Peanuts now rank as one of the top five food allergies among Americans. Last week, scientists at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University reported that they have developed a method of processing that actually "deactivates" the three proteins which are thought to be the cause of the allergens in peanuts.

Researcher Mohamed Ahmedna’s tests showed that serum from people with severe peanut allergies did not react at all to those peanuts processed with this method. Full human trials have yet to begin but the university hopes to explore the efficacy of the new process with humans soon. This change can affect between 1.5 and 3 million Americans with mild to severe allergies to peanuts with hundreds facing death if the reaction is severe.

Ahmedna was also quick to add that the “integrity” and taste of the peanuts are not affected.

Although it remains to be explained, allergic reactions to peanuts, peanut oil, and related products have more than doubled during the last five years here in the United States, and it's important to remember that peanuts are not nuts at all, but legumes.

Remember, for those who do have an allergy to peanuts: check food labels carefully. Most food manufacturers already take note on their food labels indicating whether their processing plants are used for both foods associated with peanuts or peanut oil and/or whether the food product contains peanuts or peanut oils.

The next step for the North Carolina researchers is to develop a way to commercialize the "new" peanut, and while no information was released about when we can expect to see it on our supermarket shelves, if food development history is any indication, it will probably take between 3 and 10 years to make it to market.