DETECTING ALLERGENS IN THERMALLY PROCESSED FOOD USING LC- MS/MS TECHNOLOGY

Význam tématu

Food allergies affect millions worldwide and can cause severe reactions. With no cure available, reliable detection of allergenic proteins in processed foods is essential for consumer safety and regulatory compliance. The FALCPA mandates clear labeling of eight major allergens, but complex food matrices and thermal processing complicate traditional immunoassays, leading to false positives and missed contaminants.

Cíle a přehled studie / článku

This work aimed to establish a robust LC-MS/MS protocol for simultaneous detection of 13 food allergens in raw and thermally processed matrices. The approach was evaluated on a mixture of raw food materials and real products such as bread, cookies, fried fish and frozen pasta, assessing both declared and hidden allergenic ingredients.

Použitá metodika a instrumentace

The method relies on tryptic digestion of food samples to generate signature peptides. A total of 50 peptides from 21 allergen-related proteins were monitored using 245 multiple reaction monitoring transitions. Samples included raw ingredients (milk, eggs, cod, shrimp, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans) and processed foods. Extraction, cleanup and enzymatic digestion protocols were optimized for complex matrices.

• Instrument 1: Shimadzu Nexera UHPLC system
• Instrument 2: Shimadzu triple quadrupole LC-MS/MS

Hlavní výsledky a diskuse

The method successfully detected all target peptides in raw mixtures, confirming chromatographic separation and sensitivity. In processed foods, it identified both labeled and unlabeled allergens: gluten peptides in bread and pasta, peanut markers in cookies, shrimp peptides in frozen pasta, and cod in fried fish. Quantitative profiling distinguished common wheat and durum wheat in pasta. Notably, no soybean peptides were found in pasta despite declared soybean oil, indicating absence of protein residues. The LC-MS/MS approach outperformed ELISA by eliminating cross-reactivity and false positives.

Přínosy a praktické využití metody

This multiplexed LC-MS/MS assay offers high specificity and sensitivity for routine quality control, streamlining allergen screening in diverse food products. It supports accurate labeling, reduces the risk of undeclared allergens and enhances consumer protection.

Budoucí trendy a možnosti využití

Future developments may include expansion to additional allergen panels, integration of high-resolution mass spectrometry, automation of sample preparation and data analysis, and incorporation into regulatory monitoring workflows. Advanced bioinformatics could further refine peptide selection and quantitation.

Závěr

The presented LC-MS/MS method delivers a comprehensive, reliable solution for allergen detection in complex and thermally processed foods. It meets regulatory requirements, mitigates false positives, and provides actionable data for food safety management.

Reference

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