What's New
Food Scientist Develops Way to Reduce Food Allergies
May 10, 2010
A University of Guelph food scientist has discovered a way to help children build a tolerance to food allergies. Prof. Yoshinori Mine in OAC's department of Food Science found that mice predisposed to an egg allergy became desensitized to the allergen after repeatedly ingesting only a portion of the protein known to trigger the allergic reaction.
“By ingesting only the peptides and not the whole protein, the body suppresses the urge to react,” said Mine. “After repeated exposure, the body learns to accept the protein instead of trying to defend itself against it. This approach has huge promise for humans for providing a safer more convenient approach to dealing with allergies in children.”
The food scientist's research was featured in Monday's National Post.
