About this Research Topic
Food allergy (FA) is a significant public health concern characterized by adverse immune responses to specific food allergens, predominantly found in "The Big Eight" foods: milk, eggs, wheat, soybean, peanuts, shellfish, fish, and tree nuts. These allergic reactions can manifest in various clinical symptoms, from mild skin irritations to severe anaphylaxis. Recent epidemiological data indicate a rising prevalence of FA, affecting approximately 10% of the population in Australia, 8% in the US, 6% in Europe, and 5.3% in Korea. This increase underscores the urgent need for effective management strategies, as current solutions primarily involve strict allergen avoidance or emergency interventions, which are not sustainable long-term solutions. While novel food processing technologies, such as heat treatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation, have been explored to reduce food allergenicity, their effects are not yet fully understood. This gap in knowledge presents a critical opportunity for research to develop efficient and safe methods to mitigate allergenicity, particularly for the dairy and broader food industries.
This research topic aims to address the knowledge gap in reducing the allergenicity of food proteins in products containing common allergens. By exploring novel processing technologies and methodologies, the research seeks to advance the development of hypoallergenic foods, thereby contributing to improved food allergy management. The objective is to enhance our understanding of how these technologies can effectively reduce allergenic proteins, ultimately leading to safer food options for individuals with food allergies and reducing the societal and economic burdens associated with FA.
To gather further insights into the novel processing technologies for food allergy management, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The isolation, characterization, and rapid detection technologies of food allergens in raw food materials and processed food products.
- The novel methodologies being used to reduce the allergenicity of food allergens, such as nanotechnology, microwave technology, and molecular biological strategies.
- Methods to evaluate the efficacy of processing treatments on food allergenicity mitigation.
- The alteration of food protein functionality during the process of reducing allergenicity.
- The relationship between food allergy and gastrointestinal digestion and absorption.
- Food allergy management and prevention strategies in food production and consumption.
This research topic aims to address the knowledge gap in reducing the allergenicity of food proteins in products containing common allergens. By exploring novel processing technologies and methodologies, the research seeks to advance the development of hypoallergenic foods, thereby contributing to improved food allergy management. The objective is to enhance our understanding of how these technologies can effectively reduce allergenic proteins, ultimately leading to safer food options for individuals with food allergies and reducing the societal and economic burdens associated with FA.
To gather further insights into the novel processing technologies for food allergy management, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- The isolation, characterization, and rapid detection technologies of food allergens in raw food materials and processed food products.
- The novel methodologies being used to reduce the allergenicity of food allergens, such as nanotechnology, microwave technology, and molecular biological strategies.
- Methods to evaluate the efficacy of processing treatments on food allergenicity mitigation.
- The alteration of food protein functionality during the process of reducing allergenicity.
- The relationship between food allergy and gastrointestinal digestion and absorption.
- Food allergy management and prevention strategies in food production and consumption.
Keywords: Food allergy, Allergen protein, Immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated type I hypersensitivity, Protein structure, allergenicity
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
