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

Karl-Heinz Engel (1) , Anja Demmel (1) , Alexandra Ehlert (1) , Christine Hupfer (2) , Ulrich Busch (2)

1 Chair of General Food Technology
2 Bavarian Health and Food safety Authority

The simultaneous detection of DNA from different potentially allergenic food ingredients by a ligation-dependent probe amplification (LPA) system is described. The approach allows the detection of several targets in a one-tube assay. Synthetic oligonucleotides were designed to detect DNA from peanut, cashew nut, pecan nut, pistachio nut, hazelnut, sesame seeds, macadamia nut, almond, walnut and brazil nut. The specificity of the system was tested with DNA from more than 50 plant and animal species. The sensitivity of the method was shown to be suitable to detect allergenic ingredients in the lower ppm range. The limit of detection (LOD) for the detection of single allergens in different food matrices was determined to 5 mg/kg. The novel analytical strategy represents a useful tool for the surveillance of the established legislation on food allergens in the European Union.

Mots clés: Life Sciences

Karl-Heinz Engel, Anja Demmel, Alexandra Ehlert, Christine Hupfer, Ulrich Busch. Simultaneous detection of DNA from ten food allergens by ligation-dependent probe amplification. Food Additives and Contaminants, 2009, 26 (04), pp.409-418. ⟨10.1080/02652030802593529⟩. ⟨hal-00577350⟩