Peanut oil

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A bottle of peanut oil, with Vitamin E added as a preservative

Peanut oil, also known as groundnut oil or arachis oil, is a mild-tasting vegetable oil derived from peanuts. The oil is available with a strong peanut flavor and aroma, analogous to sesame oil.[1][2]

It is often used in Chinese, South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisine, both for general cooking, and in the case of roasted oil, for added flavor. Peanut oil has a high smoke point relative to many other cooking oils, so is commonly used for frying foods. Its major component fatty acids are oleic acid (46.8% as olein), linoleic acid (33.4% as linolein), and palmitic acid (10.0% as palmitin).[3] The oil also contains some stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, lignoceric acid and other fatty acids.[4]

Antioxidants such as vitamin E are sometimes added to improve the shelf life of the oil.[5]

History

Shortage of whale oil in the Confederacy made peanut oil an attractive alternative during the Civil War.[6] The oil had increased use in the United States during World War II, because of war shortages of other oils.[7]

Nutritional content

Peanut Oil
Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 3,699 kJ (884 kcal)
0 g
100 g
Saturated 17 g
Monounsaturated 46 g
Polyunsaturated 32 g
0 g
Vitamins
Vitamin E
(105%)
15.7 mg
Minerals
Zinc
(0%)
0.01 mg
Other constituents
Cholesterol 0 mg
Selenium 0.0 mcg

Fat percentage can vary.
Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.
Source: USDA Nutrient Database

According to the USDA data upon which the following table is based, 100 g of peanut oil contains 17.7 g of saturated fat, 48.3 g of monounsaturated fat, and 33.4 g of polyunsaturated fat.[3]

Comparison of dietary fats
Comparative properties of common cooking fats (per 100 g )
Type of fat Total fat (g) Saturated fat (g) Monounsaturated fat (g) Polyunsaturated fat (g) Smoke point
Sunflower oil 100 11 20 69 225 °C (437 °F)[8]
Sunflower oil (high oleic) 100 12 84 [9] 4 [9]
Soybean oil 100 16 23 58 257 °C (495 °F)[8]
Canola oil 100 7 63 28 205 °C (401 °F)[9][10]
Olive oil 100 14 73 11 190 °C (374 °F)[8]
Corn oil 100 15 30 55 230 °C (446 °F)[8]
Peanut oil 100 17 46 32 225 °C (437 °F)[8]
Rice bran oil 100 25 38 37 250 °C (482 °F)[11]
Vegetable shortening (hydrogenated) 71 23 8 37 165 °C (329 °F)[8]
Lard 100 39 45 11 190 °C (374 °F)[8]
Suet 94 52 32 3 200 °C (392 °F)
Butter 81 51 21 3 150 °C (302 °F)[8]
Coconut oil 100 86 6 2 177 °C (351 °F)

Allergens and toxins

4 gallons of peanut oil

Most highly refined peanut oils remove the peanut allergens and have been shown to be safe for "the vast majority of peanut-allergic individuals".[12] However, cold-pressed peanut oils may not remove the allergens and thus could be highly dangerous to people with peanut allergy.[13] Since the degree of processing for any particular product is often unclear, "avoidance is prudent."[14][15] If quality control is neglected, peanuts that contain the mold that produces highly toxic aflatoxin can end up contaminating the oil derived from them.[16]

Other uses

"Peanut oil will make medicine"

Peanut oil, as with other vegetable oils, can be used to make soap by the process of saponification.[17] The oil is safe for use as a massage oil. Peanut researcher George Washington Carver marketed a peanut massage oil.[18][19]

Biodiesel

At the 1900 Paris Exhibition, the Otto Company, at the request of the French Government, demonstrated that peanut oil could be used as a source of fuel for the diesel engine; this was one of the earliest demonstrations of biodiesel technology.[20]

Suspension agent

Some medicines and vitamins use arachis oil as a suspension agent.[citation needed]

References

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  3. 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Choose peanut oil and then "Oil, peanut, salad or cooking".
  4. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. http://www2.uttyler.edu/vbetts/savannah_republican_1862.htm, 16 January, p.1., c.5
  7. "The Peanut Situation" (Dec 12, 1942) The Billboard
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  10. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. http://alfaone.ca/rice-bran-oil-faq/
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  16. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. "Saponification Table Plus The Characteristics of Oils in Soap", Soap Making Resource
  18. "Peanut Oil", Meridian Institute
  19. "Oil Treatment for the Hands Gaining Favor" (Jun 24, 1939) Spokane Daily Chronicle
  20. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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