Recently, the Innovation Team for Quality and Safety Control of Agricultural Products Processing at the Institute of Food Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (IFST-CAAS) has achieved a series of advances in the field of precise detection of food allergens. Seven papers reporting the relevant findings have been published in academic journals including Food Chemistry, Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry and Food Science.

Food allergy is an emerging global food safety concern, and precise detection serves as the cornerstone of allergen control. During food processing, allergenic proteins are prone to denaturation and modification. Coupled with matrix interference and high homology of allergens from closely related species, it is challenging to accurately quantify and identify trace allergens. Moreover, conventional nucleic acid detection methods suffer from limited throughput and cannot meet the demand for simultaneous screening of multiple allergens in foods with low protein contents.

For the precise mass spectrometry quantification of trace proteins, the team clarified how processing-induced protein modifications and compositional changes affect quantification results. On this basis, the team developed novel strategies for signature peptide mining and robust quantification, and established mass spectrometric quantification methods targeting a wide range of allergens from milk, eggs, tree nuts, mollusks, fruits and other sources. These methods enable accurate determination of trace allergens and reliable discrimination of closely related species.

In terms of high-throughput analysis via nucleic acid mass spectrometry, the team integrated nucleic acid amplification with mass spectrometric detection and constructed an oligonucleotide-targeted high-throughput assay. This technology overcomes the throughput limitation of conventional PCR assays and allows simultaneous identification of multiple allergens in a single reaction tube.

Collectively, these studies have preliminarily established an integrated allergen detection system featuring complementary strengths of precise protein quantification and high-throughput nucleic acid screening. The system provides technical support for national food allergen risk monitoring and the regulation of food nutrition labeling in China. It also helps food manufacturers strengthen allergen management, standardize label declaration, develop hypoallergenic foods and protect public health.

This research was funded by the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, the Technical Research Project for High-Quality Innovative Development of Green Food, and other grants.

Original article:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.148239

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.149894

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.151318

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2026.150775

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.6c08928

https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2026.2684709

https://doi.org/10.7506/spkx1002-6630-20260306-049

Quantitative Detection of Food Allergens in Foods Using LC-MS/MS