Can the USDA Concoct a Low-Allergy Peanut?

A little nut causes some seriously huge health problems in the U.S. More than three million Americans can't enjoy a PB&J sandwich or savor some peanut brittle without experiencing symptoms like hives, digestive problems, wheezing, or even anaphylaxis. In fact, peanut allergy is the leading cause of food-related deaths in the country.

The USDA aims to alleviate nut allergics' troubles: Government researchers are working on developing a low-allergy peanut. Though the new nut is still in its very early baby nut stages, scientists say the allergy-light peanut may be available for human consumption within the next two-to-five years.

When I first read the headline of this story on Time.com, I feared that the peanut might be genetically modified. Luckily, researchers are just using a very intense version of the age-old method of cross-breeding, the same process that's given us produce like seedless watermelons. Scientists first examined the properties of 900 different strains of peanut, then used that knowledge to cross-breed a new variety that lacks the three proteins that typically cause peanut allergies.

A low-allergy peanut has implications both from a health and food production perspective. The peanut could be used in allergy treatment programs to help folks build up resistance to allergies. Plus, the peanut could eventually decrease the likelihood of children developing peanut allergies in the first place. On the production side of things, a low-allergy nut might eliminate contamination issues that occur when trace amounts of peanuts make their way into other foods during manufacturing, production, and food preparation.

The allergy-light nut is far from a guarantee at this point. The peanut's still being analyzed and going through testing, and scientists aren't sure whether the new variety could produce all the seeds necessary for massive production. Still, it's interesting to see just how far scientists have come with cross-breeding techniques since Gregor Mendel first worked with sweet peas. If the new nut variety turns out to be all it's cracked up to be, hybridization could potentially eliminate one of the country's public health scourges. Plus, it's relieving to think about all the folks who could finally experience the sweet-and-savory bliss that comes from sinking your teeth into a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

Photo credit: H. Zell via Wikimedia Commons