Ninth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Peanut allergy is a significant health concern worldwide and accounts for 70% of anaphylactic reactions. The peanut allergen, Ara h1 is recognised by IgE in more than 90% of peanut hypersensitive individuals. Food processing affects the conformation of food proteins and has shown to alter allergenicity. The aim of this study was to investigate and quantify the effects of food processing methods on Ara h1. The effects of thermal processing, such as autoclaving and non-thermal processing, on the immunoreactivity on Ara h1 was studied. Autoclaving reduced the immunoreactivity of Ara h1 in peanuts. Cold plasma processing effects on the antigenicity of Ara h1 was also examined. Cold plasma treatment of defatted peanut flour showed a decrease in the antigenicity by 47% when compared to the control. Similarly, High-Pressure Processing showed a profound effect on the antigenicity of Ara h1 in peanuts at a pressure of 600 Mpa for eight mins. Additionally, non-thermal processing methods induced changes in the secondary structure change of allergen protein Ara h1.