A recent study published in Frontiers highlights the potential of peanut hulls – typically discarded as waste – as a valuable high-fibre ingredient in the cultivated meat industry.

The study states that "peanut hulls, rich in dietary fibre and polyphenolic compounds, present an underutilised opportunity to enhance nutritional content and sustainability in food systems”.

According to the paper, 22% of the 46 million tonnes of peanuts produced annually is waste from shells, resulting in a loss of more than 6.5 million tonnes of dietary fibre and 595,000 tonnes of plant protein.

Peanut shells are commonly upcycled into animal feed, dry material for packaging and industrial fillers and biofuel. The study suggests that this is a ‘missed opportunity,’ as the hulls are edible to humans.

The research proposes methods to recapture nutrients – such as protein and fibre – and process the hulls into functional ingredients. The scientists state that peanut hulls generate 97% fewer emissions per kg than beef and use 97% less land, positioning them as a significantly sustainable way to increase food security.

Peanut hulls are rich in dietary fibre, which makes up over 60% of their dry weight, and are high in protein, alongside plant-sourced phytonutrients. The scientists mention the potential of peanut hull extracts to display anti-diabetic properties and reduce pathogen activity in food applications.

The scientists state that, currently, peanut shell flour isn’t processed anywhere in the world, presenting an opportunity for health experts and food manufacturers – adding it to foodstuffs can reduce production costs and food insecurity in at-risk regions, many of which overlap with peanut-growing areas.

While shells and husks of other nuts (hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts) are already being used as fibre- and protein-rich flours, peanuts are grown in much larger volumes and their shells have a greater amount of protein, fibre and nutrients than hazelnut or almond hulls.

The study says: “Recapturing lost protein from an alternative legume source like peanut hulls could provide an additional source to meet that demand while increasing the efficiency of existing production systems”.

The peanut shell protein concentrates can be used as a protein supplement for drinks and powder, or as a protein base for cultivated meat, plant-based meat and dairy products.

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