Author : Neumann, David A.

Summary : Allergies to foods are a significant public health concern throughout the world. Nearly 2% of adults and 4% to 6% of children have allergies to foods. Food allergies are defined as immune-mediated reactions to antigenic molecules present in foods. The immune response is mediated by immunoglobulin E (EgE), a class of antibody molecule that is uniquely involved in allergic reactions. Antigenic molecules, or allergens, typically are proteins that stimulate IgE responses in certain individuals through as yet undetermined mechanisms. Food allergies are distinct from gluten sensitive enteropahty (celiac disease) and food intolerances due to nontoxic, nonimmune reactions to foods. More than 90% of the allergic reactions observed in children and adults can be attributed to exposure to eight foods or food groups. Virtually all allergens are proteins, yet of the enormous numbers of proteins occurring in foods, only a very few are allergenic and only in certain people. Most known protein allergens are stable to digestion and processing, and many of the major allergens tend to be abundant relative to the other proteins found in the allergenic food item. Many of the known food allergens have been molecularly cloned and characterized. Modern biotechnology provides methods for the identification and selection of genes encoding for specific proteins. The report concludes that for proteins introduced into foods from sources with no history of allergenicity, that have no amino acid sequence similarities to known food allergens, that ate rapidly digested, and that are expressed at low levels relative to the expression of major allergens, there would be no concern about their allergenic potential. The probability that an introduced protein will be allergenic was considered to be low and that definitive methods are available to detect known allergens.