Food allergens

Abstract

Food allergy is characterized by abnormal immunological reactions to a food or food ingredient in sensitive individuals. The immune system of such individuals recognizes allergenic proteins by allergen specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies and triggers immunological reactions that result in a variety of symptoms that range from mild to life-threatening. For that reason food allergy is recognized as an important food safety issue. Major serious food allergens that account for more than 90% of all allergic reactions are so called the "big eight". The only efficient way to prevent food allergies is to avoid specific food, since no effective treatment has been found. The most common reason for allergic reaction is the incidence of hidden food allergens, which have not been specified on food labels. A list of foods and ingredients that should always be declared on labels has been adopted by Codex Alimentarius Commission. The recommended approach to control the possibility of allergen contamination is through a HACCP program. This control system relies heavily on the availability and development of modern food allergen detection methods. Selection of the specific method depends on the type of food matrix and on the nature of food allergen. Most commonly used method is enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and most recently there is a big increase in the application of mass spectrometry-based proteomics as the most modern method in food allergen detection and analysis. © 2011 by Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.