title: Blanchability and sensory quality of large runner peanuts blanched in a radiant wall oven using infrared radiation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The main factors behind the growing popularity of infrared radiation heating in food processing include its energy efficiency, food quality retention and process speed, as well as the simplicity of equipment. Infrared radiation was employed as an alternative heat treatment to the conventional hot air method used in peanut blanching. The present study aimed to investigate the application of infrared heating for blanching peanuts and determine their blanchability and sensory quality under various processing conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The total blanchabilities (expressed as a percentage of total blanched) of the infrared radiation trials (radiant wall oven) at 343 °C for 1.5 min, 316 °C for 1.5 min, 288 °C for 1.5 min and 343 °C for 1 min did not differ significantly compared to the hot air control trials (impingement oven) at 100 °C for 30 and 20 min. All infrared trials had significantly lower (P < 0.05) numbers of split kernels compared to those of the conventional trials and all blanched peanuts in the experiment remained raw. A descriptive sensory shelf-life study with one control and three infrared samples demonstrated the possible initiation of oxidation for the conventionally blanched sample at 18 weeks of storage at 24 °C (room temperature), with no indication of oxidation in the infrared samples stored at the same temperature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Infrared radiation peanut blanching is a viable alternative to conventional hot air blanching because of the shorter process time and longer shelf-life, as evident from the sensory storage study. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
authors.affiliation: Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Katrina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kettler
authors.affiliation: Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia, Griffin, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Koushik
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Adhikari
authors.affiliation: Food Science & Technology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Rakesh K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D010367:Arachis / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D003296:Cooking; D005511:Food Handling; D005514:Food Irradiation / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D007259:Infrared Rays; D013649:Taste
keywords: blanching; infrared radiation; peanuts; radiant wall oven; sensory shelf-life