[Food allergen regulations in the EU]. / Lebensmittelrechtliche Regelungen für Allergene in der EU.

With the implementation of EU regulation 1169/2011 in December 2014, labelling of allergenic ingredients has been extended to non-prepacked foods. The member states of the European Union were authorised to lay down national rules for the labelling of allergenic ingredients in non-prepacked foods. In Germany, this was accomplished through the introduction of the Vorläufige Lebensmittelinformations-Ergänzungsverordnung (VorlLMIEV). Regulation 1169/2011 also changed the way allergenic ingredients are to be labelled on prepacked foods.This article provides an overview over the current regulations regarding the labelling of food allergens on prepacked and non-prepacked foods in the EU and Germany.

Comparative assessment of DNA-based approaches for the quantification of food allergens.

Governments all over the world have implemented regulatory frameworks concerning food allergen labelling and established or discussed the implementation of thresholds. Therefore, quantitative methods are needed for their surveillance. DNA-based approaches using a matrix-adapted calibration, an internal standard material and a modified standard addition have been developed. In order to enable a comparative assessment of the available quantification methods, experimental framework conditions and uniform performance criteria were defined. For the evaluation of the experimental results using homogenous sample material, the recovery, repeatability and reproducibility were considered along with the limit of detection and the limit of quantification. In addition, muffin dough and muffins spiked with sesame were analysed to assess the suitability of the methods to quantify sesame in model foods. The modified standard addition emerged from the comparative assessment and the analysis of the model foods to be the most appropriate method to quantify traces of allergens in food.

Apricot DNA as an indicator for persipan: detection and quantitation in marzipan using ligation-dependent probe amplification.

The confectionery ingredient marzipan is exclusively prepared from almond kernels and sugar. The potential use of apricot kernels, so-called persipan, is an important issue for the quality assessment of marzipan. Therefore, a ligation-dependent probe amplification (LPA) assay was developed that enables a specific and sensitive detection of apricot DNA, as an indicator for the presence of persipan. The limit of detection was determined to be 0.1% persipan in marzipan. The suitability of the method was confirmed by the analysis of 20 commercially available food samples. The integration of a Prunus -specific probe in the LPA assay as a reference allowed for the relative quantitation of persipan in marzipan. The limit of quantitation was determined to be 0.5% persipan in marzipan. The analysis of two self-prepared mixtures of marzipan and persipan demonstrated the applicability of the quantitation method at concentration levels of practical relevance for quality control.

Simultaneous detection of DNA from 10 food allergens by ligation-dependent probe amplification.

The simultaneous detection of DNA from different allergenic food ingredients by a ligation-dependent probe amplification (LPA) system is described. The approach allows detection of several targets in a one-tube assay. Synthetic oligonucleotides were designed to detect DNA from peanuts, cashews, pecans, pistachios, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, macadamia nuts, almonds, walnuts and brazil nuts. The specificity of the system was tested with DNA from more than 50 plant and animal species. The sensitivity of the method was suitable to detect allergenic ingredients in the low mg kg(-1) range. The limit of detection (LOD) for single allergens in different food matrices was 5 mg kg(-1). The novel analytical strategy represents a useful tool for the surveillance of established legislation on food allergens within the European Union.

Development of a real-time PCR for the detection of lupine DNA (lupinus species) in foods.

Lupine flour, protein, and fiber have become common ingredients in food products. The association of lupine-related allergic incidents with peanut allergy is a cause for concern as the latter may bring about severe reactions. In this study, a hybridization probe-based real-time PCR assay for the detection of lupine DNA in foods was developed. Particular attention was paid to the specificity of the method, which was verified by analysis of DNA extracts from more than 50 potential food ingredients such as legumes, cereals, seeds, nuts, spices, fruits, and meat. The limit of detection of the method was determined as 0.1 mg/kg. The successful detection of the presence/absence of lupine DNA in 20 samples proved the suitability of the assay for the analysis of frequently encountered food matrices.