2.8: Food Allergens

What is the best management for food allergy patients?

**** 1. Always read labels 2. Prevent cross-contamination 3. Formulate an action plan 4. Always carry your medication, ideally two doses

What is food intolerance?

- Adverse reaction to food that does not involve the immune system. (ex: The inability to digest a particular food or food additive)

List a couple allergenic proteins in peanuts, discuss unique characteristics.

- Ara h1: the 1st peanut allergenic protein identified - Ara h 1-3 are 3 main peanut allergenic proteins Characteristics: -Seed storage protein families -Retain allergenicity following proteolytic and heat treatment -Trace sensitivity

Discuss how soybean allergens can exist in food as hidden food allergens.

- Can be used as a "texturizer," emulsifier, and protein filler - In US, ~79% of the edible oils consumed is soybean oil

What is a hidden food allergen? Give a few examples.

- Food allergens that are not specified in the labels or are referred with an unknown name for the consumer (ex: Lupine, Latex Proteins)

What are the major allergenic proteins in fish and shellfish?

- Major fish allergen: Parvalbumin - Major allergen in many shellfish: Tropomyosin (especially crustaceans and mollusks)

Please list and discuss the possible sources from which a sensitive individual may ingest or be exposed to food allergens.

- Misleading and confusing labels - Ingredient switching - Listed on the product label by an uncommon term - Allergens in products may not be labeled due to its presence in trace amount (<2%)

What is covered by the "Advisory labeling"?

- Provides consumers with information relating to the presence of allergenic residues by adding voluntary advisory statements (ex: - May contain peanuts - Manufactured on shared equipment with... - Manufactured in shared facility with...)

What is covered by the "Food Allergen Labeling & Consumer Protection Act"?

- Recognizes the 8 most common allergenic foods - Uses clear labeling to identify ingredients derived from common allergenic sources

How do wheat allergens exist as hidden food allergens?

- Stabilizers and emulsifiers can contain wheat proteins - Alcoholic beverages (beer, whisky and gin) may cause allergic reactions - Oats, barley, rye, and other cereals may also cause allergic reaction - Vitamin E pills may contain wheat proteins

What characteristics do allergenic proteins have?

- Very stable to heat, acid and proteases - Most allergenic foods contain multiple allergenic proteins

List the major proteins in milk?

-Casein (~80%) - Whey proteins (~20%) -Fat globule membrane proteins -Enzymes and other minor components

Which 4 of the major 8 food allergens cause the majority of severe of anaphylactic reactions?

-Peanuts -Tree nuts -Fish -Shellfish

2 major allergenic components in milk are:

1. Casein 2. Whey

What is the main cause of lactose intolerance?

1. Lack of lactase (normally lactase changes lactose to glucose or galactose) − Lactose moves into the large intestine - Fermented by colonic gut microbiota - Causes bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea

What are the 8 major food allergens from?

1. Peanuts 2. Tree nuts 3. Eggs 4. Milk 5. Soybean 6. Wheat 7. Fish 8. Shellfish

What is the protein percentage of milk?

3.5% protein

What is an adverse reaction to food?

A general term that can be applied to any clinically abnormal response to food or food additives. (ex: Allergy, intolerance, sensitivity, food intoxication)

What is the most allergenic protein in wheat?

Gluten

Can lactose be absorbed by the small intestine?

Lactose can not be absorbed by the small intestine, but glucose and galactose can be absorbed

Can food allergies be cured?

NO food allergies cannot be cured, however kids can grow out of them and medication can mitigate symptoms

Will pasteurization, condensation, evaporation, and drying be able to reduce the allergenicity of milk proteins?

NO, allergenicity is not reduced by any of these procedures.

Is gluten water soluble?

NO, gluten is water insoluble

Will shellfish allergens cross-react with fish allergens?

No, fish and shellfish allergens do not cross-react.

Which is more allergenic, the egg white or the egg yolk? List one allergenic protein from both.

The egg white is more allergenic - Egg white: ovomucoid (OVM) - Egg yolk: alpha-livetin (Gal d 5)

What is a food allergen?

The part of a food that causes allergic reactions -Proteins

What does WDEIA stand for?

Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis

What is a cross reaction? (Give examples)

when antibodies produced against one antigen may bind another structurally similar antigen (ex: if you are allergic to birch tree pollen, you may also find that eating apples causes a reaction for you)