Innovation in food safety
Food allergies plague many people. One of the most common allergens is almonds. Allergies to these nuts typically persist throughout life or have a low cure rate in childhood. Today, avoiding the consumption of the allergen is the most effective way to prevent allergic reactions. However, the presence of hidden allergens due to accidental contamination during food production poses a serious health risk to allergic consumers. Therefore, it is necessary to develop modern analytical methods for the determination of traces of allergens contained in almonds. Prof. Jiří Barek from the UNESCO Laboratory of Environmental Electrochemistry, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Charles University, in collaboration with Dr. Sofia Tvorynska from J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry CAS, is involved in this development.
Although the exact prevalence of almond allergy is unknown, it is estimated that approximately 0.3% of children and 0.7% of adults suffer from it, with severe reactions occurring in approximately 57.2% of allergic individuals. In addition, almonds are considered a priority allergen worldwide because they often cause anaphylactic shock, which can be fatal or minimally life-threatening, even when only traces of this allergen are consumed. Meanwhile, almonds are often used in the production of foods such as pastries, candy, and chocolate, due to their nutritional properties and taste.
One of the most abundant and allergenic proteins in almonds is Pru du 6, which makes up more than 50% of the total almond protein. Recently, it has been reported that Pru du 6 is a good specific biomarker for almond allergy, as approximately 83% of patients with almond allergy have specific antibodies against it. Several analytical methods such as immunochemical tests, mass spectrometry, and DNA-based methods are used to detect traces of almonds. Immunochemical techniques (ELISA and LFIA) are widely used for allergen detection due to their high sensitivity, specificity, technical simplicity, and rapid response. In this context, electrochemical bio-platforms have also been successfully used to determine molecular markers of importance in various fields including the food industry. They provide unique features such as simplicity, cost-effectiveness, high sensitivity, and selectivity.
A team of scientists has introduced a new electrochemical bio-platform for the detection of the Pru du 6 protein, which is used to identify traces of almonds in processed foods. It uses special antibodies that can detect the allergenic Pru du 6 protein. The antibodies bind to magnetic beads and are then captured on the surface of disposable carbon electrodes. Hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone are then added, triggering a reaction during which the current on these electrodes changes and this change is proportional to the concentration of Pru du 6 in the food being analyzed.
To evaluate the performance of the developed biosensor, cookie dough and baked cookies with the addition of different amounts of almond protein were analyzed. The results obtained showed that the developed bioassay platform can detect as little as 0.2 µg/g of almond protein in both raw dough and baked cookies.
The newly developed bio-platform enables the determination of Pru du 6 in just 30 minutes and meets the stringent requirements of the food industry in terms of sensitivity, simplicity, speed, and the use of inexpensive and simple instrumentation. It is worth mentioning that the bio-platform is competitive with ELISA methodology in terms of time saving, bioreagent consumption, and usability at the time of need. This new electrochemical bio-platform can be used in the food industry as a tool for allergen risk control. It is an important step towards protecting consumer health and preventing allergic reactions.
Yulia Dyachenko
Published:
Apr 25, 2024 06:20 PM
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