Allergen detection method enhanced
24 Feb 2014
Analytical technologies firm AB Sciex has announced a new method for milk and egg allergen detection in wine.
As the methods for detecting those with allergies become ever more accurate, allergen testing is now increasingly common in food and beverages as consumers are more aware of the potential risks.
Egg whites and milk products are commonly used in the wine-making process, increasing the likelihood of the presence of egg & milk proteins in the wine that people consume.
Under guidelines of the latest European Union legislation, wine companies must disclose on the label if fining reagents, such as egg ovalbumin or casein, have been used in processing.
A recent survey conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that wines fined with casein, caseinate and milk products may trigger adverse reactions in susceptible individuals.
“Because consumers should be able to enjoy a glass of wine without adverse health risks from unknown allergens, AB Sciex has developed this new method based on mass spectrometry, which is one of the world’s most proven technologies for detecting chemical compounds in food and beverages,” said senior director of food and environment at AB Sciex Vincent Paez.
The AB Sciex method features micro liquid chromatography and can be used to screen samples of wine for multiple allergens in a single run.
The rapid detection method was developed using a variety of AB Sciex technology, including the Eksigent microLC 200 System and the AB Sciex QTRAP 5500 System using the Scheduled MRMTM algorithm.
According to the company, its method enables the detection of casein and egg in wine at the minute level of below 0.1 parts per million (ppm).
