Tracking the fate of allergens using novel detection and food processing approaches

了解食品加工和食品结构对致敏性的影响对于管理食物链中的过敏原风险至关重要。加工对过敏原结构和致敏潜力的影响的调查仍处于起步阶段，但仍被忽视的两个领域是食品加工程序对致敏潜力的影响以及它可能改变致敏个体引发过敏反应的阈值的方式。了解加工或食品结构如何改变可引起过敏反应的过敏原的阈值剂量，对于管理工厂环境中的过敏原，特别是与交叉接触过敏原有关的过敏原具有高度相关性。这些信息对于告知危害控制程序是必要的，因为它可能影响到清洗普通加工生产线的必要程度。更好地了解加工过程如何影响过敏原结构，从而进行过敏原筛选分析，将有助于解释免疫分析结果，特别是在用于监测高度加工成分时。这个行业相关项目的总体目标是研究新型食品加工对选定食品过敏原命运的影响，并制定适当的检测和表征方法。这源于以下假设：1)食品加工和食品基质会影响过敏原的类型和性质及其活性。ii)食品加工可以引发许多化学变化，从而改变过敏原的特异性，iii)耐热过敏原即使经过一些热处理也能保持其结构和致敏活性，iv)热处理可以减少某些食品中的过敏原并诱导早期耐受性，v)食品加工技术可以优化以最小化或消除过敏原活性，vi)现有的过敏原检测方法缺乏敏感性。vii)现在有可能改进/发展检测方法。该项目旨在解决与行业相关的问题，这将有利于赞助行业和整个加拿大食品行业，也旨在培养高素质的专业人才。

Understanding the impact of food processing and food structure on allergenic potential is central to managing allergen risks in the food chain. Investigations into the effect of processing on allergen structure and allergenic potential are still in their infancy, but two areas that remain neglected are the impact that food processing procedures have on sensitization potential and the way in which it may alter thresholds for elicitation of allergic reactions in sensitized individuals. A knowledge of how processing or food structure may alter threshold doses of allergens able to elicit an allergic reaction is highly relevant for managing allergens in a factory environment, particularly in relation to cross-contact allergens. Such information is necessary to inform hazard control procedures as it may affect the extent to which it is necessary to clean-down common processing lines. A better understanding of how processing affects allergen structure, and hence allergen screening assays, would help support interpretation of immuno-assay results especially when used to monitor highly processed ingredients.The overall objective of this industry related project is to study the impact of novel food processing on the fate of selected food allergens and to develop appropriate methods for their detection and characterization. This arises from the following hypothesis: i) Food processing and food matrix can affect the type and nature of allergens and their activity. ii) Food processing can trigger many chemical changes that can alter the allergen specificity, iii) Heat resistant allergens retain their structure and allergenic activity even after some thermal processing, iv) Thermal treatments can reduce allergens in certain foods and induce early tolerance, v) Food processing technologies can be to optimized to minimize or eliminate allergen activity, vi) Available detection methods for allergens lack sensitivity, and vii) It is now possible to refine/develop detection methods.The project is oriented at solving the industry related problem which would be beneficial to the sponsoring industry and Canadian food industry as a whole is also aimed at training of highly qualified professional.