Production of hypoallergenic foods from apricots

Food allergy is a growing problem because more and more people are suffering from this kind of illness. Besides allergies to staple foods such as milk, fish, and eggs, many fruits are known to cause allergy; those of the family of Rosaceae, such as peaches and apricots, are prominent among them, especially in the Mediterranean area. In this work, we report on the results obtained when preparing hypoallergenic and anallergenic derivatives starting from fresh apricots. Protein extracts from 9 cultivars of apricot, either unpeeled or chemically peeled, were prepared and analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting, to evaluate the presence of the allergen Pru ar 3, the main protein responsible for causing the oral allergy syndrome (OAS). The chemical peeling of fruits proved determinant for our aim and allowed us to develop a new production process for some hypoallergenic and anallergenic derivatives starting out from apricot puree, such as nectar, limpid juice, jam, and fruit jelly, which can be consumed as they are or used as fillings in yogurt, snacks, and so on.