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.

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.

Anaphylaxis and Emergency Treatment

PEDIATRICS ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 111 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 1601-1608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hugh A. Sampson
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Emergency Treatment ◽  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Antibody Therapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Tree Nuts ◽  
Immunomodulatory Therapies ◽  
Fish And Shellfish ◽  
Food Anaphylaxis

Food anaphylaxis is now the leading known cause of anaphylactic reactions treated in emergency departments in the United States. It is estimated that there are 30 000 anaphylactic reactions to foods treated in emergency departments and 150 to 200 deaths each year. Peanuts, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish account for most severe food anaphylactic reactions. Although clearly a form of immunoglobulin E-mediated hypersensitivity, the mechanistic details responsible for symptoms of food-induced anaphylaxis are not completely understood, and in some cases, symptoms are not seen unless the patient exercises within a few hours of the ingestion. At the present time, the mainstays of therapy include educating patients and their caregivers to strictly avoid food allergens, to recognize early symptoms of anaphylaxis, and to self-administer injectable epinephrine. However, clinical trials are now under way for the treatment of patients with peanut anaphylaxis using recombinant humanized anti-immunoglobulin E antibody therapy, and novel immunomodulatory therapies are being tested in animal models of peanut-induced anaphylaxis.

Investigation of undeclared food allergens in commercial Thai food products update after enforcing food allergen labeling regulation

Food Control ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 120 ◽  
pp. 107554
Author(s):  
Vipa Surojanametakul ◽  
Sirinrat Srikulnath ◽  
Pailin Chamnansin ◽  
Haruki Shibata ◽  
Masahiro Shoji
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergen ◽  
Food Products ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Allergen Labeling

scholarly journals Analytical Testing as a Tool for the Enforcement of Future Regulatory Thresholds for Food Allergens

2010 ◽  
Vol 93 (2) ◽  
pp. 434-441 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmen Diaz-Amigo ◽  
Bert Popping
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergen ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Labeling Regulations ◽  
Allergen Labeling ◽  
Action Levels

Abstract Food allergen labeling regulations have been implemented in several countries since 2006. Currently, experts are still discussing the introduction of thresholds or action levels, which should lead to the reduction of the widespread use of advisory statements (e.g., may contain) for the benefit of the allergic consumer. However, the establishment of threshold requires supporting analytical methodologies to enforce and comply with the regulations. This article discusses the possibilities and limitations of existing and emerging methodologies for the purpose of enabling compliance with and enforcement of allergen action levels.

scholarly journals From Allergen Molecules to Molecular Immunotherapy of Nut Allergy: A Hard Nut to Crack

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Verena Fuhrmann ◽  
Huey-Jy Huang ◽  
Aysegul Akarsu ◽  
Igor Shilovskiy ◽  
Olga Elisyutina ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Class I ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Allergy Diagnosis ◽  
Allergen Specific Immunotherapy ◽  
Tree Nuts ◽  
Carbohydrate Epitopes ◽  
Molecular Allergy ◽  
Life Threatening

Peanuts and tree nuts are two of the most common elicitors of immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy. Nut allergy is frequently associated with systemic reactions and can lead to potentially life-threatening respiratory and circulatory symptoms. Furthermore, nut allergy usually persists throughout life. Whether sensitized patients exhibit severe and life-threatening reactions (e.g., anaphylaxis), mild and/or local reactions (e.g., pollen-food allergy syndrome) or no relevant symptoms depends much on IgE recognition of digestion-resistant class I food allergens, IgE cross-reactivity of class II food allergens with respiratory allergens and clinically not relevant plant-derived carbohydrate epitopes, respectively. Accordingly, molecular allergy diagnosis based on the measurement of allergen-specific IgE levels to allergen molecules provides important information in addition to provocation testing in the diagnosis of food allergy. Molecular allergy diagnosis helps identifying the genuinely sensitizing nuts, it determines IgE sensitization to class I and II food allergen molecules and hence provides a basis for personalized forms of treatment such as precise prescription of diet and allergen-specific immunotherapy (AIT). Currently available forms of nut-specific AIT are based only on allergen extracts, have been mainly developed for peanut but not for other nuts and, unlike AIT for respiratory allergies which utilize often subcutaneous administration, are given preferentially by the oral route. Here we review prevalence of allergy to peanut and tree nuts in different populations of the world, summarize knowledge regarding the involved nut allergen molecules and current AIT approaches for nut allergy. We argue that nut-specific AIT may benefit from molecular subcutaneous AIT (SCIT) approaches but identify also possible hurdles for such an approach and explain why molecular SCIT may be a hard nut to crack.

scholarly journals European Regulations for Labeling Requirements for Food Allergens and Substances Causing Intolerances: History and Future

2018 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-7 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bert Popping ◽  
Carmen Diaz-Amigo
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Current Form ◽  
European Directives ◽  
The Past ◽  
The Status ◽  
European Regulations ◽  
Labeling Requirements ◽  
Allergen Labeling

Abstract Food allergens and intolerances have been diagnosed by doctors for decades, but have received heightened attention in the last two decades because diagnosis and awareness have increased. Consequently, regulators in many jurisdictions have addressed this topic by introducing labeling requirements for substances causing allergies and intolerance reactions in affected individuals. Mandatory labeling of food allergens allows persons suffering from these to make informed choices. However, regulations in some geographic areas have resulted in significant problems for manufacturers as well as consumers. This has been mainly due to frequent changes and amendments, and it has been difficult for all stakeholders to follow and understand the status quo of legislation. The present paper describes the development of European directives and regulations for the labeling of food allergens and intolerances to substances like gluten over the past decades and provides an outlook of what can reasonably be expected to change in the coming years. It also identifies existing gaps, like a lack of threshold levels for adventitious contamination and consequently a proliferation of precautionary allergen labeling, which neither benefits the consumer nor the food industry in its current form.

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).

scholarly journals Japanese Food Allergen Labeling Regulation: An Update

2018 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masahiro Shoji ◽  
Reiko Adachi ◽  
Hiroshi Akiyama
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Food Allergen ◽  
Threshold Value ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Detection Criterion ◽  
Opportune Time ◽  
Allergen Protein ◽  
Prepackaged Foods ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Allergen Labeling

Abstract The Japanese food allergen labeling regulation was designed to match real Japanese food allergy circumstances and also to be enforced effectively; thus, (1) regulated food allergens were selected by prevalence and seriousness according to food allergy surveys in Japan; (2) the detection criterion for ELISA monitoring, 10 μg food allergen protein/g (or mL) food, was set up as the threshold value to regulate commercial prepackaged foods; and (3) official food allergen analytical methods, which can determine the threshold value accurately, were developed. These three points are distinctive from other countries. Furthermore, as an on-going project, the regulation has been amended according to food allergy circumstances and requirements of society. This paper presents recent changes regarding the Japanese food allergen labeling regulation. To date, the Japanese food allergen labeling regulation has been enforced for more than 15 years and seems to be working effectively. Now would be an opportune time to review the regulation for its next level of development.

scholarly journals Developing food allergy: a potential immunologic pathway linking skin barrier to gut

F1000Research ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 2660 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yui-Hsi Wang
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Mast Cells ◽  
Immunoglobulin E ◽  
Lymphoid Cells ◽  
Th2 Cells ◽  
Allergic Reactions ◽  
Mucosal Mast Cells ◽  
Life Threatening ◽  
Ige Mediated

Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated food allergy is an adverse reaction to foods and is driven by uncontrolled type-2 immune responses. Current knowledge cannot explain why only some individuals among those with food allergy are prone to develop life-threatening anaphylaxis. It is increasingly evident that the immunologic mechanisms involved in developing IgE-mediated food allergy are far more complex than allergic sensitization. Clinical observations suggest that patients who develop severe allergic reactions to food are often sensitized through the skin in early infancy. Environmental insults trigger epidermal thymic stromal lymphopoietin and interleukin-33 (IL-33) production, which endows dendritic cells with the ability to induce CD4+TH2 cell-mediated allergic inflammation. Intestinal IL-25 propagates the allergic immune response by enhancing collaborative interactions between resident type-2 innate lymphoid cells and CD4+TH2 cells expanded by ingested antigens in the gastrointestinal tract. IL-4 signaling provided by CD4+TH2 cells induces emigrated mast cell progenitors to become multi-functional IL-9-producing mucosal mast cells, which then expand greatly after repeated food ingestions. Inflammatory cytokine IL-33 promotes the function and maturation of IL-9-producing mucosal mast cells, which amplify intestinal mastocytosis, resulting in increased clinical reactivity to ingested food allergens. These findings provide the plausible view that the combinatorial signals from atopic status, dietary allergen ingestions, and inflammatory cues may govern the perpetuation of allergic reactions from the skin to the gut and promote susceptibility to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Future in-depth studies of the molecular and cellular factors composing these stepwise pathways may facilitate the discovery of biomarkers and therapeutic targets for diagnosing, preventing, and treating food allergy.

scholarly journals A Review on Current Food Allergy

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 14-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ganiesha De Silva ◽  
RAUJ Marapana
Keyword(s):  
Food Allergy ◽  
Food Restriction ◽  
Food Industry ◽  
Recent Literature ◽  
Safety Issue ◽  
Allergic Reactions ◽  
Food Allergens ◽  
Important Food ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Past

Nowadays food allergy is recognized as an important food safety issue and it is widely debated world-wide. So, the food industry necessity takes the greatest care to assist those, who suffer allergies to select a suitable diet with confidence. Food allergy might be true food allergy or pseudo-allergy (food intolerance). The prevalence of food allergy is estimated much lower than are perceived by the public. That occurrence of food allergy has been estimated recently at 3-4% for adults and approximately 6-8% for young children and infants in the past decade. The most common food allergens are milk, egg, tree nut, soya, fish, some fruit (pineapple, citrus) and vegetables (tomato, mushroom) other than that food containing histamine, preservative, antioxidant, colouring, flavouring and whitening agents also cause food allergic reactions in some persons. Food allergy symptoms are unique to individual and common symptoms are nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and itching. If someone misunderstanding about food allergy could result unnecessary food restriction. So, it is important to know the proper facts about this condition. The main aim of this review is to discuss the recent literature on overview discussion of current food allergy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jfstn.v7i0.10562 J. Food Sci. Technol. Nepal, Vol. 7 (14-21), 2012  

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