Sunflower butter

Sunflower butter
Alternative names Sunflower seed butter
Type Spread
Main ingredients Oil of sunflower seeds
Cookbook: Sunflower butter  Media: Sunflower butter

Sunflower butter, also known as sunflower seed butter or sunbutter, is a food paste made from the oil of sunflower seeds.[1] Sunflower butter contains a great amount of vitamins and minerals, along with plenty of healthy fats. The leading brands in the United States include SunButter and Trader Joe's sunflower seed butter.

History

U.S. commercial versions of sunflower butter were first introduced in the early 1980s as alternatives to peanut butter, particularly for those with nut allergies or peanut allergies; these attempts were unsuccessful, which was attributed to issues with its greenish appearance, "poor texture", and a bitter under-roasted taste.[2]

Two decades later, in 2000, researchers at the Agricultural Research Service of the Department of Agriculture, working with sunflower seed processor Red River Commodities, developed a formulation that "resembled the texture, flavor, and nutty appearance of commercially available peanut butter", focusing on the degree of roasting and the amounts of sugar, salt, and stabilizer (hydrogenated cottonseed and rapeseed oils).[2] At that same time, Red River Commodities invested in new sunflower seed hybrids and specialized production areas, formed the subsidiary SunGold Foods, Inc., and created a peanut-free and tree-nut free food processing, packaging, distribution and shipping environment at both company’s locations.[3] The substitute for peanut butter, introduced in 2002, became known as SunButter.[3]

By 2011, SunButter became available at major grocery retailers such as Kroger, SuperValu, Walmart, Target, Trader Joe's and Whole Foods.[3]

Health benefits

Sunflower seeds are a good source of protein, fiber, zinc and iron, and are low in saturated fat.[4] On the other hand, sunflower butter has a high dose of unsaturated fat, that absorbs vitamins and nutrients that keeps the skin looking young and healthy.[5] It also reduces inflammation.

They are also rich in alpha-tocopherols, which have been shown effective in reducing the risk of certain types of cancers, including bladder cancer.[6] Vitamin E also helps lower cholesterol and increases immunity.[7]

In addition, sunflower butter is rich in three B vitamins essential for human health: niacin, pantothenic acid, and folate.

Alternative to peanut butter

Due to the prevalence of peanut allergies, many schools are offering peanut-free menu options or implementing entirely nut-free policies.[8] Sunflower butter can provide an alternative in schools where peanut butter and other nuts have been banned. However, a small number of people with peanut allergies may also be allergic to sunflower seed butter. According to one study a person with a known peanut allergy suffered an acute reaction to a "nut-free" butter containing sunflower seeds.[9]

Not only is sunflower butter a peanut free substitute for schools, it can also be used as a dip for fruit and veggies, in a sandwich or in recipes that call for peanut butter.[10] For example, in cookies, sauces or even in smoothies.

From a nutritional perspective, sunflower butter contains almost four times as much vitamin E[11] as peanut butter, and about twice as much iron, magnesium, phosphorus and zinc. Sunflower spread is also known to be highly unprocessed and natural, unlike peanut butter.[12] Although, peanut butter contains higher levels of protein.[13]

Distribution

SunButter is now available in a variety of flavors, and is found in grocery chains and health food stores. It is used in many institutional foodservice programs, including public and private schools and school districts that have become peanut-free and tree-nut free as part of the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Management Act (FAAMA),[14] which calls for voluntary national guidelines to help schools manage students affected by food allergy and anaphylaxis.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Peabody, Erin (May 17, 2005). "Sunflower Seed Butter Improves As It Spreads Across America". United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  2. 1 2 Lima, Isabel M.; Guraya, Harmeet S. (2005). "Optimization Analysis of Sunflower Butter" (PDF). Journal of Food Science (Institute of Food Technologists) 70 (6): 365–370. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2621.2005.tb11457.x. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "News & Events: SunButter". Agricultural Research Service. USDA. January 4, 2011. Retrieved 2011-03-18.
  4. ↑ Lima, Isabel; Guraya, Harmeet (2010). "Sunflower Butter" (PDF). USDA. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  5. ↑ "sunflower seed butter: the peanut butter alternative".
  6. ↑ Thomas, R.G.; Genhardt, S.E. (2012). "Nuts And Seeds As Sources Of Alpha and Gamma Tocopheros" (PDF). USDA. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  7. ↑ "sunflower seed butter: the peanut butter alternative".
  8. ↑ Groce, Victoria (June 9, 2008). "Why is My Child's School Nut-Free? What food can she bring?". Retrieved 2011-03-03.
  9. ↑ Hsu, Denise; Katelaris, Constance (2007). "Is "nut-free" sunflower seed butter safer for children with peanut allergy?". The Medical Journal of Australia (Australasian Medical Publishing Company) 187 (9): 542–543. Retrieved 2012-03-01.
  10. ↑ "USDA Foods Product Information Sheet" (PDF).
  11. ↑ Vitamin E and Minerals: Eye Nutrition from Nuts - AllAboutVision.com
  12. ↑ "Sunflower seed butter: the peanut butter alternative".
  13. ↑ Thomas, R.G.; Genhardt, S.E. (2012). "Sunflower Seed Butter and Almond Butter as Nutrient-Rich Alternatives to Peanut Butter" (PDF). USDA. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  14. ↑ "The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Management Act". The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN). Retrieved 2012-11-12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, March 16, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.