Commercial food products containing allergens of animal origin which pose a potential risk for allergic consumers will be identified and a priority list of these food products will be provided. The allergenic potencies will be compared to native food items (milk, egg and meat) by in vitro and in vivo tests with allergic patients.

Strategies which are intended to be applied to produce less allergenic products include various technological procedures during food processing (e.g. temperature, pH, enzymatic hydrolysis, ultrafiltration) which potentially reduce the allergen level or activity in final products.

Evaluation of patients' food allergy include history, skin tests and determination of specific IgE. Double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges (DBPCFC) will be performed in each patient recruited for the study. To establish alternatives to DBPCFC which poses a risk to the allergic patients, new in-vitro techniques, like e.g. the CAST (cellular antigen stimulation test) or histamine release will be tested with native and processed foods.

The epidemiological objectives of the project include a better knowledge of food allergy prevalences to specific items of animal and plant origin (e.g. milk, fish, peanut, celery) in the general population of Europe (Scandinavia, Central Europe, the Mediterreanian Area, and Eastern Europe; questionnaires in two to three countries each) especially taking into account regional differences of sensitization and the occurrence of severe allergic reactions to food allergens. Moreover, a better knowledge of consumer behaviour and demands with respect to labelling of pre-packaged foods, less allergenic products and the need for better information and education, respectively, is targeted.