Project description
A new way to detect food allergens
Milk, eggs, fish, crustaceans, nuts, wheat and soybeans are some of the major food allergens, but there are more than 160 foods that can cause allergic reactions in people. Under European Union law, labelling of allergen information is mandatory for all food whether it’s pre-packed or not. This includes food served at restaurants and cafes. But this is not enough to prevent the risk of allergic reactions, which may be severe and potentially life threatening. The EU-funded SafeFood project will develop an innovative solution to allow on-site, fast and accurate plant allergen identification. The project will exploit cutting-edge nanopore sequencing technology for rapid, portable identification of allergenic plant ingredients in complex, multi-ingredient food products.
Objective
The presence of undeclared allergens in food products poses a serious health risk to consumers and results in important economic losses for the food industry. The detection of allergens is typically performed using immunological methods. DNA-based methods complement immunoassays and provide higher specificity and sensitivity, especially in processed foods. DNA-based identification of allergens can currently only be performed using well equipped laboratories which can be difficult to implement in an industry settings where the identification should be fast and on-site. In SafeFood, I will develop a protocol to implement cutting-edge Nanopore sequencing technology for rapid, portable identification of allergenic plant ingredients in complex, multi-ingredient food products.
DNA-based identification of allergenic plant species has been challenging due to the lack of variation of the traditional DNA barcodes. I will implement more robust species identification methods based on whole plastid genomes. First, I will compile a comprehensive open-access database of allergen species’ plastomes. Then, DNA extraction and library preparation will be optimized for an on-site protocol tailored to the constraints of the food industry. I will create artificial mixtures of complex food, with varying concentrations of allergens to test the method’s sensitivity, specificity and repeatability and compare the results to those of immunoassays.
This innovative solution will solve an industry challenge by allowing on-site, fast and accurate allergen identification. By being hosted at a leading DNA service company, BaseClear, and with the collaboration of a specialised academic partner in EU food safety analyses, RIKILT, I will apply my expertise in plant genomics, develop skills in food chain analyses, in R&D and entrepreneurship. At the completion of this fellowship, I will be able to apply this knowledge and skill to further address societal challenges in the food industry.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences databases
- social sciences economics and business business and management entrepreneurship
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics DNA
- engineering and technology other engineering and technologies food technology food safety
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-SE - Society and Enterprise panel
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
2333 BE Leiden
Netherlands
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