A recent recall in Canada and the USA once more stressed the importance of allergen detection in spices and other food ingredients. Several seasoning mixes, soups and meal kits, using cumin as an ingredient were found to contain traces of peanut and almond. Testing food allergens in your laboratory by ELISA or real-time PCR or by sending your samples to an accredited laboratory are cornerstones of an effective allergen management.

Spices are difficult matrices to analyze. Using an effective extraction method is of paramount importance. R-Biopharm AG have developed and validated effective extraction protocols which are suitable for allergen detection in spices and other complicated matrices. Analysis can be done by either ELISA or real-time PCR depending on what best suits your laboratory.

ELISA is the most wide spread used method for food allergen detection in spices as well as other food products. For detection of peanut and almond residues in cumin and spice blends R-Biopharm AG offer:

RIDASCREEN®FAST Peanut RIDASCREEN®FAST Almond

ELISA based methods are ideal for testing large numbers of samples and can be easily automated.

Real-time PCR will enable you to do multiplex allergen analysis in all kinds of foods:

SureFood® ALLERGEN QUANT Peanut SureFood® ALLERGEN Peanut SureFood® ALLERGEN Almond SureFood® ALLERGEN 4plex Peanut/Hazelnut/Walnut

Real-time PCR is an excellent method for the identification and quantification of plant based allergens like nuts. The stability of DNA makes qPCR an excellent method for allergen detection in processed and heat treated food.

Allergen Testing by Contract Service Laboratories For those who prefer to outsource their allergen testing to an accredited laboratory R-Biopharm AG offers allergen detection in spices as an analytical service. Our partners Trilogy Analytical Laboratory in the USA and Congen in Germany offer detection of allergens in various food samples by ELISA or PCR. Please download the sample submission forms for sending samples to Trilogy or Congen.