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Factors Affecting The Determination Of Threshold Doses For Allergenic Foods: How Much Is Too Much?, Steve L. Taylor, Susan L. Hefle, Carsten Bindslev-Jensen, S. Allan Bock, A. Wesley Burks Jr., Lynn Christie, David J. Hill, Arne Host, Jonathan O'B. Hourihane, Gideon Lack, Dean D. Metcalfe, Denise Anne Moneret-Vautrin, Peter A. Vadas, Fabienne Rance, Daniel J. Skrypec, Thomas A. Trautman, Ingrid Malmheden Yman, Robert S. Zeiger

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Background: Ingestion of small amounts of an offending food can elicit adverse reactions in individuals with IgE-mediated food allergies. The threshold dose for provocation of such reactions is often considered to be zero. However, because of various practical limitations in food production and processing, foods may occasionally contain trace residues of the offending food. Are these very low, residual quantities hazardous to allergic consumers? How much of the offending food is too much? Very little quantitative information exists to allow any risk assessments to be conducted by the food industry.

Objective: We sought to determine whether the quality and quantity …