Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Quantitative methods for food allergens: a review

  • Review
  • Published:
Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The quantitative detection of allergens in the food chain is a strategic health objective as the prevalence of allergy continues to rise. Food allergenicity is caused by proteins either in their native form or in forms resulting from food processing. Progress in mass spectrometry greatly opened up the field of proteomics. These advances are now available for the detection and the quantification of traces of allergenic proteins in complex mixtures, and complete the set of biological tests used until now, such as ELISA or PCR. We review methods classified according to their ability to simultaneously quantify and identify allergenic proteins and underline major advances in the mass-spectrometric methods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BAT:

basophil activation test

BHR:

basophil histamine release

DIGE:

difference gel electrophoresis

EAST:

enzyme-allergosorbent test

ELISA:

enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

ICAT:

isotope-coded affinity tag

ICPL:

isotope-coded protein labelling

ICP-MS:

inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

IgE:

immunoglobulin E

IgG:

immunoglobulin G

iTRAQ:

isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification

LOD:

limit of detection

LOQ:

limit of quantification

MRM:

multiple reaction monitoring

MS:

mass spectrometry

MS/MS:

tandem mass spectrometry

PAGE:

polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis

PCR:

polymerase chain reaction

RAST:

radio-allergosorbent test

SDS:

sodium dodecyl sulphate

SILAC:

stable isotope labelling with amino acids in cell culture

References

  1. Ortolani C, Ispano M, Scibilia J, Pastorello EA (2001) Allergy 56(Suppl 67):5–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kagan RS (2003) Environ Health Perspect 111:223–225

    Google Scholar 

  3. Sicherer SH, Sampson HA (2006) J Allergy Clin Immunol 117:470–475

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Kanny G, Moneret-Vautrin DA, Flabbee J, Beaudouin E, Morisset M, Thevenin F (2001) J Allergy Clin Immunol 108:133–140

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Meyer R (2008) J Fam Health Care 18:7–30

    Google Scholar 

  6. Cercle d’Investigations Cliniques et Biologiques en Allergologie Alimentaire (2005) CICBAA - fiche pratique. http://www.cicbaa.com/pages_fr/donnees/allergenes_adultes.html

  7. United Nations Environment Programme, International Labour Organization, World Health Organization, International Programme On Chemical Safety (1999) Principles and methods for assessing allergic hypersensitization associated with exposure to chemicals. Environmental health criteria no 212. World Health Organization, Geneva

  8. Commission E (2000) Off J Eur Union L 109:29

    Google Scholar 

  9. Commission E (2003) Off J Eur Union L 308:15

    Google Scholar 

  10. Commission E (2006) Off J Eur Union L 368:110

    Google Scholar 

  11. Monaci L, Visconti A (2009) Trends Anal Chem 28:581–591

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Poms RE, Klein CL, Anklam E (2004) Food Addit Contam 21:1–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Leung DYM (1997) Mol Genet Metab 63:157–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Sampson HA (1999) J Allergy Clin Immunol 103:717–728

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Wal J-M (2005) In: Arbault P Daussant J (eds) Collection sciences et techniques agroalimentaires. Tec & Doc Lavoisier, Paris

  16. Ben Rejeb S, Abbott M, Davies D, Cléroux C, Delahaut P (2005) Food Addit Contam 22:709–715

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Careri M, Elviri L, Mangia A, Mucchino C (2007) Anal Bioanal Chem 387:1851–1854

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Poms RE, Anklam E, Kuhn M (2004) J AOAC Int 87:1391–1397

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Hirao T, Hiramoto M, Imai S, Kato H (2006) J Food Prot 69:2478–2486

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Frémont S, Kanny G, Bieber S, Nicolas JP, Moneret-Vautrin DA (1996) Allergy 51:749–754

    Google Scholar 

  21. Koppelman SJ, Knulst AC, Koers WJ, Penninks AH, Peppelman H, Vlooswijk R, Pigmans I, van Duijn G, Hessing M (1999) J Immunol Methods 229:107–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Blais BW, Gaudreault M, Phillippe LM (2003) Food Control 14:43–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Scheibe B, Weiss W, Ruëff F, Przybilla B, Görg A (2001) J Chromatogr B Biomed Sci Appl 756:229–237

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Yamanishi R, Kondo K, Tsuji H, Ogawa T (1995) Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 59:1272–1275

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Yamanishi R, Tsuji H, Bando N, Yoshimoto I, Ogawa T (1997) Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 61:19–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Kaul S, Lüttkopf D, Kastner B, Vogel L, Höltz G, Vieths S, Hoffmann A (2007) Clin Exp Allergy 37:141–150

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Sanz ML, Maselli JP, Gamboa PM, Oehling A, Diéguez I, de Weck AL (2002) J Investig Allergol Clin Immunol 12:143–154

    Google Scholar 

  28. De Weck AL, Sanz ML, Gamboa PM, Aberer W, Bienvenu J, Blanca M, Demoly P, Ebo DG, Mayorga L, Monneret G, Sainte-Laudy J (2008) Int Arch Allergy Immunol 146:177–189

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Ebo DG, Bridts CH, Hagendorens MM, Aerts NE, De Clerck LS, Stevens WJ (2008) Cytometry B Clin Cytom 74:201–210

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Moneret-Vautrin DA, Sainte-Laudy J, Kanny G, Frémont S (1999) Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol 82:33–40

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Ebo DG, Hagendorens MM, Bridts CH, Schuerwegh AJ, De Clerck LS, Stevens WJ (2005) Cytometry B Clin Cytom 64:28–33

    Google Scholar 

  32. Worm M, Hompes S, Fiedler EM, Illner AK, Zuberbier T, Vieths S (2000) Clin Exp Allergy 39:159–166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Kadooka Y, Idota T, Gunji H, Shimatani M, Kawakami H, Dosako S, Samori T (2000) Int Arch Allergy Immunol 122:264–269

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  34. Kleine-Tebbe J, Erdmann S, Knol EF, MacGlashan DW Jr, Poulsen LK, Gibbs BF (2006) Int Arch Allergy Immunol 141:79–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Bindslev-Jensen C, Briggs D, Osterballe M (2002) Allergy 57:741–746

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Taylor SL, Hefle SL, Bindslev-Jensen C, Atkins FM, Andre C, Bruijnzeel-Koomen C, Burks AW, Bush RK, Ebisawa M, Eigenmann PA, Host A, Hourihane JO’B, Isolauri E, Hill DJ, Knulst A, Lack G, Sampson HA, Moneret-Vautrin DA, Rance F, Vadas PA, Yunginger JW, Zeiger RS, Salminen JW, Madsen C, Abbott P (2004) Clin Exp Allergy 34:689–695

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Crevel RWR, Ballmer-Weber BK, Holzhauser T, Hourihane JOB, Knulst AC, Mackie AR, Timmermans F, Taylor SL (2008) Allergy 63:597–609

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Huber CG, Premstaller A (1999) J Chromatogr A 849:161–173

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Czerwenka C, Maier I, Potocnik N, Pittner F, Lindner W (2007) Anal Chem 79:5165–5172

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Monaci L, van Hengel AJ (2008) J Chromatogr A 1192:113–120

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Hobson DJ, Rupa P, Diaz GJ, Zhang H, Yang M, Mine Y, Turner PV, Kirby GM (2007) Food Chem Toxicol 45:2372–2380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Alm R, Ekefjärd A, Krogh M, Häkkinen J, Emanuelsson C (2007) J Proteome Res 6:3011–3020

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Ong SE, Blagoev B, Kratchmarova I, Kristensen DB, Steen H, Pandey A, Mann M (2002) Mol Cell Proteomics 1:376–386

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Gygi SP, Rist B, Gerber SA, Turecek F, Gelb MH, Aebersold R (1999) Nat Biotechnol 10:994–999

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Schmidt A, Kellermann J, Lottspeich F (2005) Proteomics 5:4–15

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Ross PL, Huang YN, Marchese JN, Williamson B (2004) Mol Cell Proteomics 3:1154–1169

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Ulla S (2007) Patent Appl WO 2007/031080 A1

  48. Reynolds KJ, Fenselau C (2004) Curr Protoc Protein Sci Unit 23.4

  49. Gerber SA, Rush J, Stemman O, Kirschner MW, Gygi SP (2003) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100:6940–6945

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  50. Gygi SP, Gerber SA (2003) Patent Appl WO 2003/016861 A2

  51. Pratt JM, Simpson DM, Doherty MK, Rivers J, Gaskell SJ, Beynon RJ (2006) Nat Protoc 1:1029–1043

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  52. Kirsch S, Widart J, Louette J, Focant JF, De Pauw E (2007) J Chromatogr A 1153:300–306

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  53. Brun V, Dupuis A, Adrait A, Marcellin M, Thomas D, Court M, Vandenesch F, Garin J (2007) Mol Cell Proteomics 6:2139–2149

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  54. Weber D, Raymond P, Ben-Rejeb S, Lau B (2006) J Agric Food Chem 54:1604–1610

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  55. Shefcheck KJ, Musser SM (2004) J Agric Food Chem 52:2785–2790

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  56. Shefcheck KJ, Callahan JH, Musser SM (2006) J Agric Food Chem 54:7953–7959

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  57. Chassaigne H, Norgaard JV, Hengel AJ (2007) J Agric Food Chem 55:4461–4473

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  58. Careri M, Costa A, Elviri L, Lagos JB, Mangia A, Terenghi M, Cereti A, Perono Garoffo L (2007) Anal Bioanal Chem 389:1901–1907

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  59. Careri M, Elviri L, Lagos JB, Mangia A, Speroni F, Terenghi M (2008) J Chromatogr A 1206:89–94

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  60. Choi H, Fermin D, Nesvizhskii A (2008) Mol Cell Proteomics 7:2373–2385

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  61. Liu H, Sadygov RG, Yates JR (2004) Anal Chem 76:4193–4201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  62. Bantscheff M, Schirle M, Sweetman G, Rick J, Kuster B (2007) Anal Bioanal Chem 389:1017–1031

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  63. Tabata T, Sato T, Kuromitsu J, Oda Y (2007) Anal Chem 79:8440–8445

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  64. Brambilla F, Resta D, Isak I, Zanotti M, Arnoldi A (2009) Proteomics 9:272–286

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Belgian SPF “santé publique” for funding the Allergen and ALLERISK projects. The FNRS (fund for scientific research) is acknowledged for its continuous support.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mass Spectrometry Laboratory CART/GIGA-R, University of Liège, 4000, Liege, Belgium

    Stéphanie Kirsch, Séverine Fourdrilis, Rowan Dobson & Edwin De Pauw

  2. Laboratoire d’Analyse des Denrées Alimentaires, University of Liege, 4000, Liege, Belgium

    Marie-Louise Scippo & Guy Maghuin-Rogister

Authors
  1. Stéphanie Kirsch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Séverine Fourdrilis
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Rowan Dobson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marie-Louise Scippo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Guy Maghuin-Rogister
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Edwin De Pauw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edwin De Pauw.

Additional information

Stéphanie Kirsch and Séverine Fourdrilis contributed equally to this paper.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kirsch, S., Fourdrilis, S., Dobson, R. et al. Quantitative methods for food allergens: a review. Anal Bioanal Chem 395, 57–67 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2869-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-009-2869-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation