Could the amount of a food protein we are exposed to help inform food allergy assessment?
ALLPreT researcher Sim Ray Yue investigated whether there may be threshold levels of food protein exposure associated with developing food allergy.
Four reference foods
To identify potential threshold values of food protein exposure associated with developing food allergy ('allergen sensitisation'), we studied four well-known allergenic foods as reference: peanut, hazelnut, shrimp and cod.
Data collection
We combined data on protein abundance (using proteomics) and food consumption to estimate exposure to the individual proteins and allergens in our reference foods.
In other words: how much of each protein are people exposed to?
Modelling potential thresholds
We used the estimated exposure levels to investigate candidate thresholds: exposure levels below which sensitisation may be unlikely.
This approach was also tested for other legumes, such as soybean, green pea, and fava bean, to investigate how it could be applied to other foods.
How could this inform food allergy risk assessment?
Exposure-based threshold values could help prioritise which proteins require further allergenicity risk assessment.
Results and publications
Sim Ray's results were presented during his PhD defense on 27 August 2026 and the online ALLPreT end symposium that took place on 6 October 2026.
Publications will be listed here.
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