MEAT ALLERGY .2. EFFECTS OF FOOD-PROCESSING AND ENZYMATIC DIGESTION ON THE ALLERGENICITY OF BOVINE AND OVINE MEATS

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate whether peptic treatme nt of BSA and OSA affects their allergenicity and to evaluate the effe ct of technological treatments of meat for infant feeding on the aller genicity of these proteins. Subjects: Twelve children (8 males and 14 females) suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD), aged 12 months to 4.33 years (mean age 2.21 +/- 1.05 years). Study Design and Methods: Child ren suffering from atopic dermatitis (AD), clinically reactive and SPT -positive to beef, underwent skin prick testing (SPT) and radioallergo sorbent test (RAST) with BSA and OSA, before and after peptic treatmen t. They were tested also with commercially available homogenized bovin e meat (HBM) and with freeze-dried bovine (FDBM) and ovine (FDOM) meal s. Peptic digestion of BSA and OSA was carried out in a Dubnoff's wate r bath containing 0.05 mg/ml of pepsin. SPT and RAST were performed fo r 1 mg/ml of BSA and OSA digested 5 minutes, 2 hours and 4 hours with pepsin; homogenized bovine meat, and FDBM and FDOM. SPT results were e xpressed as diameters (in mm) of the wheal obtained after SPT; a diame ter greater than or equal to 3 mm was considered as positive. RAST was considered positive for IgE values 5 > UI/ml. Results: SPT to native BSA and OSA were positive in all patients. Only 2 of the 12 children w ere SPT-positive to HBM, FDBM, and FDOM. After digestion, SPTs and wer e positive as follows: for BSA, 4/12 after 5 minutes peptic treatment, 2/12 after 2 hours and 2/12 after 4 hours; for OSA, 3/12 after 5 minu tes peptic treatment, none after 2 and 4 hours. None of RASTs was posi tive after peptic attack. Conclusions: Both proteolytic digestion and technological treatment reduced the allergenic potential of meat produ cts.