The effect of thermal processing on the allergenic activity of peanuts

Background Peanut allergy is considered one of the most prominent food allergies, which often results in severe reactions and can be fatal. It can be attributed to one or more of the 12 recognised peanut allergens, the main peanut allergens being Ara h 1, Ara h 2/6 and Ara h 3. Ara h 2/6 are 2S albumins, sensitisation to which is associated with the most severe allergic reactions. They are used as a marker for clinical diagnosis of peanut allergy in the UK. This study aimed to identify modifications to these allergenic proteins introduced during thermal processing of peanut seeds.