By Sharon Omahen


University of Georgia

Scientists have developed a new, vitamin-fortified peanut
butter
in an effort to reduce Vitamin A deficiency cases worldwide.

“Vitamin A deficiency causes eye problems and even blindness
in
countries like the Philippines and other parts of the world,”
said Anna Resurreccion, a food scientist with the University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. She
and scientists in the Philippines developed the new product.

The peanut butter project was funded by UGA and the United
States
Agency for International Development’s Peanut Collaborative
Research Support Program.

Served in Filipino homes

The new peanut butter has been on store shelves in the
Philippines for almost a year now. It’s made by Lily’s, a
50-year-old company that makes a third of the peanut butter
bought
in the Philippines.

“We agreed to pilot the project in the Philippines and allow
the
technology to be used solely by Lily’s for a year,” Resurreccion
said. “Now that time is almost up. We’re scheduling seminars in
May so we can share the technology with other food manufacturers
in the Philippines and other countries.”

Resurreccion said most vitamin-fortified foods are staples
like
bread, rice or salt. “We used peanut butter,” she said, “because
it’s very well liked and enjoyed equally by all populations –
those who are affluent and those who are needy.”

Putting the needed vitamin in peanut butter is a good way to
provide its health benefits throughout the country, she said. And
unlike the peanut butters on U.S. grocery shelves, the
vitamin-fortified peanut butter isn’t a choice.

“The Vitamin A is in all of the Lily’s brand peanut butter,”
Resurreccion said. “And it doesn’t raise the price, either.”

Resurreccion is very familiar with Lily’s peanut
butter. She grew up in the Philippines and ate
Lily’s peanut butter as a child.

Next formula will fight cancer, heart
disease

Now she’s working on another peanut butter formulation that
includes compounds known to fight cancer and heart disease.

“The compound is resveratrol, which has been found in wine,
grapes and peanuts,” she said. “It’s claimed to be the reason for
the ‘French paradox’ or the low incidence of cardiovascular
disease in the French population.”

Resurreccion and her UGA colleagues are enhancing the peanut
kernels’ production of resveratrol.

“This peanut butter will be especially attractive to children
and
other groups who don’t or can’t drink red wine to get the
benefits of resveratrol,” she said.