Spread and Control of Prion Diseases in the Food and Feed Chains

Prion diseases, or transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), are a group of chronic, progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disorders that affect a variety of mammalian species. This chapter discusses the issues raised by two foodborne prion diseases, namely bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) and variant Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease (vCJD), particularly those related to their spread in cattle and humans, the contamination of specified risk material (SRM) in meat, the relevant regulations, and appropriate detection methods for surveillance

Development and Characterization of Monoclonal Antibodies for the Detection of Fish Protein

This study developed and characterized anti-fish monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) capable of detecting fish, a major allergenic food, in processed food products to protect fish sensitized individuals. Of the three mAbs raised against crude protein extract of cooked fish muscle, mAb 8F5 exhibited a positive reaction to all 50 common food fish species tested with no cross-reactions to shellfish, land animals, or food additives. Although the ELISA results were negative against swordfish and yellowfin tuna, western blot clearly detected both after cooking. The ~36 kDa antigenic protein of mAb 8F5, which was found in all fish species, was detectable by mAb 8F5 in all of the fish samples even after prolonged heat treatment (100 °C, up to 60 min). These findings suggest that mAb 8F5 has great potential utility as a probe for the immunochemical detection of fish tissue in cooked food

Isolation and Characterization of Chicken Serum Albumin (Hen Egg Alpha-Livetin, Gal d 5)

Chicken serum albumin, i.e., hen egg alpha-livetin, is a recognized food allergen in chicken meat and hen eggs. Currently, there is no immunoassay available for its detection from food matrices. The characterization of chicken serum albumin-specific antibodies and the extraction of the target protein are essential for immunoassay development. One monoclonal antibody (mAb), 3H4, was used in this study due to its selectivity to a linear epitope on avian serum albumin. To study the extraction of chicken serum albumin, phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) with two additives, i.e., sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and dithiothreitol (DTT), was used for its extraction from chicken blood plasma and hen egg yolk. SDS and DTT improved the chicken serum albumin’s recovery and enhanced chicken serum albumin’s immunodetection. In addition, chicken serum albumin retained the best solubility and immunoreactivity after heat treatment in a neutral condition. It experienced degradation and aggregation in acidic and alkaline conditions, respectively. Overall, PBS containing 0.1% SDS and 1 mM DTT (pH 7.2) was a better extraction buffer for chicken serum albumin. However, the complexity of the food matrix and elevated temperature could reduce its solubility and immunoreactivity

Immunoassay for the Detection of Animal Central Nervous Tissue in Processed Meat and Feed Products

An indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (icELISA) based on the detection of the thermal-stable central nervous tissue (CNT) marker protein, myelin basic protein (MBP), was developed to detect animal CNT in processed meat and feedstuffs. Two meat samples (cooked at 100 °C for 30 min and autoclaved at 133 °C for 20 min) of bovine brain in beef and two feed samples (bovine brain meal in beef meal and in soybean meal) were prepared at levels of 0.0008, 0.0031, 0.0063, 0.0125, 0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6%. An anti-MBP monoclonal antibody (mAb3E3) was produced using the hybridoma technique and characterized using Western blot. The optimized icELISA was CNT-specific without cross-reactivity with either meat (beef and pork) or soybean meal samples and had low intra-assay (%CV ≤ 3.5) and interassay variability (%CV ≤ 3.3), with low detection limits for bovine MBP (6.4 ppb) and bovine CNT spiked in both meat (0.05%) and feed (0.0125%) samples. This assay is therefore suitable for the quantitative detection of trace amounts of contaminated animal CNT in processed food and feed products