Macadamia products

Nuts and Nut Products. Nuts are used mainly as edible products and marketed either with or without the shell, as the demand requites. The most popular nuts ia the shell are English walnut, filbert, almond, Brazil nut, peanut, pistachio, and the improved, or paper-shell, pecan the most popular salted and roasted nut kernels iaclude these as well as the cashew, macadamia, and pignofla. Each year more nuts are shelled ia ceatraHy located plants and marketed as meats. The annual per capita consumption of shelled tree nuts ia the United States rose from 0.78 kg in 1987 to 1.00 kg in 1992 (132). 

IMacadamia. Macadamia nuts are native to Queensland, AustraUa, but are also grown commercially in South Africa and Guatemala. In the United States, production of macadamia nuts in Hawaii has increased threefold since 1971. In 1991—1992, yearly in-the-sheU production was 49,500 t, valued at 34,650,000. Macadamia nuts are also grown in small plantings in Califomia. 

Major uses added to the Simazine 80W label included US southern turfgrass species for sod production, sugarcane, pineapple, and strawberry (1961) apple, sour cherry, macadamia nut, asparagus, orange, lemon, perennial grass grown... 

In subsequent years, additional uses were approved in the United States for Atrazine 80W fall application for quackgrass control in com (1961) macadamia nut, chemical fallow following wheat or ecofallow and perennial ryegrass (1962) southern turfgrass species for sod production (1963) pineapple (1964) sorghum and conifer (1965) and rangeland (1975). 

Nuts, i.e., almonds (Amygdalus communis L.), hazelnuts (Corylus avel-lana), walnuts (Juglans regia), cashews (Anacardium occidentale), pecan nuts (Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch), Brazil nuts (Bertholletia excelsa), pistachio nuts (Pistacia vera), macadamia nuts and Queensland nuts (Macadamia ternifolia), and products thereof, except nuts used for making distillates or ethyl alcohol... 

Considering the production of world s most popular tree nuts (Table 1.1), almond ranks first on a global basis with a production of 683,286 MT (shelled), followed by hazelnut (512,200 MT shelled), cashew (394,632 MT shelled), walnut (382,675 MT shelled), and pistachio (445,500 MT unshelled) in 2006-2007. The production of ranaining four tree nuts (Brazil nut, macadamia, pecan, and pine nut) is around 132,918 MT (shelled) in the same year. Moreova, world s chestnut production is 1,164,959 MT (unshelled) in 2006 [2], To the best of our knowledge, Uttle information abont the production of acorn nut, beech nut, betel nut, heartnut, and hickory nut is available. 

Tree nuts are produced in more than 40 developed and less-developed countries on millions of hectares of land, providing economic livelihood for hundreds of thousands of producers and small family operations [1]. The International Nut and Dried Fruit Council Foundation (INC, formerly known as the International Tree Nut Council) was formed in 1983 and represents all sectors of the dried fruit and tree nut production and trade of almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamias, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts [1]. The world tree nuts production from 2000 to 2007 is given in Chapter 1. 

Tree nuts are appreciated worldwide for their desirable flavor attributes and are used extensively in confectionary, bakery, culinary, and other food product apphcations. Consumption of tree nuts has grown in recent years due to reports on the health benefits of a diet rich in nuts and nut oils [1,2]. The world s most popular tree nut is the almond followed by the walnut and the hazelnut (filbert). Other economically important tree nuts include pecan, Brazil nut, cashew, chesttiut, pistachio, macadamia, and pine nut. Despite their economic importance and growing popularity, httle information is available regarding the characteristic flavor and aroma constituents of most tree nuts. In fact, there has been little addition to the published literature on the subject since Maga s 1991 overview on the volatiles in nuts [3]. Hazelnut is an exception and extensive studies have been conducted to identify the volatile components of both the raw and roasted forms of this nut. This chapter presents an overview of the literature on the flavor and volatile compounds in tree nuts and discusses their possible origins. 

Only 31% of the macadamia nut, that is the kernel, is edible. The remaining 69% is waste, the disposal of which can be a problem for processors. In recent years, however, uses have been found for macadamia shells, which contain lignin and cellulose, two components that make them dense and strong. These properties have led to the production of charcoal-like substances, called activated carbons, from the macadamia nut shells to be used largely in water purification and the identification of pollutants [1-3]. The shells are highly flammable and can be used as a renewable fuel source for energy production [4] and the fibrous husks can be composted and used as garden mulch. 

To maximize the profitability of macadamia nuts as a food crop, they are processed to varying degrees for value-added products and are in high demand from the snack, bakery, and confectionary sectors of the food industry. 

In addition to the health benefits of phenohc compounds in oils, the antioxidants contribute to the oxidative stability of the nuts and oils and extend their shelf life. When macadamia oil is obtained from the crushed nuts and shehs by cold processing, some of the antioxidants leech from the shehs into the oil and increase the antioxidant content. Unfortunately, during the refining of macadamia nut oil products, many of the antioxidants are removed [20]. Phenohc compounds also have organoleptic properties, which color and flavor the oils [20,21]. 

This book examines popular tree nuts (almond, Brazil nut, cashew, hazelnut, macadamia, pecau, pine nut, pistachio, and walnut) together with chesmut aud heart nut, and describes each tree nut s compositional and lipid characteristics, phytochemicals, and health effects. Chemical composition of acorn nut, beech nut, coconut, and hickory are also briefly covered. In addition, the book provides a comprehensive assessment of allergens and antiaflatoxigenic activity of phytochemicals and sphin-golipids, and health benefits of tree nuts as weU as their flavor and volatile compounds. Where avaUable, information on the bioactives and phytochemicals of tree nut by-products is included. Peanut, which is actually a legume, is not discussed in this book as a separate chapter, but where necessary it is used for comparison with tree nuts. 

In order to evaluate the relative contribution of tree nuts and dried figs to the overall AFT exposure, the Committee considered other foods known to contribute to the overall exposure to AFT in humans. Occurrence data and dietary exposures to AFT from these other foods were described. Food commodities included in the mean overall exposure were maize, groundnuts (i.e. peanuts) and other nuts (i.e. walnuts, cashews, chestnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans), dried fruits other than figs (apricots, plums, grapes, dates and others), spices, cocoa and cocoa products (cocoa mass, cocoa butter, cocoa powder), peanut butter, peanut cream, oilseeds and butter of Karite nut. 

When oily nuts and seed are roasted and ground to rupture a sufficient number of cell walls, a paste or butter is produced. When the nuts are of edible quality and the operation is sanitary, the paste becomes an important food item. Pulverizing nuts not only releases free oil, but flavors as well. Historically, grinding roasted nuts into paste was one of the first nut products to be made. It was adapted from grinding coffee with mortar and pestle, and crushing corn and wheat to make bread. While most oily nuts of the world - hazel nuts, almonds, macadamia, peanuts and pecans - have been made into paste commercially, the process is a part of the history of all edible nuts. 

The Macadamia nut is native to Queensland, Australia and was imported to Hawaii in about 1881. It is also to be found in Brazil and Central America. The nut has a very hard seed coat which may make it suitable for active carbon production (resembling coconut shell) the use of hydrogen peroxide may not be the way to proceed. However, tonnage production of coconuts considerably exceeds that of Macadamia nuts, although this nut is reputed to make excellent cookies. 

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