Life Sciences Commons^™

Challenges In Testing Genetically Modified Crops For Potential Increases In Endogenous Allergen Expression For Safety, Rakhi Panda, H. Ariyarathna, Plaimein Amnuaycheewa, Afua O. Tetteh, S. N. Pramod, Steve Taylor, B. K. Ballmer-Weber, Richard E. Goodman

Department of Food Science and Technology: Faculty Publications

Premarket, genetically modified (GM) plants are assessed for potential risks of food allergy. The major risk would be transfer of a gene encoding an allergen or protein nearly identical to an allergen into a different food source, which can be assessed by specific serum testing. The potential that a newly expressed protein might become an allergen is evaluated based on resistance to digestion in pepsin and abundance in food fractions. If the modified plant is a common allergenic source (e.g. soybean), regulatory guidelines suggest testing for increases in the expression of endogenous allergens. Some regulators request evaluating endogenous allergens for …