Abstract

ACOSTA LOSADA, Orlando  and  GUERRERO FONSECA, Carlos Arturo. Transgenic foods and allergenicity. rev.fac.med. [online]. 2007, vol.55, n.4, pp.251-269. ISSN 0120-0011.

The use of transgenic technology to modify food sources has anticipated the possibility of developing less expensive and healthier food. This technology has the potential of reducing the use of chemical pesticides, increasing the productivity and protecting the environment in which human beings and other species live. However, genetically modified (GM) foods have raised a public concern among nongovernment organizations (ONGs), consumers and media regarding their potential toxicity, allergenicity and impaired nutrition. We present a critical review of the recent literature about the adverse immune responses to food proteins. This review includes the physical and chemical characteristics of allergens, the heterogeneity in the prevalence of food allergy and the progress made in the understanding of food-based allergic disorders. We present a description of the clinical spectrum of the food-induced allergic reactions which are responsible for a variety of symptoms affecting the skin, the respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. The test methods used for the safety assessment of foods derived from GM crops are also presented and discussed. It is concluded that the potential allergenic risks introduced by GM food are no higher than those of food derived from genetically modified crops by conventional methods.

Keywords : food; food hypersensitivity; allergens; genetic heterogeneity; DNA; glycoproteins; enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.

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