VIDEO: Processing impacts protein levels in potential allergens

Key takeaways:

• Recommendations for early introduction of allergens vary.
• Researchers quantified how much protein can be found in same foods prepared differently.
• Cooking, baking or boiling foods may impact protein levels.

CHICAGO — Processing may make a difference when introducing potential allergens into infant diets to prevent food allergies, according to a presentation at the Global Food Allergy Prevention Summit.

“Can you substitute a scrambled egg for a hard boiled egg if your baby doesn’t like hard boiled eggs?” Erika D. Nolte, PhD, science director of Ready, Set, Food!, told Healio.

Nolte and her colleagues found that processing impacts protein levels. For example, Bamba peanut puffs and peanut butter may provide similar amounts of protein, but nut milks and nut butters do not.

“This could be really important to parents. It can be really important to doctors when they’re trying to make recommendations,” Nolte said.

Reference:

• Schroer B, et al. Benchmarking allergenic protein levels in common foods used for early allergen. Presented at: Global Food Allergy Prevention Summit; July 6-9, 2023; Chicago.

For more information:

Erika D. Nolte, PhD, can be reached at erika@readysetfood.com.