Hermetic and modified atmosphere​

Hermetic and modified atmosphere storage of shelled peanuts to prevent Free Fatty Acid and aflatoxin formation: Storing shelled peanuts in sub-tropical conditions, in order to save storage volume, is very limited due to micro flora development with the possibility of aflatoxins formation, hence fast degradation of the nuts. The development of free fatty acids (FFA), molds and aflatoxins formation was studied on shelled peanuts with 7.0% and 8.0% moisture contents stored under hermetically sealed conditions or in an atmosphere of 99% carbon dioxide and in comparison to aerobic storage at 30°±1°C for 3 months. Enriching the peanuts environment with CO₂ suppressed the development of micro flora and lipase activity resulting in high quality peanuts with low FFA content over a period of 90 days.​