Cau S, Soro B, Melillo R, Piras G, Salza S, Tedde T, Pinna F, Vodret B, Spanu C
Veterinary Public Health Institute of Sardinia, Via Duca degli Abruzzi 8, Sassari 07100, Italy.
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
Food Res Int. 2025 Nov;219:117063. doi: 10.1016/j.foodres.2025.117063. Epub 2025 Jul 28.
Fish is one of the most common causes of food allergy. The global prevalence of fish allergy has increased over the years as a result of the increased fish consumption. In allergic individuals even small amounts of allergen can trigger a life-threatening allergic reaction. Correct food allergen labelling plays a crucial role in consumers protection. Food business operators are required to verify compliance with labelling requirements. In order to do so, they need reliable, specific and sensitive methods for the detection of fish in food products. The present study evaluated the use of a droplet digital PCR assay for the identification of fish allergen in a variety processed foods. The method was developed targeting the ribosomal 18S rRNA gene. The specificity, the limit of detection (LOD) and of quantification (LOQ), dynamic range and selectivity were evaluated. The LOD and LOQ of ddPCR were 0.08 pg/μL and 0.31 pg/μL, respectively. Following optimization and validation of the method, the digital droplet PCR was tested on 37 prepackaged food samples placed on the market. Samples comprised a variety of composite foods, including both animal and plant- origin ingredients. The presence of fish was identified in the ingredient list of some samples, while in others, it was indicated as traces or not listed at all. The presence of fish DNA was detected in 16 out of 18 labeled fish-containing samples (88.9 %), while it was never detected in foods where fish was not declared on the label. The results of this study demonstrate the strong potential of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) as a highly sensitive and specific method for detecting fish allergens in complex food matrices.
鱼类是食物过敏最常见的诱因之一。多年来，由于鱼类消费量的增加，全球鱼类过敏的患病率有所上升。对于过敏个体而言，即使少量的过敏原也可能引发危及生命的过敏反应。正确的食物过敏原标签在保护消费者方面起着至关重要的作用。食品经营者必须核实是否符合标签要求。为此，他们需要可靠、特异且灵敏的方法来检测食品中的鱼类。本研究评估了数字液滴PCR检测法在多种加工食品中鉴定鱼类过敏原的应用。该方法是针对核糖体18S rRNA基因开发的。对其特异性、检测限（LOD）、定量限（LOQ）、动态范围和选择性进行了评估。数字液滴PCR的LOD和LOQ分别为0.08 pg/μL和0.31 pg/μL。在对该方法进行优化和验证后，对投放市场的37份预包装食品样本进行了数字液滴PCR检测。样本包括各种复合食品，含有动物和植物来源的成分。在一些样本的配料表中明确标注了鱼类成分，而在其他样本中，鱼类成分被标注为微量或根本未列出。在18份标注含有鱼类的样本中，有16份检测到了鱼类DNA（88.9%），而在标签上未声明含有鱼类的食品中从未检测到鱼类DNA。本研究结果表明，数字液滴PCR（ddPCR）作为一种在复杂食品基质中检测鱼类过敏原的高灵敏度和特异性方法具有巨大潜力。
