Allergenic Proteins in Foods and Beverages

Alergija na hranu je imunološka hipersenzitivna reakcija, pa se naziva i hipersenzitivnost na hranu. Reakcija nastaje kao imunološki odgovor na prisutnost nekih proteina u hrani. Osam najčešćih alergena su proteini iz mlijeka, jaja, kirikija, raznih oraščića, soje, pšenice, riba i školjkaša. Međutim, utvrđene su alergijske reakcije i na mnoge druge namirnice, poput različitog voća, povrća i sjemenki. Danas je jasno da su alergije na hranu važan sigurnosni problem. Alergija se javlja kao odgovor imunološkog sustava na inače bezopasne sastojke nekih namirnica. Stoga prema direktivi Europske unije alergeni sastojci trebaju biti jasno istaknuti na deklaraciji. Prema podacima Europske federacije udruga alergičara i ostalih osoba s problemima dišnih puteva (EFA), otprilike 8 % djece i 4 % odraslih osoba imaju neki oblik alergije na hranu. Alergija se na hranu često razvija kod novorođenčadi i male djece i uglavnom utječe na probavni trakt (želudac i crijeva). U ponekim slučajevima može potrajati i u odrasloj dobi, kao npr. kod celijakije, bolesti koja nastaje kao abnormalni odgovor imunološkog sustava na proteine glutena iz pšenice i ječma. Skoro su svi alergeni proteini, pa su razvijene vrlo osjetljive analitičke metode za otkrivanje tragova proteina u hrani, poput elektroforetskih i imunoloških metoda, testa ELISA i poliakrilamid gel elektroforeze. Svrha je ovoga rada bila opisati najčešće alergene sastojke namirnica, te ukratko raspraviti o njihovoj važnosti za prehrambenu industriju te utjecaju na sigurnost potrošača. Također se raspravlja i o najvažnijim metodama za otkrivanje alergena u hrani.Food allergies can be defined as immunologically mediated hypersensitivity reactions; therefore, a food allergy is also known as food hypersensitivity. The reactions are caused by the immune system response to some food proteins. The eight most common food allergens are proteins from milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soya, wheat, fish and shellfish. However, many other foods have been identified as allergens for some people, such as certain fruits or vegetables and seeds. It is now recognized that food allergens are an important food safety issue. A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system reacts to otherwise harmless substances in certain foods. For these reasons, one of the requirements from the European Union is that allergenic food ingredients should be labelled in order to protect allergic consumers. According to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations, about 8 % of children and 4 % of adults suffer from some type of food allergy. Food allergies often develop during infant or early childhood ages, affecting mainly the gastrointestinal tract (stomach and intestines). In some cases, the allergy may persist in adult age, for example, coeliac disease, which is an abnormal immune response to certain proteins present in gluten, a type of protein composite found in wheat and barley. Almost all allergens are proteins, and highly sensitive analytical methods have been developed to detect traces of these compounds in food, such as electrophoretic and immunological methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The purpose of this review is to describe the allergenic components of the most common causes of food allergies, followed by a brief discussion regarding their importance in the food industry and for consumer safety. The most important methods used to detect allergenicity in food will also be discussed