Food allergy: what are the issues?

With a growing interest in the development of genetically modified crop pla nts there is a need for appropriate approaches to safety assessment. Among the issues that have to be addressed is consideration of whether the produc ts of novel genes have the potential to cause allergic sensitization. Resul ting from a collaboration between the International Food Biotechnology Coun cil and the International Life Sciences Institute recommendations have been made for a step-wise approach to the assessment of allergenic potential ba sed upon considerations of serological identity, and sequence or structural homology, with known allergens and examination of the stability of the tes t protein in a simulated gastric fluid. In parallel there has been interest in the development of animal models, which would permit a more direct eval uation of potential allergenic activity. Progress in these areas is reviewe d briefly in the context of what is known of food allergy and some of the i mportant issues. which must be addressed in designing safety assessment str ategies identified. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reser ved.