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Immunoassays

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Food Analysis

Part of the book series: Food Science Text Series ((FSTS))

Abstract

Almost any organic molecule in food can be determined using immunoassays as long as the specific antibodies are available. The remarkable selectivity and sensitivity of these assays are the result of the strong binding affinity between antibodies and their antigens. In the food analysis area, immunoassays are widely used for chemical contaminants analysis, identification of bacteria and viruses, and detection of proteins in food and agricultural products (e.g., allergens and meat species content, seafood species identification, and detection of genetically modified plant tissues). This chapter on immunoassays compares and contrasts direct vs. indirect assays and competitive vs. non-competitive assays. It describes the principles and procedures for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA), lateral flow strips, and immunoblots (Western blot and dot blot). Methods covered are compared and contrasted, giving advantages, disadvantages, and applications. Also described is immunoaffinity purification and its applications.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the following persons from the Institute of Sciences of Food Production (ISPA), National Research Council of Italy, for their helpful comments in revision of this chapter: Michelangelo Pascale, Veronica Lattanzio, and Annalisa De Girolamo.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306-1493, USA

    Y-H. Peggy Hsieh & Qinchun Rao

Authors
  1. Y-H. Peggy Hsieh
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  2. Qinchun Rao
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Y-H. Peggy Hsieh .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Food Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

    S. Suzanne Nielsen

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© 2017 Springer International Publishing

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Hsieh, YH.P., Rao, Q. (2017). Immunoassays. In: Nielsen, S.S. (eds) Food Analysis. Food Science Text Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45776-5_27

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