The increasing shift towards plant-based platforms to express native animal proteins—aimed at replacing conventional sources of dairy, eggs, meat, and seafood—proposes a promising solution to the challenges faced by the traditional animal agriculture sector. These platforms potentially allow for scalable production with notably lower costs and environmental footprints. Significant to this approach is the expression of crucial proteins like casein, whey, and ovalbumin, which, despite their functionality, are known allergens in humans, posing substantial public health concerns especially when plants are cultivated in open environments. These allergens could incite adverse reactions among sensitive populations, highlighting an urgent need for rigorous research and regulatory review to ensure public safety.

This Research Topic aims to kickstart a comprehensive discourse to educate and align various stakeholders on the safe adoption of plant-based systems for primary antigen protein production. By fostering dialogue among protein producers, regulatory bodies, supply chain contributors, and quality control experts, the goal is to enhance understanding across various sectors and to collectively develop strategies that safeguard public health while enabling innovative production techniques.

To ensure broad coverage and the development of effective frameworks, articles contributing to this debate could focus on, but are not restricted to, the following themes:

-Case studies on plant-expressed proteins' impact on allergy prevalence
-Regulatory challenges and solutions in US and international contexts
-Advanced identity preservation systems for allergen management
-Risk assessment and quality management in plant-based protein production
-Strategies for public engagement and policy-making in food safety
-Technological advancements in controlled plant growth environments
-Life cycle analysis/economic analysis of plant based expression of animal proteins.

Through examining these themes, the collection seeks to build a foundation for future advancements in the field, ensuring safe practices in the rapidly evolving landscape of food technology.

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Frontiers in Plant Science

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