Good news for egg-allergics
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Allergies in children are on the rise. And the most difficult cases are allergies to common food ingredients like nuts, milk, and - eggs.
Allergy to eggs is not just about not eating eggs for breakfast. Eggs can be found in many things we eat, from bread, cake and pastries to the cookies and noodles our little ones like so much. We may not see the eggs but the allergens, the proteins that cause the allergic reaction are still there. This is a real pain to mommies with egg-allergic children because they have to check the ingredients of each and every food item they buy. And what about the logistical nightmare of birthday parties, school trips, and camps?
German researchers have recently demonstrated a technique that reduces allergens in chicken eggs and can make them 100 times less allergenic than untreated eggs. Uncooked eggs are subjected to a process similar to pasteurization of milk. The nine-step process combines enzymatic breakdown and heat-treatment that can break down the allergenic proteins in the eggs.
The process would be especially useful in reducing allergens in chicken eggs used as ingredients in manufacturing foodstuffs mentioned above without significantly affecting the taste and flavour of the finished product.
If the technique is proven to be economically and technically feasible in large scale, we might soon have noodles and cookies that are hypoallergenic concerning eggs. That would certainly make life easier for kids and mommies alike.
To help kids understand the technique better, the American Chemical Society issued a news release about the research that is specifically targeting the young audience. Check out Science for Kids: An egg-straordinary discovery to help kids with egg allergy.
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