Determination of Ovalbumin in Processed Foods by Immunological Methods

Abstract

Allergens in processed foods may place persons with food allergies at significant risk when the labels do not provide sufficient warnings or identification of high-risk ingredients. Because egg proteins are common food allergens, this study was carried out to identify hen's egg albumin (ovalbumin, OVA) in five commercially processed foods containing egg (custard, cookie and pasta), and chicken meat (sausage and meatball) by immunological methods using commercially produced murine monoclonal immunoglobulin G (M-IgG), immunoblotting and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sample buffer with chelating and reducing agents was prepared and used for the preparation of the protein fractions from the foods. Most bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profile (5～15% gradient gel) presented at 75 kDa below. OVA (43 kDa) in the sample lanes could not be visually observed on the gel. However, OVA in solutions prepared from custard and cookie could be detected by M-IgG, but were not detected in sausage and pasta. OVA in all samples could be quantitatively determined by the equation obtained from the standard curve by ELISA. Cookie and custard containing egg white and egg, respectively, contained very high concentrations of OVA. OVA in the other products were present in relatively low concentrations, but sufficiently high to pose possible risk of allergy. ELISA is a very sensitive and precise method for the identification and quantification of allergens in food products including allergy-inducible materials.