Food allergies pose a major health risk, leading to quite a few hospitalizations every yr, as even trace amounts of allergens can trigger severe reactions. Cross-contamination of food products can occur easily within the production process, so it is important to have reliable methods of testing for allergens.

A latest study conducted on the University of Illinois explores the applying of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy to detect three forms of allergens in quinoa flour. The researchers say the strategy is fast, easy, non-invasive, inexpensive, and highly accurate.

Detecting adulterated allergenic components in food may benefit thousands and thousands of individuals world wide who are suffering from food allergies.”

Qianyi (Lisa) Wu, undergraduate student within the Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, a part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences and The Grainger College of Engineering at U of l, and lead writer on the paper

The project was supported by a grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research at U of I.

“We use an NIR device to measure spectral information through the reflectance of sunshine within the samples. We tested models with different wavelengths to find out the perfect NIR system for allergen detection,” she added.

The researchers used NIR spectroscopy to discover three common allergens – peanut, sesame, and wheat – in quinoa flour, a gluten-free grain that is commonly used as a wheat substitute. Adulterated or contaminated quinoa may very well be dangerous for individuals with allergies, so it’s crucial to seek out any presence of allergens.

Traditional laboratory methods for allergen detection typically involve complex DNA analyses that require costly equipment and specialized personnel. These methods are time-consuming, involve using chemicals, and infrequently lead to destruction of the sample, so industry scientists are in search of higher approaches to detect allergens.

“NIR spectroscopy offers quite a few benefits. It’s non-destructive, non-invasive, and doesn’t use chemicals. It provides ends in real time, and with a brief training period, anyone can perform the evaluation,” said Mohammed Kamruzzaman, assistant professor in ABE and Wu’s faculty advisor. Kamruzzaman is corresponding writer on the paper.

NIR spectroscopy uses near-infrared light to measure the absorbance of various wavelengths, Kamruzzaman explained.

“Each material has a novel ‘fingerprint’ of sunshine absorbance. When allergens are present within the quinoa flour, the NIR instrument can detect them. Then we use machine learning to investigate the gathered information, allowing us to discover the allergens and quantify their concentration,” he said.

NIR spectroscopy is an indirect method of research, so it is just not 100% accurate but comes very close. Even when it doesn’t capture the precise amount of contaminants present within the food, it’ll discover whether the allergen is there or not, and that’s what the patron must know, Kamruzzaman stated.

Other techniques normally give attention to detecting a single allergen, but this method can detect multiple allergens concurrently. It could possibly easily be modified to detect additional allergens and to check other products than quinoa.

The researchers said it’ll not be difficult to develop low-cost miniature sensors based on their methodology. These sensors might be utilized in various settings, including industry facilities, restaurants, and even homes. Eventually it might even be possible to have a cell phone app that may detect food allergens on the spot.

Wu said the chance to conduct research as an undergraduate student has been instrumental in deciding her future plans.

“During my sophomore yr, I attended an American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) meeting and Dr. Kamruzzaman gave a speech introducing his research topic. I believed it sounded really interesting, so I contacted him, and that is how I got involved,” Wu stated. “I used to be desirous about going to graduate school, but I wasn’t entirely certain. After being engaged in research for several years, I actually have discovered my passion for it.”

Wu received a U of I Graduate College Illinois Distinguished Fellowship, and upon graduating together with her bachelor’s degree in May 2023, she is going to proceed directly right into a doctoral program in ABE with Kamruzzaman.

“Lisa has done outstanding work with a small grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research. It is actually inspiring for undergraduate students to understand they will do meaningful research and publish their findings. This could function motivation for other students to interact with faculty and actively pursue research opportunities. I’m at all times open to students reaching out to me for potential involvement in research projects,” Kamruzzaman added.

Source:

University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

Journal reference:

Wu, Q., et al. (2023) Reagent-free detection of multiple allergens in gluten-free flour using NIR spectroscopy and multivariate evaluation. Journal of Food Composition and Evaluation. doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2023.105324.