The transfer of the actual allergen from a seafood to the another food item
has not been proven with analytical certainty. Speculation still rest with
limited illnesses following consumption of foods fried at home or in food
services. In many of these incidences, it is most likely that portions of
the fried foods were 'commingled' rather than a true transfer of the
allergen through the hot oil. Support for this opinion is based on the vast
multitude of foods that are fried in food processing operations that
subsequently filter and cleaned the oils prior to frying another food.
Evidence of allergen transfers due to frying practices in processing plants
appears nil. Similar filtering practices could be incorporated in food
service, but they are often not practical and still do not limit errors in
commingling by careless employees, i.e., one piece of shrimp mixed with an
order of chicken nuggets, etc.
-----Original Message-----
From: George Chang [mailto:gwchang@uclink4.berkeley.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2003 4:11 PM
To: Gene Buck
Cc: seafood@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Re: shrimp/crab allergies
Gene Buck writes from the Congressional Research Service...
> Looking for information on how shrimp/crab waste or byproducts
>may be entering the human diet. I'm trying to obtain information on
>how people who avoid eating shrimp/crab products might somehow be
>unknowingly exposed through diet so that they develop an allergic
>reaction to shrimp/crab. Any suggestions, citations, articles?
>
> Gene Buck, senior analyst
> Congressional Research Service
>
> <mailto:gbuck@crs.loc.gov>gbuck@crs.loc.gov
Hi Gene,
I can share a personal observation... that it's very common
to get a shrimp flavor in fried foods. I assume that these have been
fried in the same oil that was used for shrimp. I don't know if this
is enough antigen to trigger an allergic response.
Be sure to share some of your findings with our mailing list.
We'd all like to know a little more about this subject!
Best regards,
George Chang, Associate Professor of Food Microbiology
University of California, Berkeley
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