Peanut (Arachis hypogea) belongs to legume family. Its oil prevents heart disease and lowers cholesterol. The peanut kernels are infected by the fungus Aspergillus due to poor storage conditions. So, the groundnut oil extracted shows undesirable properties. The fungal growth is prevented by electron beam irradiation. This study aims to assess the effect of electron beam irradiation on the physicochemical properties of different variety of peanuts. The Peanuts were treated with optimum dosage of 800 Gy of electron beam irradiation. The examined physico-chemical properties were Oil content, Density Content, Moisture Content, Fatty Acid Value, Iodine Value and Peroxide Value. Results showed that high irradiation dose 800 Gy significantly decreased the fat and protein contents and increased the water activity of groundnut kernal. A study of the physicochemical properties like Acid value, peroxide value, Iodine value and moisture content before and after irradiation establishes the effectiveness of electron beam irradiation in the annihilation of fungal growth in kernels. The investigation confirms that electron beam irradiation helps to maintain the quality of oil.
