How allergenic are edible insects?
In a current research project at the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences, a method for improved allergy tests and allergen detection is being developed. In addition, the researchers are taking a close look at different insect species, because so far very little is known about their allergenic potential. However, experts are concerned that people who are allergic to shellfish or house dust mites in particular might also react to insect proteins in food.
Bild von photosforyou auf Pixabay
Up to now, edible insects have been a staple food, especially in some Asian, African and Latin American countries. However, due to their high protein content and micronutrients, beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers and the like are increasingly being regarded as a possible alternative to fish or meat in Germany. However, what has not yet been researched at all: How high is the risk for allergy sufferers when they eat whole or processed insects? And how can this be tested at all? These questions are the focus of a current research project at the Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences, which is coordinated by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin and has been funded for a total of three years since September 2020.
"The starting point of our research is the fear among experts that people who are allergic to shellfish or house dust mites in particular might also react to insect proteins in food," says Prof. Dr. Dieter Stoll from the Faculty of Life Sciences, who is leading the project at the Sigmaringen site and conducting it together with Dr. Eva-Maria Ladenburger. The problem is that conventional allergy tests are time-consuming and often risky - patients are either given a prick in the skin or have to eat certain foods under clinical observation. "It would be much easier to draw blood from the patient, isolate the immune cells contained in it and carry out the allergy test in the laboratory without exposing the patient to the risk of a perhaps even severe allergic reaction," says Dieter Stoll.
The researchers are therefore isolating highly pure insect proteins and making them available to HOT Screen GmbH in Reutlingen, which hopes to use them to further develop its whole blood test, previously used for testing drugs, for allergy diagnostics as well. In cooperation with the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen (NMI), the company hopes to establish a diagnostic method developed there for other purposes as a very rapid and inexpensive allergy test. "We hope to be able to use it to measure in just a few minutes which proteins an allergy sufferer has antibodies against in their blood," says Dieter Stoll. "This could help to process food in such a way that the allergens can no longer harm the person." With the detection methods that Signatope GmbH in Reutlingen is developing, this positive change in the allergens in the food would also be quickly detectable.
Using a very strong allergen from peanuts, on which a great deal of research has already been carried out, "we first want to show that the method itself is suitable for allergy tests," reports Eva-Maria Ladenburger. Then the method will be transferred to insect proteins, "about which we still know very little". So far, scientists have only limited data on the allergenic potential of mealworms. In Sigmaringen, the researchers will also investigate the migratory locust, two cricket species, the soldier fly and the buffalo worm, for which applications for approval as foodstuffs are underway or planned in the EU. In order to guarantee the freshness of the animals, the university is working with the company "Six Feet To Eat" from near Ulm, which is one of only a few companies in Europe that produces edible insects as a certified food company. "We can then also compare the allergens of fresh insects with those that have been dried or ground," says Eva-Maria Ladenburger.
The research project should therefore create added value in several respects: "If many people can be tested for food allergens more quickly, safely and cheaply, the success of hyposensitisation therapy in allergy sufferers would be much more closely traceable than it is today," says Dieter Stoll.
The importance of the project also for the authorities is shown by the first statement of the Working Group on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on the safety of mealworm powder as a novel food, which calls for increased research on the allergenic potential of insect proteins.
Further information: The research project is coordinated by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment in Berlin and funded by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food through the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety since September 2020 for a total of three years. Albstadt-Sigmaringen University of Applied Sciences is collaborating on the project with Signatope GmbH, HOT Screen GmbH, the Natural and Medical Sciences Institute at the University of Tübingen (NMI), the Children's Hospital at Charité in Berlin, the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) in Berlin and Nestlé's associated research centre, which is not funded by the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety. Together, the consortium is active in an area that is still largely unexplored but is developing very dynamically.
Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.
Get the food & beverage industry in your inbox
From now on, don't miss a thing: Our newsletter for the food & beverage sector brings you up to date every Tuesday and Thursday. The latest industry news, product highlights and innovations - compact and easy to understand in your inbox. Researched by us so you don't have to.
Most read news
More news from our other portals
See the theme worlds for related content
Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.
Topic world Food safety
Food safety is at the heart of the food and beverage industry. It ensures that the food we eat every day is not only nutritious, but also free of harmful contaminants. From field to plate, the industry monitors and regulates every step of the process with strict quality controls, advanced testing methods and continuous research.
