking, and the moisture content is limited, the peanut flakes do not lose their structural identityr and thus the texture of the confection resembles that of certain types of coconut candy. Other proportions of peanut flaXes, powdered sugar and glucose syrup may also be used.
Imitation coconut candy was prepared by using the following ingredients~
720 g partially defatted precooked peanut flakes ;~
181~ g confectioner's sugar 1040 g corn syrup (light Karo~ ~
200 g 70% sorbitol ~;
12 Tbl. coconut flavor ~` 2 Tsp. vanilla flavor ` -28- ;
; ~ 3 * Trade Mark ~

~(~S;~ Z

The peanut flakes and powdered sugar were combined. The corn ~ , syrup, coconut flavor, vanilla flavor and sorbitol were com- -bined with the peanut flakes and sugar. The mixture was formed into pieces of suitable size which were coated, if desired, with one of several available coatings for confections. In many tests, taste panelists reported the product was coconut - candy and acceptance ratings for this product were exceptionally ~' high. Full-fatr partially defatted, or defatted peanut flakes may be used in preparing the imitation coconut candy. The ~
composition of full-fat peanut flakes most closely resembles '' that of coconut, a~ shown in Table I.
B. Imitation Almond Paste. One of the maior ingredients of .- .
Marzipan is almond paste which is very expensive. Precooked peanut flakes or precooked spray dried peanut flour may be '~
used to prepare imitation a'lmond paste with considerable economy. Imitation almond paste was prepared by milling pre~
cooked full-fat peanut flakes or precooked spray dried full- '~
fat peanut flour to achieve fine particle sizes. A colloid ''''~
mill equipped with carborundum rotor and stator set for a '-~
clearance of from about 0.006 to 0.012 inch was used, but "~ ' other suitable grinding devices may also be employed. During --~
reduction o~ the solids to fine particle sizes, oil is released and a paste is formed. Almond flavor was added to this paste to achieve a flavor resembling that of almond paste~ Veget~ble oil was incorporated, as required t~ give the material the ~ '`
consistency of almond paste~ (Almonds, Table IX, have a higher `~
oil content than peanuts.~ In a typical instance, 40Q grams ;' of precooked peanut paste, having a composition of about 29%
protein, 49~ oilr 17% carbohydrate, 2.~% fiber, 2.0% ash, and 3.0% moisture, was combined with 40 grams of peanut oil. Other oils, such as corn, cottonseed, or soybean may be used~ ThiS

paste was flavored to resemble almond paste by adding synthetic -29~

~o~
almond flavor. The imitation almond paste may be used in preparation of Marzipan and in any recipe or food formulation which re~uires almond paste, for example, in certain baked productsO
C. Imitation Marzipan. Imitation Marzipan was prepared by using the following ingredients:
400 grams peanut paste '~
12 Tsp. almond flavoring 40 grams vegetable oil 225 grams corn syrup (light Karo~
500 grams confectioner's sugar `'~
' 40 grams 70% sorbitol ;'~
Precooked peanut paste was prepared by passing pre~
coo]sed full-fat peanut flakes through a colloid mill equipped '~
with carborundum surfaced rotor and stator set for a clearance of about 0.010 inch. Four hundred grams of this paste was mixed with 40 grams of veyetable oil, 225 grams of corn syrup ~
(glucose syrup), 500 grams of confectioner's sugar and 40 grams ~ '' of 70% sorbitol. Concentrated almond flavor was added to ~; 20 obtain a distinct flavor of almonds. The mixture was molded ~' into fruit shapes using Marzipan molds. Molding and release ' ~
properties were excellent. When appropriately shaped and ~ `
colored, taste panelists could not distinguish this'Marzipan `
'~ from that made with almond paste. ;' ` ' - ?~
EXAMPLE 24 '~
NON-STICK~ TEXTURIZED` PEANUT BUTTER ';
. . .~. - ~
- A. Pea'nut'f'l`ake`s'i`n peanut butter_spreads, Peanut .-butter is a popular cracker and sandwich spread. Its major 30 defect is a tendency to stick to the roof of the mouth. In '~
attempting to produce peanut along with the flavor of peanut ;';~

~utter, the flakes were mixed with peanut butter in several 30~

*Trade Mark ~ - ;'

5~L7f~
proportions. Since peanut butter has a very low moisture con-tent, about 2 to 3 per cent, the physical integrity of the ' flakes was maintained. The peanut flakes became coated with peanut butt~r, and the flavor of the peanut butter was not diluted or decreased; however, the presence of the flakes dis-persed throughout the mass of peanut butter, decreased the ability of the finely divided peanut ~utter particles to remain in gummy masses, and thus reduced the tendency to stick to the mouth.
About 400 grams of commercially prepared peanut butter was warmed over hot water to soften it. More specifically, it was heated in the top of a double boiler pan to a temperature of about 140 F. About 100 grams of precooked peanut flakes were added and incorporated by stirring. The warm mixture was poured into jars and allowed to cool~ After cooling the ' "texturized peanut butter" was spreadable and stickiness in the mouth was greatly reduced when compared to a control sample `' ' without added peanut flakes. In commercial practice, the peanut flakes would be combined with the peanut butter while it is hot from the grinding process to which the roasted peanuts are subjected. ~ ~' In another experiment, about 50 grams of peanut ~' flakes were stirred into 400 grams of hot (I25 F to 170 F) ` peanut butter. The mixture was poured into jars and allowed to cool without being disturbed. The product was less sticky -' than the control sample.
' B. P'e`anut Flak'es in Peanut Butter 'Conf'ections. About 600 grams of commercially produced peanut butter at a tempera~
. .~
`~ ture of about 150F was combined with about 200 grams of pre- ' cooked full-fat peanut flakes. The mixture was spread into a layer about one-half inch thick. ~fter it became cool, it was ~' cut into squares and dipped into melted chocolate to form a '' ' ~)5;~ Z

coating of chocolate. In a variation of this, finely powdered sugar and/or corn syrup ~Karo) was added to the peanut butter - peanut flake mixture to provide a sweet flavor. In a typical formulation, powdered sugar in an amount of about ten (10) per cent of the weight of the peanut butter - peanut flake mixture was added. The texture of these confections is controlled by the relative proportions of peanut flakes and -peanut butter.

~:

DRY MIXES FOR SANDWICH AND CRACKER SPREADS AND DIPS
The availability of precooked peanut flakes makes ;~possible the creation of dry s~orage stable sandwich and cracker spread mixes having flavors such as bacon and onion, ham, cheese, chicken and others. These products have no residual peanut flavor. In preparing these products, it is ; necessary to rehydrate the flakes with about an equal weight :: .
i~ of water to achieve a spreadable consistency. Thus, a spread prepared from precooked full-fat peanut flakes contains about 15% protein, 25% oil, and 8~ carbohydrate. A spread prepared :, : ---from partially defatted precooked peanut flakes (40~ protein, 33% oil) contains about 20% protein and 16.5~ oil. The protein and fat contents of potted meat type products average about -15.5 and 18.0 per cent, respectively.
A. Dry Mix For Bacon and Onion-Flavored Spread.
Bacon-onion flavored spread dry mix was prepared by combining `~
the following flavoring substances with precooked full-fat peanut flakes:
93 grams precooked full-fat peanut flakes 4 grams dehydrated bacon bits 3.5 grams salt ;~;
4 grams dehydrated onion flakes -32~

35;~'7~

3.5 grams synthetic bacon flavor powder 1~O grams,mon~sodiu~, glutamate 0.2 grams garlic powder caramel coloring (powder~
The dry mix which was formed was storage stable without refrigeration. The mix is then combined with about an equal amount water by weight, and 30-60 grams of mayonnaise to form a spreadable consistency. The proportions listed above for the flavor substances can be varied slightly to suit individual tastes. Partially defatted precooked peanut flakes may also be used but full-fat flakes are pre~
ferred. ~
B. Dry' Mix For''Ch'eese'~Flavored Cracker or Sandwich ~ ~, Spreads. A dry mix which was storage stable without refrigera- ~; ' tion and from which a cheese or cheese-onion or cheese-garlic flavored spread was conveniently prepared was formulated with ~-93 grams (3-1/2 o~.~ precooked full-fat peanut flakes and minor proportions of substances to create the desired flavor sensa- ;
tion when the mix was combined with about an equal weight of ~:
water and about 30 to 6'0 grams of mayonnaise to form a ; spreadably consistency. The following proportions of peanut ', flakes and flavor materials in the dry mix was satisfactory, , but the proportions of flavor substances may be varied slightly to suit individual tastes. Partially defatted precooked peanut '`~
flakes may be also used ,' 93 grams precooked full-fat peanut flakes 7 grams synthetic cheddar cheese flavor 1~5 grams salt '~
2.0 grams dehydrated onion flakes ,,;~', 0.2 grams garlic powder '; ;;
cheese coloring (powder~

~", ~,, : : ~

~ S`f'~

- POTATO DIPS
~, C. Dry Mixed For Dips. Almost all dips for potato chips and other similar snack items are prepared using cream cheese, cottaga cheese (or other cheeses) or sour cream. These -~
products must ~e kept refrigerated. The dry mixes described in Examples 27A and 27B were rehydrated with about twice their -weight of ~ater and passed through a colloid mill equipped with rotor and stator surfaces for grinding as well as homo~enization. Clearances between rotor and stator were 0.006 to 0.010 inch. The consistency of the milled material ~ ~-was like that of dips prepared with cream cheese or sour ;~
cream.

EXAMPLE 26 -~

IMITATION MEAT-TYPE PRODUCTS AND EXTENDED
MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS , ;i~
~ -:
~ Products having texture characteristics resembling ~
:. ''. ':
- ~ those of certain luncheon meats may be made using a precooked peanut material as the major component in addition to water. ^
The flakes must be rehydrated with approximately an equal weight of water, mixed with an edible binding agent such as dehydrated egg albumen, starch, or other suitable substances. -The desired flavor, for example, ham, beef, or chicken, salt, -and flavor enhancers, one of which is mono-sodium glutamate, ~ are added. The mixture is packed firmly into a mold or con~
:~ tainer, sealed and heated until it has congealed. If pre~
cooked, full-fat peanut flakes are the chief source of protein and oil, and dèhydrated egg albumen is the binding agent, the finished imitation meat product has a protein content of about ;~
`~- 30 18 per cent and an oil content of about 22 per cent. If pre~
; cooked, partially defatted peanut flakes (40% protein, 33%
oil~ are used~ the finished imitation meat item contains about ' ` : ' ~ ' :~ :' ~34~

23 per cent protein and 15 per cent oil. All meat bologna contains only about 13.3 per cent protein and 22.8 per cent fat.
Rehydrated precooked peanut flakes may be combined with diced or ground meats, poultry, or fish in various pro-portions in the preparation of extended meat items. Patent-ability and acceptability, in taste tests, of these products has been excellent. Important cost savings would be expected because of the relative high price of meat.
A. Imitation Luncheon Meats. A ham-1a~ored luncheon-type imitation meat product was made by the process of combining the following materials in proportions indicated.

454 grams (1 pound) precooked full-fat peanut flakes 454 milliters (1 pound~ water 45 grams dehydrated egg albumen 14 grams salt (NaCl~ --~.~'':
9 grams monosodi~ glutamate 18 grams synthetic ham flavoxs and spices ; Food coloring sufficient to provide a : ham-like color in the mix ~ ~

The food coloring was added to the water which was then com- ~ ;

bined with the peanut flake~ and other components of the mix.

The albumen binds the materials together under the influence -~1 of heat, The proportions of ~lakes, albumen, and water were ,; ~ :
selected to give a realistic luncheon meat texture in the finished product. Albumen was very effective as the binding agent and adds protein to the product, but other binders such as starch might be used. Diced or ground ham may be in-corporated into the mix. The mixture was packed firmly into a size 303-406 can which was then sealed and heated for about ~ ~-30 minutes at 240F~ After the can had cooled to about 7aF~

~35~ .
'',~,'~ 1`'`:''`
'~1 ` .. ' ~ 5~

the top and bottom was cut off and the imitation meat product was removed. Other types of molds or containers have also been used, including flexible casings~ -B. Boneless Chicken Roll~ A boneless chicken ~`
flavored roll, containing about one--third cooked chicken and two-thirds rehydrated peanut flakes was made by the process of combining the following materials in the proportions indicated.
;~ 454 grams precooked full-fat peanut flakes 454 milliters chicken broth (essentially fat-free) 10454 grams diced or ground cooked chicken ,, .:. . :
- 45 grams dehydrated egg albumen 27 grams salt (NaCl) . ::
9 grams monosodium glutamate `
14 grams synthetic chicken flavor The diced chicken, peanut flakes and other dry components were combined with the chicken broth. The mixture was packed firmly into sizè 303-406 cans and heated for about 30 minutes .. , ~ .
at 240 F to cause the albumen to bind the ingredients together to form a texture similar to that of roasted sliced chicken or . :;.
20turkey~ The cans were allowed to cool to room tem~erature, or ~ ~
:-- .. ..
~elow, the top and bottom were cut off~ and the chicken roll was removed. It was sliced on a meat slicer with revolving ~disc blade into slices about 1/16 to 1/8 inch thick, .. ~ ,.' ' .~ . ;,. ,:
! ~-.: ;
:'~, ', " .', ':

-36- `
, ~ ~

: ~

t ~os~
~ny improvements are included in the process as described herein which provide feasibility for commexcial pro~
duction. Raw shelled peanuts are ground to a ~ine condition in the presence of water. Thus~ fine grinding and mixing are rapidly accomplished in one operation by pumping an aqueous slurry of very coarsely ground peanuts through a colloid mill equipped for grinding action. The suspension of finely ground peanut particles and emulsified oil is then pumped through heat exchangers in a continuous manner and is finally dried. The process for producing precooked peanut flakes described in U.S.
Patents 3,6~9,287 and 3,800,056, Process for Making Peanu`t Flakes involved drying raw peanuts to about 1-6 percent moisture con~
tent, grinding in this dry state to yield an oily paste of finely ground raw peanuts, and mixing the pas-e with water. This is a ~' time-consuming grinding and mixing operation, and it is sometimes ~^~
; :
difficult to achieve the stable emulsion which is essential for a successful process. The aqueous grinding procedure used in the ^~
I present process also provides, in the subsequently dehydratedmaterials, an increased water holding capacity and freedom from ' 20 oiliness even when the oil content is 50 percent.
-~ Another improvement results from the discovery that antioxidants are more'effective in extending the shelf life of precooked dehydrated peanut material than uncoo]~ed dehydrated peanut material.
An additional improvement or extension of the process relates to drying the precooked peanut material hy means of spray drying and other ~easible drying methods, ;
The process has ~een extended to include the use of `
' partially defatted and defatted peanuts in the manufacture of ~' -peanut flakes or other deh~drated forms of the peanut material. ' '' ''~ The'feasi~ility of continuous cooking of the slurry of finely ground peanuts in ~ater has permi-tted an extension of -37-'' . . . .

~(~5'~1L'7Z
of the temperature range for cooking from the previously stated upper limit of 121C (250F~ to 163C (325F~, Thus, the time required for cooking and stabilization of oil is re-duced~ This is an important consideration in commercial pro~ ;
cessing.

' ~:

` '`' -~
.. ~ . .

, ','.~ ';' -"

~ ' ,,. ~ ~., /.'~1" "`;'~, ' , 1'`. ~ '`.~ ~
1`' : ~' ~' ~ ., '"'''',~'~ ~'"

:~' ' ' .~.' ,., `

',~ ''~'''. ' ' 'i . ` , .. .' ' , ' : -38- : ~ ~

1~5'~7;~ `
Table I. Oxidation of full-fat peanut flakes during storage -at lOOOF as influenced by steaming whole shelled peanuts from which they were derived :- , . . . .
,:~
Steaming Steaming Peroxide value of peanut flakes Temperature Time Meq peroxide oxygen/fg oil :::
0Minutes Initial 8 wk 16 wk 24 wk 32 wk ~ :

212 2 1.8 . 36.934.9 79.0256.6 : " 5 4~8 12.826.0 97.2187.2 " 10 4.7 -10.523.6 89.8165.4 `. `
,i . ; ~
" 15 4.3 6.9 8.3 18.857.0 " 20 3.3 4.3 ~.2 10.318.7 " 30 3.5 2,5 2.7 10.613.6 :~ -- - . - :
*Peroxide values are in milliequivalents of peroxide oxygen/
1,000 grams of extracted oil.
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Table II. Peroxide values of steamed and dried whole shelled peanuts after storage for ::
4 weeks at 100F
. . `.
. ... __ ____ , : ~:
Steaming Conditions Peroxide Values ,:
. _. ..... _ .','.
TimeTemperature Weeks : ;~
Min. . . . . 4 ._ ;~
o -- _ ... __ O
21.2 1~6 16.4 ``~.
ll 1.7 27.1 ;~ ":
~, 4.8 63.6 .
, 5.9 55.9 `
.~ 10 230 0 78.
ll 0 66.6 .` `~
'' I 0 60.0 .., . '.`~` `, .' '""~

~ _ 40 _ '` ~\ ", 1`';:
: : ~

~L~5;~3L 7 l~d :Table III. Effect of heat treatment on peroxidase and lipoxygenase activities in water :
extracts of peanut cotyledons ~
. , , ~eat Time Enzyme acti~ity ~ :
treatment (min)(absorption units/g (F) defatted flour) .
a b :`
Peroxidase Lipoxygenase None - 16.8 25.2 .
.;
225 (dry~ 60 8.1 1.8 .`;~ -212 (steam) 2 5.9 0 ~
. 212 (steam) 6 1.3 0 : ~:
: 212 (steam) 8 0.5 0 `~
.:, ~. :.
-~ ~ 212 (steam) 20 0.3 0 ~
. ~ ., . ~. .: .:` 212 (steam) 30 0.2 0 , ~ :' ` . ':
~! - ` - ` ` ` ` ` ` ,: ' .~',' ~ ' .
a ~ .
Absorbance units/g = ~ absorbance at 430 : ml H 0 for extrac~On X ml extract used .~ 2 in assay ~ : `

b Absorbance units/g = absorbance at 480 nm ' g-defatted flour X ml extract used ml H20 for extraction in assay . ~ , . ~ ..
,: .

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41 .:~, .. ~,, , 1~5'~72 :,, ,, Table IV. Hydroperoxide reduction activity in peanuts steamed at 212F
'~ ~
. .

Steaming time of :; Sampleraw peanuts Peroxide valuea ~ :
~minutes~
... , .~ .
A (ground roasted peanuts) 0 78.2 B (raw peanuts) 2 0 lOg A + 2g flourb 2 5.4 ~ ;
lOg A + 2g flour 6 23~4 ; :
. lOg A + 2g flour 8 26.5 .:~
: lOg A + 2g flour 20 60.0 ~:
; lOg A + 2g flour 30 78.0 ,~

.; . .:
: a :~
:: Milliequivalents of peroxide oxygen/1000 grams of extracted . oil determined 24 hours a~ter blending peanut samples .`' ;:
::~ b Prepared by hexane extraction of steamed peanuts .`., :' .
. ,,, ,~.

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Table V. Effect of precooking finely ground peanut-water mixture on rate of oxidation of oil in peanut flakes during storage in air at 100F~
: - , . . ~ .. , . , . . -.~ _ _ , ?recooking.. Conditions Peroxide Valuesa . .,, - , emperature Time Weeks of Storage at 100F .~ . -F Min. , _ . ... ~.
.. 0 8 16 ~24 32 40 48 i:
_ . . .. ..
212F 20 7.8 7.6 7.0 13.6 16.134.2 75.6 ` ~.
.. 40 4.7 6.. 1 5. 8.613.5 28.0 63.6 ;~
,. 60 3.3 4.7 4. 8.8 14.S 13.5 36.6 240 20 6.5 10~0 10.8 21.1 45.2 64.1 101.0 8.6 8.6 8. 13.5 35.8 33.4 63.5 ~ ~;
; ll 60 3.1 5.1 4. 6.7 ____ 15.6 29.0 .- .~
. ... . 0 9.6 12.3 16.' ~5.3 S9.1 393.2 673.5 _ "` `

a . Milliequivalents of peroxide oxygen per 1000 grams o oil. ~.

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::
Table VII. Comparison of sevexal treatments on the rate of :
: oxidation of oil in peanut flakes during storage in air at 100F :~

.
- ,: , :- Antioxidant Precook Peroxide Valuea andTreatmen - :
:~. Synergist . _ F Min. Weeks of Storage at 100F :~
: . . ~ . ~ 0 12 16 20 24 28~
: None 240 20 5.3 17,8 25.2 40.2 44.2 61.6 BHA + citric acid 1. .. 5.3 15~7 20~0 25.4 19.2 26.6 `~
,~l Citric acid .- .. 5.5 13.3 22.8 23.3 25.4 26.8 -~
Propyl gallate + citric acid .. .. 5.1 10.7 14.9 15.1 16.4 22,7 '~ BHA + EDTA .. 1. 5.0 9.9 15~9 16,8 20.7 23~2 ;l~ BHT + citric . .
acid .. .. 6~7 __ 7.9 13.9 14.1 29.5 ;;~
EDTA .. .. 5~5 __ 9.6 13.2 16.0 15.3 .. ~
-:~ TBHQ + citric ~ .
'` acid ~ S.l 7.2 13.8 8.8 9.6 17.7 ;~ a .` Milliequivalents of peroxide oxygen per 1000 grams of ,.
~ extracted oil. i:~

:'`''1 '.'.~ .' ~

~:
- 45 - i~

:
~ ~5ZiL~Z ;

Table VI. Effect of antioxidants on the rate of oxidation of oil in peanut flakes dur-ng storage in air at 100F

. _ . ' ~
: ~ntioxidant Precooking Peroxide Valuea Conditions . . :
Time Temper- _ .
Min. ature . . . . .

. . I~ _ 16 24 3~ 40 -48 - - ~ :
None ~ __9.6 l2.3 16.3 45.3 59.1 393.2 673.5 .~ BHA + citric acidb o -- 11.0 14.0 26.4 36.8 99.0 115.4 426.4 ,. - .
:~ BHA + citric :~ acidC o -- 11.9 15.4 19,2 32.9 108.8 298.3 39~.8 ~, None 20 2406.5 10.0 10.8 21.1 45.2 64.1 101.0 .
BHA + citric ..
.~ acid~ 20 240 4.0 3.3 7.1 9.1 6.3 ____ 6.1 BHA + citric ; ^ -.
acidC 20 240 4.7 6.6 8.7 7.4 7.0 __ _ 13.3 : ` :
i .:1 . .
a ~ Milliequivalents of peroxide oxygen per 1000 grams of ;; extracted oil l: :
b '~ 0.01% BHA + 0.01% citric acid based on weight of ground peanuts. :~
, c 0.01% BHA + 0.01% citric acid based on weight of peanut oil.

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Table VIII. Oxidation of oil in partially defatted precooked :~
. peanut flakes Oil in Storage Peroxide Valuea `~ ~ -flakes temperature`
% F -0 wks 8 wks16 wks 20 wks- 24 wks : 25.5 6.1 10.2 8.9 `~`~,. ,.; .
': 30.3 100 7.0 7.4 `7.8 8.5 8.g `~
.: 30.3 118 7.0 9.7 8.9 9.9 ` ~. :~ . ., . - '. ~: .
_ - . . ..
: a `-~
Millieguivalents of peroxide oxygen per 1000 grams of ::
extracted oil. i-: - ,. -, : 1.~:

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: :. , .: ~ :

: ~ - 46 - l~; , :

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Table IX Composition of peanuts, almonds and coconut Peanuts Almonds Coconut ;- - :: .
;
~ % Protein 26.3 18.6 7.2 : % Fat 48.4 54.2 64.9 .`
~ Carbohydrate 17.6 19.5 23.0 ~ - .
% Ash 1.9 3.0 1.4 -. % Water 5.4 4 7 3 5 ~ ;

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Claims (42)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A process of converting peanuts into bland-flavored precooked dehydrated forms, having excellent shelf-life without refrigeration, in which the oil has been stabilized against oxidation, the starch has been gelantinized, the pro-teins coagulated by heat, the enzymes inactivated, and pathogenic bacteria destroyed, comprising the steps of:
coarsely grinding raw peanuts;
mixing the coarsely ground peanuts with about one to one and one-half parts of water by weight;
disintegrating and homogenizing the aqueous peanut mixture in such a manner that the cellular tissue is disrupted, thereby releasing protein, carbohydrate and oil to form a suspension of finely divided solid particles and an emulsion of oil in water;
adding water to the suspension to form a homogeneous mixture of one part peanut material and about 2-4 parts water by weight and heating this material to a tempera-ture between about 100°C (212°F) and 160°C (325°F) from about 5 seconds up to about 30 minutes, and drying the heated material to a moisture content of about 1.5 to 5.0 per cent.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to the said step of mixing coarsely ground peanuts with water, said method comprises removing the skins from the peanuts.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to the said step of mixing coarsely ground peanuts with water, said method comprises removing the skins and hearts from the peanuts.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the protein to oil ratio of precooked dehydrated food ingredients made from peanuts is adjusted and the shelf life of said de-hydrated food ingredients is increased, comprising the step of removing a part of the oil content of peanuts.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to said step of drying the method comprises adding a flavoring and/or coloring agent to the suspension.

6. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to said step of drying, the method comprises adding proteins, carbohydrates, cereal flours, legume flours, non-fat milk solids, amino acids, or other nutrients or other food sub-stances of low fat content to the peanut material.

7, The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said step of grinding and homogenizing is accomplished in a colloid mill having rotor and stator surfaces capable of disintegrating solids,

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to said step of drying, the method comprises adding an anti-oxidant selected from the group such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), tertiary butylhydro-quinone, or propyl gallate in an amount of about 0.01 to 0.02 per cent by weight of the oil in the peanuts.

9. The process as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to said step of drying, the method comprises adding a metal com-plexing agent selected from the group consisting of ethyl-enediaminetetra acetic acid, citric acid, or derivatives of phosphoric acid in amounts of about 0.01 to 0.02 per cent by weight of the oil in the peanuts.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein prior to said step of drying, the method comprises adding an antioxidant and a metal complexing agent.

11. The process according to claim 1, in which the pea-nuts are steamed to inactivate lipoxygenase prior to grinding.

12. The process of claim 1, whereby said step of dehydra-tion comprises drum drying.

13. The process of claim 1, whereby said step of dehydra-tion comprises spray drying.

14. Peanut ingredient made in accordance with the process of claim 1 used as an extender to natural food products, con-sisting of pre-cooked dehydrated peanut flakes, granules, flour, or other physical forms, and at least one additive in an amount ranging from 0.01 to 0.02 weight percent of the peanut ingredient for extending the self-life of said peanut ingredient.

15. A process for making pre-cooked dehydrated peanut food ingredients which comprises coarsely grinding shelled peanuts without releasing oil, and without reducing the moisture content of the peanuts, adding a sufficient amount of water to the coarsely ground peanuts to form a slurry and prevent congealment to a semi solid when the slurry is disintegrated, disintegrating the slurry in such a manner that the cellular tissue is torn into shreds thereby releasing oil, water soluble protein and carbo-hydrates to form an emulsion of oil with the water, and a sus-pension of solids, heating the emulsion-suspension at a temper-ature of about 200°F for 30 minutes up to about 325°F for about 5 seconds to increase the consistency as the protein coagulates and starch is gelatinized, and to stabilize the oil against oxi-dation, and drying the resultant material thereby providing a slightly coarse texture in the dehydrated food ingredient.

16. The process of claim 15 wherein the shelf life of the pre-cooked dehydrated peanut food ingredient is increased by the addition of an antioxidant, a metal complexing agent, or syner-gist and a mixture thereof.

17. the process according to claim 15 which comprises cooling the pre-cooked suspension-emulsion and adding a heat coagulable material which, upon dehydration coagulates and pro-vides additional textural strength,

18. The process according to claim 15 wherein before the step of heating, the protein to oil ratio of storage stable de-hydrated food ingredients is adjusted comprising the step of adding to ground peanuts other food materials high in protein and/
ox carbohydrate and low in oil.

19. The process according to claim 15 wherein before the step of grinding, the protein to oil ratio of pre-cooked dehydra-ted food ingredients made from peanuts is adjusted and the shelf life of said dehydrated food ingredients is increased, comprising the step of removing part of the oil content of peanuts by mechanical means,

20. The process according to claim 15 wherein before the step of grinding, essentially all of the oil of the peanuts is removed by solvent extraction.

21. Bland flavoured dehydrated food ingredients, derived from peanuts, in which the oil has been stabilized against oxida-tion by heating an aqueous slurry of finely ground peanuts in water prior to dehydration, consisting of pre-cooked flakes, granules, flour, or other physical forms whenever produced by the process of claim 15.

22. A process for producing flavourless thermostable fat-free peanut flakes having utility as a high protein food extender comprising the steps of:
coarsely grinding blanched unroasted penuts so as to release only a minimum amount of peanut oil;
mixing the coarsely ground peanuts with one to two parts of water by weight, disintegrating the solids and homogenizing the mixture to form a suspension of finely divided peanut particles and emulsified oil;
drying the emulsion-suspension on a drum dryer to form flakes; and extracting oil from the flakes with a solvent and evapor-ating residual solvent from the flakes to obtain fat-free high protein flakes.

23. The method as recited in claim 22 additionally comprising the step of evaporating solvent from the extracted oil to obtain oil of good quality.

24. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein prior to the said step of mixing coarsely ground peanuts with water said method comprises removing a portion of the oil from the pea-nuts by means of pressure in a manner which does not cause browning discoloration.

25. The method as recited in claim 22 additionally com-prising the step of pulverizing said flakes into a powder to form a flour of high protein.

26. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein prior to said step of grinding said method comprises removing the skins and hearts from the peanuts.

27. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein prior to said step of drying the method comprises adding a flavoring and/or coloring agent to the suspension.

28. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein prior to said step of drying the method comprises adding proteins, carbohydrates, cereal flours, amino acids, or other nutrients to the suspension.

29. The method as recited in claim 22 wherein said step of grinding and homogenizing is accomplished in a colloid mill having rotor and stator surfaces capable of disintegrating solids.

30. A process for producing essentially flavorless pre-cooked peanut material having utility as a nutritious base for milk-like beverages, puddings, dips and other food products comprising the steps of:
coarsely grinding blanched unroasted peanuts so as to release only a minimum amount of peanut oil;
mixing the coarsely ground peanuts with at least one part of water by weight;
disintegrating the solids and homogenizing the mix-ture to form a suspension of finely divided peanuts and emul-sified oil;
adding water to the suspension to form a homogeneous mixture one part peanut material and about 2-4 parts water by weight;
evaporating a portion of the water from the suspen-sion until traces of peanut flavor are removed from the emul-sion-suspension leaving it essentially flavorless; and heating the emulsion-suspension under pressure to a temperature between about 240°F and 325°F for a sufficient amount of time to kill all micro organisms and stabilize the oil against oxidation.

31. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein said step of evaporation reduces the water content by about 10% or more to remove the peanut flavor.

32. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein said step of evaporating was conducted in an agitated thin-film evapora-tor with a heating jacket temperature in the range of 212°F to 300°F.

33. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein said step of evaporating was conducted by directly contacting the emul-sion-suspension with superheated steam.

34. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein prior to said step of mixing coarsely ground peanuts with water, said method comprises removing a portion of the oil from the pea-nuts in a manner which does not cause browning discoloration.

35, The method as recited in claim 30 wherein prior to said step of coarsely grinding, said method comprises removing the hearts from the peanuts.

36. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein said step of grinding and homogenizing is accomplished in a colloid mill having orator and stator capable of disintegrating solids.

37. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein the step of heating the emulsion-suspension was conducted in the tem-perature range of 160°F to 190°F a sufficient amount of time to achieve pasteurization and inactivation of peroxidase.

38. The method as recited in claim 30 additionally com-prising the step of drum drying the emulsion-suspension which has been heated to a temperature between 212°F and 325°F a sufficient amount of time to stabilize the oil against oxidation.

39. The method as recited in claim 30 additionally compri-sing the step of spray drying the emulsion-suspension which has been heated to a temperature between 212°F and 325°F a sufficient amount of time to stabilize the oil against oxidation.

40. The method as recited in claim 30 wherein prior to said step of heating the emulsion-suspension under pressure between 212°F and 325°F a sufficient amount of time to stabilize the oil against oxidation an antioxidant such as butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), or tertiary butylhydro-quinone (TBHQ) is added in amount of about 0.01-0.02 percent by weight of the oil in the emulsion-suspension.

41. Food products containing a substantial amount of pre-cooked, dehydrated peanut derived flakes, granules, flour, made in accordance with the process of claim 8 having various levels of protein and oil contents ranging from about 27 to 60% by weight of protein and from about 0 to 50% by weight of oil, whenever produced by the process of claim 1.

42. Food products containing a substantial amount of pre-cooked, dehydrated peanut derived flakes, granules, flour, made in accordance with the process of claim 8 having various levels of protein and oil contents ranging from about 27 to 60% by weight of protein and from about 0 to 50% by weight of oil, when-ever produced by the process of claim 15.