Kenari Nuts Nutrition: What Laboratory Testing Shows
Kenari nuts are naturally rich in fat, but their nutritional profile goes beyond simply being a high-fat nut.
At Kawanasi, we have independently tested our commercial East Forest Kenari Nuts to better understand their nutritional composition, including macronutrients, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, microbiological quality and selected contaminants.
The results provide a useful picture of what unsalted Kenari Nuts can contribute to the diet.
The nutritional information discussed here is based on laboratory testing of commercial unsalted Kenari Nuts. Nutritional values can vary depending on origin, harvest, processing and other factors.
A naturally energy-dense nut
A standard serving of Kenari Nuts is 30 g.
Based on our nutritional analysis, a 30 g serving provides approximately:
190 kcal
15 g fat
4.5 g saturated fat
3 g protein
10 g carbohydrates
2 g dietary fibre
0 g sugars
0 mg sodium
The nutritional values shown on our product labelling are rounded according to applicable Indonesian food-labelling requirements.
Because Kenari Nuts contain a naturally high proportion of fat, they are an energy-dense food. This is characteristic of many tree nuts and is one of the reasons a relatively small serving can provide substantial energy and nutrients.
Predominantly unsaturated fats
Fat is one of the defining characteristics of Kenari Nuts.
Our fatty-acid analysis shows that Kenari Nuts contain a combination of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids, with a substantial proportion of the total fat coming from unsaturated fatty acids.
Among the monounsaturated fats, oleic acid (Omega-9) is the predominant fatty acid identified in our analysis.
Kenari Nuts also contain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including Omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and Omega-6 fatty acids.
This makes the fatty-acid profile of Kenari interesting from a nutritional perspective. Rather than focusing on a single fatty acid, it is more useful to look at the overall composition of the fat.
A source of protein and amino acids
Kenari Nuts also provide protein.
Our laboratory testing included amino-acid analysis, confirming the presence of a range of amino acids in Kenari Nuts.
Some amino acids found in Kenari are essential amino acids — nutrients that the human body cannot produce sufficiently on its own and therefore needs to obtain through food.
The complete amino-acid profile is naturally more complex than what can be communicated through a standard nutrition label. For this reason, we focus here on the nutritional significance of Kenari as a whole rather than presenting the laboratory amino-acid table.
Rich in minerals
One of the particularly interesting characteristics of Kenari is its mineral composition.
Our nutritional analysis identified a range of minerals, including:
Magnesium
Manganese
Phosphorus
Potassium
Iron
Zinc
Calcium
Based on the Daily Value references used for our nutritional labelling, a 30 g serving provides approximately:
Magnesium 35% DV
Manganese 45% DV
Phosphorus 15% DV
Potassium 5% DV
Iron 4% DV
The particularly notable contribution comes from magnesium and manganese.
This mineral density is one of the reasons Kenari deserves attention not only as a source of dietary fat, but also as a source of micronutrients.
Low in sugar and naturally unsalted
Our tested unsalted Kenari Nuts contained 0 g of sugars and 0 mg of sodium per 30 g serving on the nutrition label.
This reflects the natural composition of the unsalted kernel.
Laboratory-tested quality
Nutrition is only one part of understanding a food ingredient.
Our Kenari Nuts have also undergone independent laboratory testing covering microbiological parameters and selected contaminants.
Microbiological testing included parameters such as:
Total Plate Count
Escherichia coli
Yeast & Mould
Salmonella
Enterobacteriaceae
The tested sample showed:
E. coli: below the laboratory detection limit
Yeast & Mould: below the laboratory detection limit
Salmonella: Negative
Enterobacteriaceae: Negative
The sample was also tested for selected contaminants, including aflatoxins, ochratoxin and heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium and nickel, as well as pesticide residues including glyphosate.
The reported results for the tested parameters were either not detected (ND) or below the laboratory's stated detection limits.
These results relate to the specific commercial sample tested and should not be interpreted as a guarantee that every batch of Kenari will have identical analytical results. Batch-level testing remains important for commercial food production.
Tested by an accredited independent laboratory
The analyses referenced on this page were performed by an independent laboratory accredited to ISO/IEC 17025.
Our testing programme has included nutritional composition, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals, microbiology and contaminants.
For Kawanasi, laboratory analysis is not simply about creating a nutrition label. It is part of understanding Kenari as a commercial ingredient and building a stronger technical foundation around a relatively unfamiliar Indonesian forest nut.
What does this mean for Kenari?
The laboratory results help explain why we believe Kenari has considerable potential as a food ingredient.
Kenari Nuts are:
naturally high in fat
a source of unsaturated fatty acids
a source of Omega-3 ALA
a source of protein and amino acids
naturally rich in magnesium and other minerals
a source of dietary fibre
naturally low in sugar
available as an unsalted ingredient
supported by independent laboratory testing for nutritional, microbiological and contaminant parameters
At the same time, Kenari should not be reduced to a list of nutritional claims.
It is a distinctive forest nut from Eastern Indonesia with its own flavour, texture, composition and culinary potential.
Our objective at Kawanasi is to make this relatively unfamiliar ingredient better understood, from its forest origin and traditional use to its nutritional characteristics and potential applications in modern food products.
*About the nutritional information
Nutrition values are based on laboratory analysis of unsalted commercial Kenari Nuts. The 30 g serving size and nutritional labelling values are presented in accordance with applicable Indonesian food-labelling requirements.
For detailed nutritional composition, fatty-acid profiles, amino-acid analysis and technical laboratory results, Contact Kawanasi →
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