The objectives are: 1) To assess the effects of various types of processing on allergenic foods and the specific allergens contained therein and methods for their detection using the model food systems, and 2) To improve methods for the detection of allergen residues in foods after processing. If the existing kits cannot reliably detect residues of allergenic foods following processing, then industry risk assessments may be misleading. The food industry needs simple, rugged analytical methods that can be used to assess the effectiveness of allergen control programs including especially the adequacy of cleaning of shared equipment. Goals / Objectives The project goal is to improve the assessment of the residual allergenicity of processed foods by evaluating existing detection methods and developing improved methods.

Thus the final phase of the project will involve the development of improved approaches to residue detection such as oligoclonal immunoassays, use of processing-altered antigens to make better antibodies, use of more aggressive extraction methods and various combined approaches. Based on the preliminary results, the likelihood exists that these current methods will not be sufficiently robust. This proposal aims to do a more thorough assessment of the effects of a range of processing methods, including both physical and biological processes, on the detection of residues of two key allergenic foods, milk and peanut, using the most common commercial assays. Preliminary results indicate that the detection of milk residues is diminished by thermal processing. However, the assessment of the residual allergenicity of processed foods can be very challenging because analytical methods often depend upon the solubility and antigenic reactivity of the allergenic protein.

The processing-induced changes can include physical removal of allergens, changes in the secondary and tertiary structures of the allergnic protein, chemical modifications, and changes to the primary structure of the allergenic proteins through proteolysis including fermentation. Non Technical Summary Food processing operations can affect the allergenicity of foods by causing changes in the protein allergens that trigger allergic reactions.

Food processing methods and allergies