9/2/2014 Information About Peanuts

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Peanut Facts
Peanuts, or "groundnuts" as they are known in some parts of the world, are the
edible seeds of a legume, Arachis hypogaea, and they are high in protein, oil and
fiber. Peanuts produced in the U.S. are mostly used in food and confection
products, but more than 50 percent of the worldwide production is crushed for its
oil.
Industry Overview
World peanut production totals approximately 29 million metric tons per year, with
the U.S. being the worlds third largest producer, after China and India. Worldwide
peanut exports are approximately 1.25 million metric tons. The U.S. is one of the
worlds leading peanut exporters, with average annual exports of between 200,000
and 250,000 metric tons. Argentina and China are other significant exporters.
Countries such as India, Vietnam and several African countries periodically enter
the world market depending upon their crop quality and world market demand.
Canada, Mexico and Europe account for over 80 percent of U.S. exports. The
largest US export markets within Europe are the Netherlands, the U.K., Germany,
and Spain.
Demand for peanuts in North America and Europe has been steady, although
competition within a dynamic snack market continues to put pressure on peanuts
to compete with a growing range of products (potato chips, extruded snacks, tree
nuts, and baked snacks). In addition, quality specifications, food safety concerns
and import requirements continue to require the implementation of improved
monitoring and quality control standards at origin.
Worldwide Peanut Production
(million metric tons)
#1 China: 13,420,000
#2 India: 7,700,000
#3 United State 1,880,000
#4 Nigeria: 1,510,000
#5 Indonesia: 1,130,000
#6 Burma: 710,000
#8 Chad: 450,000
#9 Senegal: 450,000
#10 Ghana: 440,000
#11 Argentina: 420,000
#12 Vietnam: 400,000
#13 Sudan: 370,000
#14 Congo, Dem 360,000
#15 Burkina Faso 320,000
#16 Guinea: 250,000
#17 Brazil: 220,000
#18 Egypt: 190,000
#19 Mali: 160,000
#20 Mexico: 90,000
Total: 30,470,000
US Peanut Producing Areas
In the US, seven states account for approximately 99 percent of all peanuts grown
in the U.S. Georgia (41 percent) grows the largest proportion of all peanuts
followed by Texas (24 percent), Alabama (10 percent), North Carolina (9 percent),
Florida (6 percent), Virginia (5 percent), and Oklahoma (5 percent). There are
approximately 25,000 peanut farmers in the major producing regions.
The peanut growing regions of the U.S. have direct access to port facilities of the
Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico.

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US Peanut Production
(1000 lbs.)
2003 2004 2005
Alabama 508,750 557,200 613,250
Florida 345,000 364,000 410,400
Georgia 1,863,000 1,817,800 2,152,500
Mississippi 44,800
New Mexico 45,900 59,500 62,700
N. Carolina 320,000 367,500 288,000
Oklahoma 98,000 102,300 105,600
S. Carolina 57,800 112,200 168,000
Texas 810,000 803,700 910,000
Virginia 95,700 104,000 66,000
United
States
4,144,150 4,288,200 4,821,250
Seed Type & Common Varieties
U.S. peanuts fall into four basic types: Runner, Virginia, Spanish and Valencia.
Each of these peanuts is distinctive in size and flavor.
Runner
Runners have become the dominant peanut type grown in the U.S. due to the
introduction in the early 1970s of a new variety, the Florunner, which was
responsible for a spectacular increase in peanut yields. Runners have rapidly
gained wide acceptance because of their attractive kernel size range; a high
proportion of runners are used for peanut butter. Runners, grown mainly in
Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, account for 80 percent of total
U.S. production.
Virginia
Virginias have the largest kernels and account for most of the peanuts roasted
and eaten as "inshells." When shelled, the larger kernels are sold as salted
peanuts. Virginias are grown mainly in southeastern Virginia and northeastern
North Carolina and West Texas. Virginia-type peanuts account for about 15
percent of total U.S. production.
Spanish
Spanish-type peanuts have smaller kernels covered with a reddish-brown skin.
They are used predominantly in peanut candy, with significant quantities used for
salted nuts and peanut butter. They have higher oil content than the other types of
peanuts which is advantageous when crushing for oil. They are primarily grown in
Oklahoma and Texas. Spanish-type peanuts account for 4 percent of U.S.
production.
Valencia
Valencias usually have three or more small kernels to a pod. They are very sweet
peanuts and are usually roasted and sold in the shell; they are excellent for fresh
use as boiled peanuts. Because of the greater demand for other varieties,
Valencias account for less than one percent of U.S. production and are grown
mainly in New Mexico.
Value-Added Products
Value-added products have been developed which have a number of applications
including bakery, confectionery and the general consumer market. Among these
are:
Peanut Flour
Made from raw peanuts which have been cleaned, blanched and electronically
sorted to select the highest quality peanuts, the nuts are then roasted and
naturally processed to obtain a lower fat peanut flour with a strong roasted peanut
flavor.
Peanut flour is used in confectionery products, seasoning blends, bakery mixes,
frostings, fillings, cereal bars and nutritional bars. Because the flour is partially
defatted, it works well as a fat binder in applications such as confection centers.
Using peanut flour at a level of 4-8 percent in a formulation has been found to
extend the shelf life of confections and can contribute a peanut flavor to the
product. Peanut flour, because of its high protein content (45-50 percent), is a
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good protein source in addition to its function as a flavoring agent.
Peanut Oil
Peanut oil is extracted from shelled and crushed peanuts by one or a combination
of the following methods: hydraulic pressing; expeller pressing; and/or solvent
extraction.
Highly aromatic 100 percent peanut oil and peanut extract also are available.
These products have a strong roasted peanut flavor and aroma. Suggested
applications for these products include flavoring compounds, confections, sauces
and baked goods.
Roasted Peanuts
Roasted peanuts are available in several different packages and roast variations.
Different coatings can be applied to the peanuts prior to and after roasting to
provide a variety of products including such flavors as honey, smoked, sweet, hot
and spicy, and salty.
Peanut Butter
A variety of different peanut butter products is currently available. Peanuts are
roasted, blanched and sorted before grinding into a creamy consistency. Peanut
butter produced in the U.S. contains a minimum of 90 percent peanuts;
sweeteners and salt can be added to enhance flavor while small amounts of
stabilizers are used to prevent oil separation. The small amount of stabilizer used
does not contribute trans fatty acids to the product. Peanut pieces can be added to
provide a crunchy style. Custom formulations also can be developed to modify the
texture or sweetness or to add flavoring.
Reduced fat peanut butters are also available which provide a fat reduction of at
least 25 percent. Several different varieties are sold for both consumer and
industrial use with varying peanut content depending on the flavor and consistency
of the product needed. Other modified formulations for peanut butter, peanut
spreads and peanut paste are available from most manufacturers.
Peanut butter is available in consumer-ready packaging or in institutional/catering
containers for use in bakery and confectionery products.
Peanut paste, which is 100 percent ground peanuts, is used in a variety of
industrial food recipes and is available from processors.
Further Resources:
The American Peanut Council: www.peanutsusa.com
American Peanut Shellers Association: www.peanut-shellers.org
Peanut and Tree Nut Processors Association: www.ptnpa.org
The Peanut Institute: www.peanut-institute.org
Information for this Peanut Facts page was provided by The American Peanut
Council.
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