Description
Fishes belong to the most frequent elicitors of food allergies. The allergies are predominantly induced by the low-molecular, calcium-binding muscle protein parvalbumin. The protein is characterized by its high heat resistance and stability against denaturing agents and proteolytic enzymes. Predominantly in regions with a high consumption of fish like Scandinavia, Japan or the Mediterranean countries, fish allergies represent a heavy health problem. The symptoms are ranging from inflammation of the skin over gastrointestinal and respiratory problems up to live-threatening anaphylactic shock. In spite of the high biodiversity most patients react with allergic symptoms to several fish species due to the high cross-reactivity between the fish allergens. For fish-allergic persons hidden fish allergens in food are a critical problem. Already very low amounts of fish can cause allergic reactions, which may lead to anaphylactic shock in severe cases. Because of this, fish-allergic persons must strictly avoid the consumption of fish containing food. Cross-conta?mination, mostly in consequence of the production process, is often noticed. This explains why in many cases the existence of fish residues in food cannot be excluded. For this reason sensitive detection systems for fish residues in foodstuffs are required