Abstract
Mineral analysis of seven Pinus species grown in different regions of New Zealand; Armand pine (Pinus armandii Franch), Swiss stone pine (Pinus cembra L.), Mexican pinyon (Pinus cembroides Zucc. var. bicolor Little), Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri D. Don), Johann’s pine (Pinus johannis M.F. Robert), Italian stone pine (Pinus pinea L.) and Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carrière), was carried out using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES) analysis. Fourteen different minerals (Al, B, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, P, S and Zn) were identified in all seven varieties, except that no Al or Na was found in Pinus coulteri D. Don. New Zealand grown pine nuts are a good source of Cu, Mg, Mn, P and Zn, meeting or exceeding the recommended RDI for these minerals (based on an intake of 50 g nuts/day) while they supplied between 39%–89% of the New Zealand RDI for Fe. Compared to other commonly eaten tree-nuts New Zealand grown pine nuts are an excellent source of essential minerals.
Highlights
Pine nuts (Pinus pinea L.) have been used in European cooking for a long time as they are highly valued as ingredients in pesto, sauces and as a garnish in desserts
In comparison to the currently presumed imported pine nut purchased from the local supermarket, of an unknown variety, the New Zealand grown pine nuts had higher mean values for Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, S, and Zn
The New Zealand grown pine nuts analysed in this study are a good source of dietary minerals, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, P and Zn when compared to other commonly eaten tree-nuts
Summary
Pine nuts (Pinus pinea L.) have been used in European cooking for a long time as they are highly valued as ingredients in pesto, sauces and as a garnish in desserts. The main species consumed in Europe are Pinus pinea, P. koraiensis, P. sibirica and P. gerardiana. Foods 2013, 2 costly and not sufficient to meet current demand, most commercial products are imported from China, Korea and Pakistan where the climate is suitable for efficient production. 36,080 tonnes of pine nut kernels were produced globally in 2011. China and the Russian Federation are the largest producers contributing 55% and 14%, respectively, to the world production. In 2010, New Zealand imported 22 tonnes of pine nut kernels for domestic consumption [1]
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