FOODinteract Research Team (I3A-LAQV)

PROJECTS - Hypoallergen

Improving strategies to unveil, predict and modulate/mitigate the allergenicity foods towards the development of new HYPOALLERGENic formulations

PTDC/BAA-AGR/4005/2021

Coordinator: REQUIMTE

Aims: Food-induced allergies represent an increasing public health problem in western countries, being the eviction of the offending food the only effective treatment for allergic patients. However, accidental exposure to food allergens is likely to occur because of their almost ubiquitous presence in processed foods. About 90% of food allergies are attributed to 8 groups of foods (tree nuts, peanuts, soybean, cereals containing gluten, eggs, milk, crustaceans and fish), although in theory any food is susceptible of triggering an allergic reaction in sensitised individuals. Particularly, insects, as emerging sustainable alternative protein sources, are considered novel foods that may cause allergic reactions either by de novo sensitisation or by cross-reactivity. Besides, processing might promote the increase of food allergies by the formation of neoallergens. In opposition, processing might also induce modifications, decreasing their allergenic potential. Therefore, the effective protection of allergic individuals relies on avoiding/minimising their exposure to allergenic foods, which can be accomplished by two main strategies: (i) reducing the potential allergenicity of foods and (ii) assuring labelling compliance of processed foods regarding the presence of food allergens. The objective of HYPOALLERGEN consists of a comprehensive and systematic research on the development of technological and (bio)chemical strategies to mitigate food allergenicity, towards the formulation of hypoallergenic products, as well as the development of analytical tools for the detection and quantification of allergens. The outcomes of will have a direct impact on the food industry, regulatory entities and, definitively, consumer’s health, being an excellent contribution to society, economy and science.

Start: 01/01/2022 End: 31/12/2024

Total funding: 249.977,46€

REQUIMTE funding: 185.658,95€