An analysis of the market potential of peanut protein ingredients in food processing

Abstract

This study is concerned with a promising new market for peanuts, the protein ingredient market. This market is presently supplied by three groups of protein ingredients: milk ingredients, egg ingredients, and soy ingredients. These ingredients are utilized primarily for their functional properties (physical, chemical, or sensory properties) which impart favorable characteristics to processed food products. In recent years soy protein ingredients have replaced milk ingredients in many processed foods. However, soy ingredients have experienced difficulty in replacing m ilk ingredients in some processed foods due to functional problems. It was found that peanut ingredients have desirable functional properties, and that they are strong in functional areas where soy ingredients are weak. These properties give peanut ingredients an advantage over soy in some areas of food processing. Cost of production is another important factor in the future of peanut ingredients. Peanut ingredients are less costly to produce than milk ingredients, but more costly to produce than soy ingredients. Since cost of production is lower than milk ingredients, it is felt that peanut ingredients can be priced lower than milk ingredients in order to capture milk ingredient markets. However, higher costs of production than soy ingredients limit the uses for peanut ingredients. Peanut ingredients cannot be priced low enough to be used in place of soy in many processed food products..