Detection of nut allergens by mass spectrometry and structure analysis after food processing

Background According to epidemiological studies, about 2-4% of the population in industrialized countries suffer from food allergies. The symptoms can range from minor skin rash to life threatening anaphylaxis and at present no effective therapy is available. Strict avoidance of the offending food is therefore mandatory for allergic individuals. Nut allergens are regarded highly problematic, because of the severe course of disease and the potential of cross-contamination during food processing. Due to a lack of sensitive and specific detection methods there are no certain threshold values. Another important aspect is the impact of food processing on structure and allergenicity of nut proteins. Processing like roasting or extrusion can lead to reactions of allergens with other food ingredients and thereby change solubility, conformation and digestibility.