Removing English Walnut (Juglans Regia) Ready-to-Use Shelled Walnuts Consumption Barriers

Abstract

Because of the vast information on health benefits and the urbanization impact changes in eating habits, the demand for ready-to-use shelled walnuts as a convenient, healthy, and nutritious snack food is increasing all over the world. However, shelled nuts sold as halves or pieces in ‘ready-to-use’ small packages are more susceptible to pellicle darkening and rancidity than their in-shell equivalents. Currently, about two-thirds of the USA crop is exported, and ~66% of these exports are sold as shelled ‘ready to use’, and its demand is increasing. Yet, this package style is generating quality challenges due to the darkening and rancidification of the kernel pellicle. Protection against kernel color quality loss and rancidity during postharvest handling, even at warm temperatures, can be accomplished at 6 kPa (%) oxygen or less for ‘Chandler’ and 3 kPa or less for ‘Howard’ and ‘Tulare’. The application of the ‘cold chain’ principle and/or low oxygen technology is unpractical for large cropping systems. Thus, a useful quality control system to rank the lots based on their potential visual and sensory quality is important. Then, the lots can be selected based on their potential quality, match market destinations, and are subjected to proper postharvest technologies.

Keywords

• consumer quality
• pellicle darkening
• in-shell
• rancidity
• health benefits
• shelling damage