Applications of Array Biosensor for Detection of Food Allergens

2004 ◽  
Vol 87 (6) ◽  
pp. 1498-1502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa C Shriver-Lake ◽  
Chris Rowe Taitt ◽  
Frances S Ligler
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Virus Detection ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Array Biosensor ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Cleaning Procedures ◽  
Low Levels

Abstract Although food is a necessity, compounds within food products can be dangerous and life-threatening for people with food allergies. These allergy-causing compounds, such as proteins from eggs and milk, must be identified on the labels of commercial products. Unintentional contamination of food with these compounds occurs as a result of storage, manufacturing procedures, or cleaning procedures. A sensitive, specific, and rapid method to identify foods containing allergens is required by the food industry. The array biosensor, a rapid detection system, may provide a solution to this need. The array biosensor performs fluorescent immunoassays on the surface of a planar waveguide by first running samples, then fluorescently labeled antibodies, over a surface patterned with capture antibodies. An optical image is captured by a charged-coupled device camera and converted into fluorescence values. Signal intensity and spot location provide information on the compound and its concentration. The array biosensor has been successfully demonstrated for toxin, bacteria, and virus detection at low levels in under 20 min in food, clinical samples, and environmental matrixes. An assay for detection of ovalbumin as an indicator of egg contamination has been developed with limits of detection of 25 pg/mL in buffer and 1.3 ng/mL (13 ng/g) in non-egg pasta extract (buffer:pasta 10:1, v/w).

A Review on Identified Major Food Allergens: Characteristics and Role in Food Allergy

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 346
Author(s):  
Chhavi Arya ◽  
Chetna Jantwal
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Allergic Reactions ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Food Groups ◽  
Consumer Protection Act ◽  
Major Food ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Major Allergens ◽  
Allergen Labeling

Food allergens are the substances present in food that cause food allergy. Human body reactions to food allergens range from mild to severe life threatening anaphylactic shock. At least seventy different foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions and several other foods have been identified which have the potential to provoke allergic reactions. Majority of the identified food allergens are proteins. The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) identifies eight major food groups i.e. milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans as major allergy causing foods. These eight foods are believed to account for 90 per cent of food allergies and are responsible for most serious reactions to foods. Several studies have been done which identify the major allergens in various foods. The present paper attempts to review the major allergens present in various food.

scholarly journals The management of peanut allergy

2014 ◽  
Vol 100 (1) ◽  
pp. 68-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Anagnostou ◽  
Andrew Clark
Keyword(s):  
Peanut Allergy ◽  
Active Form ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Current Management ◽  
Emergency Medication ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Pregnancy And Lactation ◽  
Life Threatening

Peanut allergy is common and can be a cause of severe, life-threatening reactions. It is rarely outgrown like other food allergies such as egg and milk. Measures aiming to reduce its prevalence via maternal avoidance during pregnancy and lactation, or delayed introduction into the diet, have failed to show any benefit. Peanut allergy has a significant effect on the quality of life of sufferers and their families due to dietary and social restrictions, but mainly stemming from fear of accidental peanut ingestion. The current management consists of strict avoidance, education and provision of emergency medication. Families find avoidance challenging as peanut is hidden in various food products. Despite the fact that food labelling has improved, with a legal obligation to declare certain food allergens (including nuts) in prepacked products, it still causes confusion and does not extend to cross-contamination. In an effort to address issues of safety at school, a lot of work has been undertaken to better care for peanut-allergic children in that environment. This includes training of school staff on how to recognise and treat allergic reactions promptly. Recent developments in the management of peanut allergy, such as immunotherapy, have shown some promise as an active form of treatment, but larger studies are required to further investigate safety and efficacy.

scholarly journals Review of statutory and voluntary labelling of food allergens

2005 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 475-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Boden ◽  
Ruth Dadswell ◽  
Sue Hattersley
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Adult Population ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Arachis Hypogea ◽  
Important Health ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Specific Symptoms

Food allergy represents an increasingly important health problem, with prevalence in Western Europe continuing to rise. While some reactions are mild, others can include life-threatening anaphylactic shock. It is estimated that food allergies affect 1–2% of the adult population and ≤8% of children. Relatively few foods are to blame for a large majority of allergic reactions to food in the UK, with most reactions being to milk, eggs, peanuts (Arachis hypogea), nuts, fish, shellfish, soyabean, sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) and wheat. There is currently no cure for food allergy and the few available treatments are focused on relieving the specific symptoms. Consumers with food allergies and food intolerances rely on food labelling to enable them to make informed choices about the foods they eat. Whilst there have recently been important advances in the labelling of food allergens, these advances relate only to requirements for the labelling of the deliberate use of specified food allergens in foods sold pre-packed. In other areas the development of guidance for food manufacturers and retailers on how to assess the risks of possible allergen cross-contamination during food production and manufacture, and then to determine appropriate advisory labelling, is well advanced. Work to address the issue of how to provide appropriate allergen information for foods sold loose, or in catering establishments, is also in progress.

Cleaning and Other Control and Validation Strategies To Prevent Allergen Cross-Contact in Food-Processing Operations

2008 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
LAUREN S. JACKSON ◽  
FADWA M. AL-TAHER ◽  
MARK MOORMAN ◽  
JONATHAN W. DeVRIES ◽  
ROGER TIPPETT ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practices ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Food Contact ◽  
Food Contact Surfaces ◽  
Allergenic Proteins ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Cleaning Procedures ◽  
Contact Surfaces ◽  
Manufacturing Environments

Food allergies affect an estimated 10 to 12 million people in the United States. Some of these individuals can develop life-threatening allergic reactions when exposed to allergenic proteins. At present, the only successful method to manage food allergies is to avoid foods containing allergens. Consumers with food allergies rely on food labels to disclose the presence of allergenic ingredients. However, undeclared allergens can be inadvertently introduced into a food via cross-contact during manufacturing. Although allergen removal through cleaning of shared equipment or processing lines has been identified as one of the critical points for effective allergen control, there is little published information on the effectiveness of cleaning procedures for removing allergenic materials from processing equipment. There also is no consensus on how to validate or verify the efficacy of cleaning procedures. The objectives of this review were (i) to study the incidence and cause of allergen cross-contact, (ii) to assess the science upon which the cleaning of food contact surfaces is based, (iii) to identify best practices for cleaning allergenic foods from food contact surfaces in wet and dry manufacturing environments, and (iv) to present best practices for validating and verifying the efficacy of allergen cleaning protocols.

Criteria to Determine Food Allergen Priority

2000 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 982-986 ◽  
Author(s):  
JUPITER M. YEUNG ◽  
RHONA S. APPLEBAUM ◽  
REGINA HILDWINE
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergen ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Scientific Literature ◽  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Allergic Reactions ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Important Challenge ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Allergen Labeling ◽  
Food Anaphylaxis

The emergent health issue of food allergens presents an important challenge to the food industry. More than 170 foods have been reported in the scientific literature as causing allergic reactions. Clearly, it would be impossible to deal with the presence of trace amounts of all these in the context of food labeling. If the decision to classify major allergens is based solely on the knowledge and experience of allergists and food scientists in the field, without scientifically defined criteria, it is likely to lead to a proliferation of lists. Such practices may lead to an unnecessary elimination of foods containing important nutrients. This paper defines food allergy, food intolerance, and food anaphylaxis and identifies criteria for classifying food allergens associated with frequent allergic reactions. A practical list of food allergens that may result in potentially life-threatening allergic reactions is provided. A mechanism-based (i.e., immunoglobulin E mediated), acute life-threatening anaphylaxis that is standardized and measurable and reflects the severity of health risk is proposed as the principal inclusion criterion for food allergen labeling. Where available, prevalence in the population and threshold levels of allergens should be used as an additional guide to identify possible future labeling needs.

Economic Factors Impacting Food Allergen Management: Perspectives from the Food Industry

2017 ◽  
Vol 80 (10) ◽  
pp. 1719-1725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruchi S. Gupta ◽  
Steve L. Taylor ◽  
Joseph L. Baumert ◽  
Lauren M. Kao ◽  
Erik Schuster ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergen ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Employee Training ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Allergies ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Control Plan ◽  
The Past ◽  
Cleaning Procedures

ABSTRACT Food allergies affect up to 8% of children in the United States and may occasionally lead to severe life-threatening reactions. Because there is currently no cure for food allergies, strict avoidance of the allergen-containing foods is the only means of preventing an allergic reaction. Consumers rely on food manufacturers to reliably track and declare the presence of food allergens in products. Over the past 10 to 20 years, the food industry has increasingly adopted allergen control approaches in its processing facilities. However, the major industry costs related to food allergen management have not been fully described. The objective of this study was to characterize the factors that contribute to the economic impact of food allergen control practices on the food industry. A focus group (n = 100) was conducted with food industry professionals to identify key areas of cost for food allergen management. A survey based on the domains identified was then developed and disseminated to a convenience sample (n = 50) of quality control food industry specialists with knowledge of their company's food allergen management practices. Nearly all companies (92%) produced food products containing one or more of the top eight allergenic foods recognized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or sesame seeds. Cleaning procedures, employee training, and the potential for a recall due to allergen cross-contact were most frequently rated as the important factors in food allergen management. Recalls due to food allergen cross-contact, cleaning procedures, equipment and premises design, and employee training were ranked as the greatest allergen management expenses. Although 96% of companies had a food allergen control plan in place, nearly half (42%) had at least one food allergen–related recall within the past 5 years. The industry appears to endorse a willingness to unify precautionary allergen labeling to communicate a clear message more effectively to consumers.

Mass Spectrometry and Integrated Virus Detection System Characterization of MS2 Bacteriophage

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rabih E. Jabbour ◽  
Deborah Kuzmanovic ◽  
Patrick E. McCubbin ◽  
Ilya Elashvili ◽  
Charles H. Wick
Keyword(s):  
Mass Spectrometry ◽  
Detection System ◽  
Virus Detection ◽  
Ms2 Bacteriophage ◽  
System Characterization

scholarly journals SARS-CoV-2 within-host diversity and transmission

Science ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 372 (6539) ◽  
pp. eabg0821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katrina A. Lythgoe ◽  
Matthew Hall ◽  
Luca Ferretti ◽  
Mariateresa de Cesare ◽  
George MacIntyre-Cockett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United Kingdom ◽  
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽  
Phylogenetic Tree ◽  
Immune Escape ◽  
Clinical Samples ◽  
Diversity Patterns ◽  
Host Diversity ◽  
Viral Loads ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Low Levels

Extensive global sampling and sequencing of the pandemic virus severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have enabled researchers to monitor its spread and to identify concerning new variants. Two important determinants of variant spread are how frequently they arise within individuals and how likely they are to be transmitted. To characterize within-host diversity and transmission, we deep-sequenced 1313 clinical samples from the United Kingdom. SARS-CoV-2 infections are characterized by low levels of within-host diversity when viral loads are high and by a narrow bottleneck at transmission. Most variants are either lost or occasionally fixed at the point of transmission, with minimal persistence of shared diversity, patterns that are readily observable on the phylogenetic tree. Our results suggest that transmission-enhancing and/or immune-escape SARS-CoV-2 variants are likely to arise infrequently but could spread rapidly if successfully transmitted.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document