Crustacean shellfish allergens: influence of food processing and their detection strategies

Abstract

Despite the increasing popularity of crustacean shellfish among consumers due to their rich nutrients, they can induce a serious allergic response, sometimes even life-threatening. In the past decades, a variety of crustacean allergens have been identified to facilitate the diagnosis and management of crustacean allergies. Although food processing techniques can ease the risk of crustacean shellfish allergy, no available processing methods to tackle crustacean allergies thoroughly. Strict dietary avoidance of crustacean shellfish and its component is the best option for the protection of sensitized individuals, which should rely on the compliance of food labeling and, as such, on their verification by sensitive, reliable, and accurate detection techniques. In this present review, the physiochemical properties, structure aspects, and immunological characteristics of the major crustacean allergens have been described and discussed. Subsequently, the current research progresses on how various processing techniques cause the alterations and modifications in crustacean allergens to produce hypoallergenic crustacean food products were summarized and discussed. Particularly, various analytical methodologies employed in crustacean shellfish allergen detection, and the effect of food processing and matrix on these techniques, are also herein emphasized for the appropriate selection of analytical detection tools to safeguard consumers safety.

Keywords:

• Crustacean shellfish allergy
• allergen characteristics
• food processing techniques
• detection strategies

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

We are grateful for the financial support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32072338).