Kaleigh Clarke grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. They were her favorite until she developed a severe airborne peanut allergy.
Clarke, a 20-year-old UF psychology sophomore, may find herself eating peanut-based products without having a reaction in the near future thanks to the advancements made by Wade Yang, a UF scientist and assistant professor in the department of food science and human nutrition.
Yang is researching ways to remove allergens from peanuts so allergy sufferers can eat them without a reaction.
Yang is a little bit closer to his goal of eliminating 99.9 percent of allergens, according to a UF press release.
For 95 percent of those with peanut allergies to safely consume them, Yang and his researchers must reduce the allergens from 150 milligrams to less than 1.5 milligrams of protein per peanut.
Yang is working to remove the allergens while keeping the peanut’s same taste, flavor, texture and nutrition.
The latest advances in his study feature the application of ultraviolet technology to whole peanuts.
“There are a lot of benefits (to eating peanuts),” Yang said. “It’s over 25 percent protein. It’s a good source of plant-based protein for people.”
To date, the research project has cost approximately $100,000, Yang said.
His current findings will be published in the journal “Food and Bioprocess Technology,” according to the UF press release. Yang’s next steps include finding other researchers with whom to collaborate on human clinical trials and seeking more funding for his research.
Yang’s research could allow Clarke to eat her favorite childhood snack without going into anaphylactic shock.
“It would make a lot of people’s life easier,” she said. “It’s definitely something worth trying because you definitely can’t mock the taste of peanut butter. Fake peanut butter? I’ve tried it. It sucks.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 10/7/2014]
