Development of the analytical system for food allergens detection and its application on food allergen inactivation

Development of the analytical system for food allergens detection and its application on food allergen inactivation

The previous research paper indicated that the main cause of food allergies in Taiwan is seafood consumption, accounting for 67.5% of food allergy cases in hospital emergency rooms. Shrimp is an important source, and tropomyosin is one of the major allergens found in crustaceans (shrimp, crab, etc.). Tropomyosin is a heat-resistant α-helical protein with a molecular weight ranging from 34-38 kDa. This allergen's sensitivity is not reduced during processing methods such as boiling, frying, or freezing, indicating that its structure is not easily altered by food processing. The allergic population in Taiwan is approximately 6.9%, with seafood allergies representing half of these cases. Therefore, the research strategy of this project aims to reduce seafood allergy occurrences. In the first phase, the project will develop FTIR detection technology, industrialize the technology, and apply it to the detection of seafood allergens in food.