For the detection of peanut content in foods
Intended Use:
The peanut or groundnut (Arachis hypogea) is a leguminous plant that produces nutlike fruits within protective shells on branches that penetrate the soil. The nut comprises approximately 50% oil and 25% proteins, of which ~85% are allergenic storage proteins (Arachins and Conarachins).
The BIOKITS Peanut Assay Kit has been Performance Tested* by AOAC-RI for the detection of peanut content in milk & plain chocolate, breakfast cereal, biscuits/cookies, ice cream and other nuts. It has also been used successfully to detect peanut a wider range of raw and cooked foodstuffs.
Testing for the presence of peanut content is important, as minute amounts are capable of inducing allergic reactions from mild skin rashes to anaphylactic shock, which in rare cases can result in death.
New types of processed peanut materials such as flours, defatted and deflavoured products make detection increasingly difficult. Heat treatment, acidity etc can also reduce immuno-reactivity, but not necessarily allergenicity. For all these reasons, a low limit of detection in processed foods is increasingly important to assure accurate labelling.
Suitable for Testing:
low parts per million (ppm) levels of peanut content in foods, surface swabs.
The improved BioKits Peanut Assay Kit offers:
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AOAC-RI Performance Tested*
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Reliable results aid analytical decisions |
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Quantitative format
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Nominal LOQ _1 to 20 p.p.m.(vs SRM2387) |
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High sensitivity
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LOD <0.1 ppm |
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Versatility
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Applicable to raw and cooked foods |
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Flexibility
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Quantitative or qualitative analysis |
Principle of the Assay:
The kit utilises polyclonal antibodies to Conarachin (Ara h 1; peanut 7S vicilinlike storage protein), coated onto micro-wells, in a non-competitive, sandwich type ELISA. Conarachin from sample extracts binds to antibody coated on the wells. Biotinylated polyclonal anti-Conarachin then binds to the captured Conarachin from the samples, to complete the ‘sandwich’. The presence of the biotinylated anti-Conarachin is then determined using avidin peroxidase (HRP) reagent followed by TMB colourimetric substrate. The BIOKITS Peanut Assay is a highly sensitive and specific quantitative test for peanut content in the presence of other food proteins.
