Pecan (<i>Carya illinoinensis</i>) is a nut tree that is indigenous to the United States. The US is the largest pecan producer, producing more than 50% the world’s total production; however, the consumption of pecan in the US remains low, between 0.4-0.5 lbs per capita. To increase pecan consumption, a new approach to add value to the whole pecan food chain and industry is needed, including increased choices of raw pecan nuts and newly developed pecan co-products and by-products, which diversify the pecan portfolio. Pecan oil, which is a value-added co-product, has gained interest in recent years because it is rich in bioactive compounds and is used in health and nutrition industries. Information, though, on pecan oil composition is still scarce in scientific literature, and consumer tests have not been used for pecan oil acceptance and preference tests yet. A consumer study (n = 98 participants) indicated that all five pecan oils received positive hedonic ratings (&gt;5 on a 9-point hedonic scale) for overall acceptance and the likability of oil flavor, raw-nut flavor, and thickness, while olive oil was rated slightly lower than 5 for these attributes. Pecan oils had higher characteristic raw-nut flavor but was lower in oil flavor, fatty flavor, astringent, and thickness. Unsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols are the key nutrients for pecan oil and olive oil. In five pecan oils, C18 fatty acids (FAME GC-MS method) accounted for approximately 90%, while C16 fatty acids accounted for 8.0-9.1% of the total fatty acids. Total polyphenols (Folin-Ciocalteu method) showed a range of 8-15 mg GAE/100g of oil and lower than that for olive oil. Results obtained from this study will add first-hand knowledge to academia, add value to the pecan processing industry and pecan growers, and provide direct evidence for marketing pecans.

Consumer preference, sensory quality, and nutritional values of pecan oils from native and improved varieties

ACS Fall 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.