49I-7 |
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L. NIEMANN, Food Allergy Research and Resource Program, University of Nebraska, 247 Food Industry Complex, Dept. of Food Science and Technology, Lincoln, NE 68583-0919 and S. L. Hefle, Food Allergy Research & Resource Program, Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, Dept. of Food Science & Technology, 255 Food Industry Complex, Lincoln, NE 68583-0919. Justification: Tree nuts, a predominant allergenic food group, have been documented to produce severe, life-threatening food-allergic reactions, including fatalities. Undeclared hazelnut (filbert) residue is a potential cause of severe allergic reactions to tree nut-allergic consumers. Objective: Rapid and sensitive methods for the detection of trace amounts of allergenic residues such as hazelnut are needed by the food industry to assess sanitation processes and for risk assessment purposes. Having ELISA methods for allergenic residues will serve to increase the safety of the U.S. food supply, minimizing risk to the food-allergic consumer and reducing potential liability issues for the food industry. Methods: Hazelnut (raw and roasted) were mixed, defatted, and ground to a powder. Sheep, goats and New Zealand white rabbits were immunized and polyclonal antibodies were obtained from the animal serum. For the ELISA, optimization resulted in goat antibodies used as capture reagents and rabbit antibodies used as detector reagents. Validation of extraction and assay performance included testing foods containing known amounts of hazelnut (0-100 ppm) made under industrial conditions. In addition, cross-reactivity assessment with more than 50 foods or food ingredients was performed. Results: The hazelnut ELISA has a detection limit of 1 ppm (1ug/g) hazelnut; some minimal cross-reactivity was observed with cashew, walnut, pecan, mustard, mace and poppy seed, although more than 45 other foods and food ingredients did not register any cross-reactivity. Conclusions: This method offers food manufacturers a tool for assessing risk and control of hazelnut residues and could be used to assist regulatory agencies in enforcement of food regulations governing undeclared hazelnut residues, thereby better protecting the hazelnut-allergic consumer.
Session 49I, Toxicology & Safety Evaluation: General
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