Detection of Peanut Traces in Food by an Official Food Safety Laboratory
Clara Tramuta,
Lucia Decastelli,
Elisa Barcucci,
Francesco Ingravalle,
Sandra Fragassi,
Samantha Lupi,
Daniela Manila Bianchi
Affiliations
Clara Tramuta
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Rilevazione Negli Alimenti di Sostanze e Prodotti che Provocano Allergie e Intolleranze—CReNaRiA, Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Lucia Decastelli
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Rilevazione Negli Alimenti di Sostanze e Prodotti che Provocano Allergie e Intolleranze—CReNaRiA, Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Elisa Barcucci
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Rilevazione Negli Alimenti di Sostanze e Prodotti che Provocano Allergie e Intolleranze—CReNaRiA, Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Francesco Ingravalle
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—S.S. Biostatistica, Epidemiologia e Analisi del Rischio (BEAR), Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Sandra Fragassi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Rilevazione Negli Alimenti di Sostanze e Prodotti che Provocano Allergie e Intolleranze—CReNaRiA, Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Samantha Lupi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Rilevazione Negli Alimenti di Sostanze e Prodotti che Provocano Allergie e Intolleranze—CReNaRiA, Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Daniela Manila Bianchi
Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Piemonte Liguria e Valle d’Aosta—Centro di Referenza Nazionale per la Rilevazione Negli Alimenti di Sostanze e Prodotti che Provocano Allergie e Intolleranze—CReNaRiA, Via Bologna, 148, 10154 Turin, Italy
Food safety laboratories rely on validated methods that detect hidden allergens in food to ensure the safety and health of allergic consumers. Here we present test results for the validation and accreditation of a real-time PCR assay for the detection of peanut traces in food products. The method was tested on five classes of food matrices: bakery and pastry products, meats, ready-to-eat and dairy products, and grains and milling products. Blank samples were spiked starting with the peanut samples (Arachis hypogaea) at a concentration of 1000 ppm. Serial dilutions were then prepared with the DNA extracted from the blank samples to a final concentration of 0.5 ppm. The limit of detection in grains and milling products, ready-to-eat, meats, bakery and pastry products was 0.5 ppm (range, Ct 27–34) and 2.5 ppm in dairy products (range, Ct 25–34). In order to determine the exclusivity parameter of the method, the ragù matrix was contaminated with Prunus dulcis (almonds), Glycine max (soy), Sinapis alba (mustard), Apium graveolens (celery), Allium cepa (onion), Pisum sativum (peas), Daucus carota (carrots), and Theobroma cacao (cocoa); no cross-reactions were observed. The method was rated satisfactory for sensitivity (98%), specificity (100%), robustness, and repeatability and it was fully validated and accredited.
