Chapter 10 - Aptamer-based analysis of food allergens

Abstract

Food allergies are recognized as a growing public health concern, with an estimated 2% of adults and 6%–8% of young children affected by food allergy disorders. Recently, the food industry and legislative and regulatory agencies in different countries formulate new regulations about displaying food allergens on food labels. Hence, food allergen detection, labeling, and management have become significant priorities within the food industry, and there is an urgent requirement for reliable, sensitive, and user-friendly technologies to trace food allergens in food products. In this chapter, we provide an overview of the principles and applications of different aptamer-based methods in the quantification of food allergens. Such aptamer biosensors are also required to facilitate the reliable detection of food allergens by the food control industry and food safety control officials to easily monitor cross-contamination during food processing.