Health benefits of almonds beyond cholesterol reduction

Almonds are rich in monounsaturated fat; fiber; a-tocopherol; minerals such as magnesium copper; and phytonutrients; albeit being energy-dense. The favorable fat composition and fiber contribute to the hypocholesterolemic benefit of almond consumption. By virtue of their unique nutrient composition; almonds are likely to benefit other modifiable cardiovascular and diabetes risks; such as body weight; glucose […]

The effect of X-ray irradiation on Salmonella inactivation and sensory quality of almonds and walnuts as a function of water activity

The overall goal of this study was to develop a set of process design principles for low-energy X-ray irradiation of tree nuts . Almonds and walnuts were inoculated with Salmonella Enteritidis PT30 and Salmonella Tennessee; and conditioned to four different water activities (0.23; 0.45; 0.64; and 0.84 aw). Thereafter; the inoculated/conditioned samples were irradiated to […]

Effect of irradiation; active and modified atmosphere packaging; container oxygen barrier and storage conditions on the physicochemical and sensory properties of raw unpeeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis)

BACKGROUND: The present study investigated the effect of irradiation; active and modified atmosphere packaging; and storage conditions on quality retention of raw; whole; unpeeled almonds. Almond kernels were packaged in barrier and high-barrier pouches; under N(2) or with an O(2) absorber and stored either under fluorescent lighting or in the dark at 20 °C for […]

Acrylamide Formation in Almonds (Prunus dulcis): Influences of Roasting Time and Temperature; Precursors; Varietal Selection; and Storage

Acrylamide is a probable human carcinogen that is found in many roasted and baked foods. This paper describes two sensitive and reliable LC-(ESI)MS/MS methods for the analysis of (1) acrylamide and (2) common acrylamide precursors (i.e.; glucose; fructose; asparagine; and glutamine) in raw and roasted almonds. These methods were used to evaluate the impact of […]

Using almond (Prunus amygdalus L.) shell as a bio-waste resource in wood based composite

In this research; the suitability of almond shell as a bio-waste resource in wood based composite manufacturing was investigated. Particleboards containing different almond shell particle rations were made using urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin. Some chemical properties of almond shell (holocellulose; a cellulose; lignin and ash contents; alcohol-benzene solubility; 1% NaOH solubility; hot and cold water solubility); […]