Almond
Overview
Almonds (Prunus dulcis) are perennial tree crops producing nutrient-dense seeds widely consumed globally for their health benefits and culinary versatility [Yada, Huang & Lapsley, 2013]🔗. Almond cultivation in California began in the 1800s, likely from cultivars imported from southern France, and modern varieties largely descend from two unrelated founders, Nonpareil and Mission, selected from these early introductions [Yada, Huang & Lapsley, 2013]🔗.
The overwhelming majority of commercially grown almonds in Australia belong to the North American variety of almonds, and include the cultivars such as Nonpareil, Carmel, Price, and Monterey.
As of 2024, 42% of Australian households regularly consume fresh almonds, with 880 g consumed per capita [Hort Innovation - AUS Statistics Handbook 23/24, 2024]🔗. 153,500 tons of almonds worth $870.3 million (AUD) were produced in 2023-2024 across Australia [Hort Innovation - AUS Statistics Handbook 23/24, 2024]🔗. Victoria led almond production (44.9%), followed by South Australia (30.0%), and New South Wales (24.6%) [Hort Innovation - AUS Statistics Handbook 23/24, 2024] 🔗.
CHOOSING YOUR ALMOND
Almond Cultivation
Fenster, 2021, reported that regenerative almond orchards showed markedly better soil health and biodiversity compared to conventional orchard, with 62% higher soil organic matter (3.88%…
FOOD SAFETY & ALLERGEN INFORMATION
Almond is generally safe to consume, unless contaminated or expired. Please consult an expert clinician or certified dietitian if you require specific health information tailored…
SEASONALITY IN AUSTRALIA
Fresh almond harvest in Australia occurs in the three months of Feb-Apr, and almond is primarily cultivated in the southern regions of Australia [Hort Innovation - AUS…
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION
The nutrient information panel (NIP) for the major types of almond, raw, and roasted, listed in the following table are sourced from the Australian Food Composition Database (AFCD)…
STORAGE AND COOKING
Post-harvest Storage
Storage conditions significantly influenced microbial growth and mycotoxin contamination in raw almonds stored over nine months [Rodrigues et al., 2023]🔗. Rodrigues, 2023, reports that both…
HEALTH CLAIMS FOR MAJOR BIOACTIVES
There is a great deal of variation in the presence, concentration, and bioavailability of these bioactives among the different types of onions [Slimestad, Fossen & Vågen,…
BIOACTIVES IN ALMOND
Almond Nutrients
Almond is an abundant source of vitamin E (Tocopherols) and also contains smaller amounts of vitamin B1 (Thiamin), vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) and vitamin B3 (Niacin equiv.) [Asad & Malik,…
BIOACTIVE FOCUS: Almond
CLAIM: [Lipid Profile, N = 36 Randomised controlled trial arms, Meta-analysis] [Asbaghi et al., 2021]🔗: Almond intake significantly reduced triglycerides (TC) (MD = –6.68 mg/dL, p = 0.008, I²…
BIOACTIVE FOCUS: Oleic Acid
CLAIM: [Anti-inflammation, N = 31 Randomised controlled trial arms, Meta-analysis] [Wang et al., 2022]🔗: Oleic acid supplementation significantly reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) (SMD = 0.11, p =…
INTERESTING FACTS
Bitter Almond?
Bitter almonds differ from sweet almonds mainly in their high content of the cyanogenic diglucoside amygdalin, which releases toxic hydrogen cyanide upon hydrolysis, whereas sweet almonds contain negligible amounts [Sánchez-Pérez et…
CITATIONS
Abdallah, A., Ahumada, M. H., & Gradziel, T. M. (1998). Oil content and fatty acid composition of almond kernels from different genotypes and California production regions. Journal of the…