Food allergies and allergen management are important problems of the public health and food industry. The idea of determining allergen concentrations in food ingredients and food products that are capable of causing severe allergic reactions is of great interest for regulatory bodies as well as consumer associations and the industry all over the world. In this connection, scientists proposed different approaches to determining the basis for assessment of severity of risks of food allergens for health of patients suffering from food allergy similar to methods of risk assessment for other hazards associated with food products (for example, chemical, microbiological). To assess risk of allergens, three different approaches were proposed: i) traditional risk assessment using the no observed adverse effect level (NOAEL)) and uncertainty factors; (ii) approach based on the benchmark dose (BMD)) and margin of exposure (MoE)); and (iii) probability models. These approaches can be used in risk management in food production and in the development of warning marking about the presence of allergens. The reliability of risk assessment will depend on a type, quality and quantity of data used for determining both population threshold levels (or threshold distributions) and an impact of an allergenic product/ingredient on a particular individual.
People with food allergies (there are up to 10% of them in the world) must follow a special diet to prevent the manifestation of allergic reactions. WHO regularly specifies and updates the list of allergens. In the world there is no single approach to determine the minimum concentration of an allergen that can cause an allergic reaction, known as a threshold dose. The controlling authorities of many countries, realizing the seriousness of threats to the health of citizens associated with food allergies, are adopting laws, regulations and standards which require the indication of the possibility of allergens on the labeling of food products, thereby ensuring that they are not consumed by the population vulnerable to food allergies. The scope of food allergen management is much broader than just food labeling and is not possible without modern methodology and analytical methods. Various methods are used to control the presence of allergens in food products, both qualitative and quantitative. The concentration of an allergen that can cause a serious threat to health can be calculated in micro- and nanograms. Therefore, approaches are constantly being developed to increase the sensitivity of methods for detecting allergens in food. These are immune-analytical, mass spectrometric, chromatographic, histological methods, methods based on amplification of nucleic acids, proteomic analysis and methods using biosensors. The paper considers these methods, their advantages and disadvantages. The authors carried out a qualimetric assessment of these methods in order to determine the most effective method for detecting allergens. It will provide consumers with high-quality and safe products.
This article presents a trophological approach to the development of nutrition. The evolution of human views on nutrition from antiquity to the present time, including issues of perfect nutrition, is considered. The main concepts of nutrition theories are formulated. The systematized reasoning is useful for new rationale for solutions of challenges related to optimization of nutrition. Within the scope of the development of nutrition theories, the problem of perfect food plays a special role. The article presents a modern vision of perfect nutrition. The designing of trophological nutrition algorithm is based on scientific approaches that both to justify the correct consumption of food products, and also define the most reasonable way of their production, storage, distribution and disposal of food waste. The implementation of the trophological approach in theories of nutrition is also reflected in the concept of the state policy of the Russian Federation in the field of healthy nutrition among the population. This topic is also relevant in light of the sharp increase of food allergies among the various groups of population, because people who suffer from food allergies must follow a special diet to prevent the risk of allergic reactions, which can be managed using a nutritional approach.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.