Special AOAC Journal issue on allergen detection methods

A section of the latest issue of the Journal of AOAC International is dedicated to recent progress in the use of mass spectrometry for food allergen detection. A total of five papers plus a special editorial are included in the issue, covering best practice of allergen detection, detection of milk protein and gluten residues, plus a new multi-screen allergen test which has been launched by Eurofins that can detect up to seven different allergens in one test.

The list of papers can be found on the AOAC International website, where the special editorial by Bert Popping, Eurofins, and Samuel Benrejeb Godefroy, Health Canada, is available with free access.

The possibility of using mass spectroscopy methods for the specific detection of gluten-containing cereals in food products is explored in the review by Haraszi et al., with specific interest in limits of detection at or around the limits specified in EU legislation.

For milk proteins in food matrixes containing different amounts of protein, such as baby food, breakfast cereals, infant formula, and cereals, a simple sample preparation method was established and described by a team from the Nestlé Research Centre in Switzerland. Using an LC/SRM-MS/MS detection method they were able to achieve limits of detection comparable to those obtainable with ELISA kits. A limit of quantification of approximately 5 mg/kg was validated in protein-rich infant cereals.

Monaci et al. describe an LC/high-resolution MS method they maintain is a reliable technique for detecting milk proteins in thermally processed model foods. They validated the method in cookies and white wine spiked with milk powder and caseinate, respectively.

In developing their LC/MS/MS method for simultaneous detection of seven allergens, the technical team at Eurofins compared results from the new method with those obtained using commercially available ELISA kits from ELISA Systems, Morinaga, Neogen, and r-Biopharm. The detection capabilities of the LC/MS/MS method were demonstrated by analyzing incurred material containing milk, egg, soy, peanut, hazelnut, walnut, and almond. Bread was chosen as a model matrix, with analysis carried out before and after baking. Media reports released by Eurofins to coincide with the publication of the paper describe the technique as more effective, accurate, quicker and cheaper than existing methods used in the food industry.