Cashew proteins survive processing

Monday, 03 November 2008 20:01

Researchers at Florida State University have found three major allergens in cashew nuts are still present following common processing methods. The study involved developing mouse monoclonal antibodies specific for the three cashew nut allergens, Ana o 1, Ana o 2 and Ana o 3.

After subjecting samples to various processing conditions including gamma irradiation, pressure cooking, blanching, microwave heating, dry roasting and pH exposure, the researchers discovered Ana o 2 to be the most stable. Due to this stability, as well as it being a major allergen in cashews, they proposed Ana o 2 to be the best marker protein for the detection of cashew in foods such as snacks, bakery products, deserts and sauces.

According to a report published in 2007, allergic reactions to cashew nuts are generally more severe than those caused by more common peanut allergies, with 74.1 per cent of cashew-allergy sufferers experiencing anaphylaxis compared to 30.5 per cent of peanut-allergy sufferers.

It is therefore important to develop a reliable detection method for cashew that will allow testing for trace levels of cashew protein in processed foods.

References:
Venkatachalam et al. 2008. Effects of Processing on Immunoreactivity of Cashew Nut (Anacardium occidentale L.) Seed Flour Proteins. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Vol 56, (19), pp 8998–9005.

Clark et al. 2007. Cashew nut causes more severe reactions than peanut: case-matched comparison in 141 children. Allergy Vol. 62 (8), pp 913-916.