num_pages: 206
description: Advances in biotechnology have the potential to bring foods containing proteins derived from genes of non-food origin into the marketplace. Assessing the potential allergenicity of these transgenic proteins as part of the overall food safety evaluation process presents a challenge for the biotechnology industry. In 1996, the International Food Biotechnology Council and the ILSI Allergy and Immunology Institute jointly developed a decision-tree approach based on available data, and recommended that several factors be considered, including the primary amino acid sequences and physiochemical properties of proteins derived from non-food sources compared with those of known allergens. To evaluate whether more recent research findings can be incorporated into the current decision tree, the National Center for Food Safety and Technology organized a symposium in December 2000 to summarize the current understanding of food allergy and food allergens. In this volume, international experts from academia, government, and industry review the issues important in assessing the potential allergenicity of foods derived from genetically engineered foods. The authors comment on the current decision tree, discuss alternative testing methods, and recommend directions for future research.
language: English
title: Genetically Engineered Foods: Assessing Potential Allergenicity
titlecomplete: Genetically Engineered Foods: Assessing Potential Allergenicity
publisher: New York Academy of Sciences