title: Current perspectives and recommendations for the development of mass spectrometry methods for the determination of allergens in foods.
abstract: Allergen detection and quantification is an essential part of allergen management as practiced by food manufacturers. Recently, protein MS methods (in particular, multiple reaction monitoring experiments) have begun to be adopted by the allergen detection community to provide an alternative technique to ELISA and PCR methods. MS analysis of proteins in foods provides additional challenges to the analyst, both in terms of experimental design and methodology: (1) choice of analyte, including multiplexing to simultaneously detect several biologically relevant molecules able to trigger allergic reactions; (2) choice of processing stable peptide markers for different target analytes that should be placed in publicly available databases; (3) markers allowing quantification (e.g., through standard addition or isotopically labeled peptide standards); (4) optimization of protease digestion protocols to ensure reproducible and robust method development; and (5) effective validation of methods and harmonization of results through the use of naturally incurred reference materials spanning several types of food matrix.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich, UK. Phil.Johnson@bbsrc.ac.uk
authors.forename: Phil E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baumgartner
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aldick
authors.forename: Conrad
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bessant
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giosafatto
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Heick
authors.forename: Gianfranco
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mamone
authors.forename: Gavin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Poms
authors.forename: Bert
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Popping
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reuter
authors.forename: Franz
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ulberth
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monaci
authors.forename: E N Clare
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Mills
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000032:analysis*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens