Peanut Butter: Nutritional Concepts To Fortify Confectionaries

Peanut is an important oilseed crop globally. The peanut being a good source of oil as well as protein has drawn attention of many nutritionists. Therefore, it is becoming commercially as well as nutritionally important. A number of commercial products are made from peanut and peanut butter is one among them. The peanut and peanut butter are the cheapest source of desirable fatty acids like oleic acid (MUFA) and linoleic acid (PUFA), and also of protein. Hence, potentiality of peanut butter as an ingredient for nutritional enrichment and to overcome the problem of human health like cardiovascular diseases, atherosclerosis and protein energy malnutrition (PEM). The biscuits (confectionaries) were prepared using different ratios of vanaspati and peanut butter. The total fat of experimental biscuits containing different ratios of vanaspati and peanut butter were analyzed for their fatty acid composition by capillary gas chromatography. Partial replacement (50 per cent) of vanaspati in the biscuit recipe with peanut butter was found to increase protein content with balanced fatty acid profile as nutritional quality and better organoleptic test of product.