title: Advances in ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for sensitive detection of several food allergens in complex and processed foodstuffs.
abstract: Sensitive detection of food allergens is affected by food processing and foodstuff complexity. It is therefore a challenge to detect cross-contamination in food production that could endanger an allergic customer's life. Here we used ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry for simultaneous detection of traces of milk (casein, whey protein), egg (yolk, white), soybean, and peanut allergens in different complex and/or heat-processed foodstuffs. The method is based on a single protocol (extraction, trypsin digestion, and purification) applicable to the different tested foodstuffs: chocolate, ice cream, tomato sauce, and processed cookies. The determined limits of quantitation, expressed in total milk, egg, peanut, or soy proteins (and not soluble proteins) per kilogram of food, are: 0.5mg/kg for milk (detection of caseins), 5mg/kg for milk (detection of whey), 2.5mg/kg for peanut, 5mg/kg for soy, 3.4mg/kg for egg (detection of egg white), and 30.8mg/kg for egg (detection of egg yolk). The main advantage is the ability of the method to detect four major food allergens simultaneously in processed and complex matrices with very high sensitivity and specificity.
authors.affiliation: CER Groupe, Health department, rue du Point du Jour, 8 6900 Marloie Belgium; Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (URBC)-Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, 61, rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Planque
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (URBC)-Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, 61, rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arnould
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (URBC)-Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, 61, rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dieu
authors.affiliation: CER Groupe, Health department, rue du Point du Jour, 8 6900 Marloie Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delahaut
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biochemistry and Cell Biology (URBC)-Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, 61, rue de Bruxelles, 5000 Namur, Belgium.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Renard
authors.affiliation: CER Groupe, Health department, rue du Point du Jour, 8 6900 Marloie Belgium. Electronic address: n.gillard@cergroupe.be.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gillard
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000737:chemistry*; D000818:Animals; D010367:Arachis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D002645:Chickens; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / Q000379:methods*; D004531:Eggs; D005504:Food Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005511:Food Handling; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology; D053719:Tandem Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D030262:Soybean Proteins
keywords: Incurred food matrices; Multi-allergens; Multi-matrices; Processed matrices; Sensitivity; UHPLC–MS/MS