Development of a real-time PCR and a sandwich ELISA for detection of potentially allergenic trace amounts of peanut (Arachis hypogaea) in processed foods

Hidden allergens in food products are, especially for peanut-allergic consumers, a serious problem because even low amounts (similar to200 mug) of peanut can elicit allergic reactions. Undeclared peanut traces can be found in processed food products, because contaminations with peanut during production processes are frequent. To minimize the risk of such cross-contaminations, it is necessary to develop sensitive analytical methods for the detection of hidden allergens in foods. For this approach we developed two peanut-specific assays based on the detection of peanut protein by specific antibodies (sandwich ELISA) and by the detection of peanut-specific DNA (part of the coding region of Ara h 2) by a real-time PCR. Both tests did not show any cross-reactivity with 22 common food ingredients (cereals, nuts, legumes), and the limit of detection is <10 ppm peanut in processed foods. Thirty-three random samples of food products were tested for the presence of peanut to compare both assay types with each other and to evaluate the percentage of foods on the German market that are contaminated with peanut traces. We found that four products (13.3%) without peanut in the list of ingredients contained peanut protein in a range from 1 to 74 ppm peanut protein and that the results of both tests correlated well. The real-time PCR was able to detect one more positive sample than the sandwich ELISA. In conclusion, both assays are sensitive and specific tools for the detection of hidden allergens in processed foods.