Scientists search for low-allergy peanut

Posted 8:26AM on Sunday 28th April 2002 ( 23 years ago )

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Could foods one day be made safe for allergy sufferers? It won't happen any time soon, but government scientists are making progress in taking some of the allergy-inducing compounds out of peanuts, the food that triggers the most dangerous reactions. Agriculture Department researchers are scouring the government's vast seed banks for unused varieties of peanuts that are free of the allergy-inducing proteins. By crossing those varieties with popular commercial types, they hope to remove much of the allergenicity. The scientists have found one variety that has 80 percent less of one of three complex proteins that are blamed for causing allergic reactions. Removing all of the dangerous proteins may prove impossible, but even removing some could help: Children would be less likely to develop allergies to peanuts in the first place, and people already allergic would be less likely to have a fatal reaction, experts say. ``It would mean infants would be somewhat less likely to become sensitized in the first place,'' said Steve Taylor, a University of Nebraska expert on food allergies. Up to 7 million Americans suffer from food allergies; that number is believed to be growing. About 1.5 million are believed to be allergic to peanuts. They are among eight foods that account for 90 percent of allergic reactions. The others are milk, soy, eggs, fish, shellfish, wheat and tree nuts such as walnuts and cashews. Reactions to peanuts, or even traces of peanuts, can be fatal. Mildly allergic people may only get hives. Those highly allergic can go rapidly into anaphylactic shock and must always carry shots of epinephrine to treat that life-threatening condition. Several dozen sufferers are estimated to die each year. Peanut allergies have become a major headache for the food industry because of the potential liability. The Food and Drug Administration has stepped up inspections of manufacturing plants to make sure no peanuts are getting into products that are not supposed to have them. ``Research that in some way, shape or form can reduce the allergenicity of a peanut ... is of great benefit,'' said Rhona Applebaum, an executive vice president of the National Food Processors Association. Breeding a safer peanut will be a laborious process. Agriculture Department scientists in New Orleans have developed three antibodies for identifying the allergy-inducing peanuts proteins, known as Ara h 1, Ara h 2, and Ara h 3. So far, the scientists have studied 100 of 4,700 different varieties that the government has in its seed banks. ``None of them were lacking Ara h 1, but we definitely found some that were significantly reduced,'' said Soheila Maleki, who is leading the research. The scientists are focusing on about 800 of the varieties that the department has in storage. Additional varieties are held by universities and other sources. The researchers also are looking at ways of processing peanuts to make them less allergenic. Maleki believes that if some processing methods increase the allergenic properties of peanuts, which roasting seems to do, there is also a way to reduce them. The federal research is seen as a long-term solution to peanut allergies. Meantime, treatments are being developed to minimize reactions with a peanut allergy. ``The thing you hope over time is that people don't have to take shots to be desensitized,'' said Don Koehler, executive director of the Georgia Peanut Commission, which is helping finance the government research.

http://accesswdun.com/article/2002/4/195400