Is biosensor a viable method for food allergen detection?

The emerging health issue of food-induced allergic reactions presents an im portant challenge to the food industry. Unfortunately, methods for food all ergen detection are still mostly unavailable. Surface plasmon resonance (SP R) immunoassays are based on the biological input of antibody-allergen bind ing, while the measurable output is either a resonance angle or refractive index value. The feasibility of applying the experimental SPREETA (TM) eval uation kit as a commercially available biosensor to detect peanut allergens was examined. Preliminary results achieved a detection limit 0.7 mug/ml. T his miniature biosensor technology may offer the food industry with a tool to allow for immediate, on-line detection and quantification of inadvertent allergens in food - during the food's production - not after. Such a tool will be of great benefit to the food processor enabling management decision s to be made early in the production cycle. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.