Improved peanut flour for a reduced-fat peanut butter product

A commercial peanut flour (12% fat) was mixed with water (30% w/w),homogeni zed and drum-dried in a double drum dryer. The drum clearance was adjusted to result in thin dried sheets which on milling resulted in a very fine, si ngle banded particle size flour. The flour was no longer gritty and was use d to dilute fat by mixing with full fat (52.5%) paste to obtain a 30% fat r eduction in the peanut butter product. Response surface methodology RSM, wa s used to optimize drum temperature (T), speed (S), and clearance (C) in or der to minimize stickiness and hardness, maximizing oil separation and part icle size. Based on surface responses and contour plots, optimum conditions were: T = 135 degrees C, S = 1 rpm and C = 0.33 mm. Optimum values predict ed by RSM for peanut flour particle size, peanut butter stickiness, hardnes s, and oil separation were: 49.65 mu m, 12347 N, 311.4 N and 6.87% respecti vely. Close agreement between experimental and predicted values was obtaine d.