Food Microbiology and Food Safety

Food allergy is an abnormal immunological reaction to food proteins, which causes

an adverse clinical reaction. It can occur as a consequence of conformational cross-
reactivity to respiratory allergens (oral allergy syndrome), or following sensitiza-
tion via gastrointestinal tract. Almost all known food allergens that sensitize via

gastrointestinal system belong to the prolamin and cupin protein superfamilies of
allergens. Those are mainly characterized by resistance to heat and digestion. The
discrepancy between the vast numbers of proteins we encounter and the limited

number of proteins that actually become allergens, have led scientists to investi-
gate what unique features make proteins destined to be allergens. The information

gained from these studies has led to an allergy assessment strategy that character-
izes the potential allergenicity of biotechnology products prior to their commercial-
ization. Beside allergen structure,