Optimization of peanuts’ defatting using Ired-Irrad®, a newly-patented green and low-cost technology

Abstract

Optimization of the defatting process of peanuts was conducted using response surface methodology, varying the time and temperature of the solvent-free infrared (Ired-Irrad®) pretreatment. Results of the central composite design, exploited in Statgraphics centurion®, showed that the peanut oil extraction yield increased from 30% to 45% when peanuts were pretreated with IR irradiation for 56 min at 88.5°C. Infrared is a newly-patented environment-friendly technology that showed its efficiency in many potential industrial applications.