A Minneapolis food-tech startup is commercializing CRISPR-edited strip peanuts tos strip it of the proteins that trigger allergic reactions, aiming to return the banned snack to schools, hospitals and airplanes, as Food Business News’ Will Newton reports.
Nurtured Nuts edited out three proteins — Ara H2, Ara H6 and Ara H7— responsible for anaphylaxis in the roughly 6 million Americans with peanut allergies. “A food that was once loved by many is now being cast in the shadows,” said Bryant Williams, founder and CEO of Nurtured Nuts. AgriNetica is the owner, developer, and creator of the underlying gene-editing technology and intellectual property. AgriNetica is also the party responsible for the clinical studies and scientific research work.
From Greenhouse to Open Field
AgriNetica is the U.S. division of Israeli biotech BetterSeeds. It planted the seeds outdoors for the first time earlier this year — the first commercial-scale field trial of a gene-edited peanut. Harvest begins in September, with processing in October and a projected 2027 launch pending FDA review.
Related on the SLP
Nutured Nuts aid the goal isn’t getting allergic people to eat peanuts — it’s letting them safely be around friends and family who do. “Ultimately, this will become the dominant form of peanut,” Williams predicts.
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Related on the SLP
CRISPR won’t be creating an ‘allergy-free’ peanut anytime soon
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