Researchers bought samples of almond flour (right) and hazelnut flour (left) from local stores and then tested them for cross-contact with other tree nut allergens. The samples were measured and packaged into reference materials.
Credit: C. Burdette/NIST
Food allergies affect millions of Americans every year. Though medications can treat allergy symptoms, preventative measures such as accurate food labeling and stopping cross-contact with potential allergens during food preparation can help ensure people are not exposed to foods that might cause an allergic reaction.
To support these preventative measures, researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed tree nut reference materials — hazelnut and almond flours — that will help ensure accurate and consistent results for test kits that regulators and food manufacturers can use to detect tree nut allergens.
“The main purpose of these test kits is to ensure that a food product hasn't unintentionally come into contact with allergens while it was being made,” said NIST chemist Melissa Phillips. In contrast with the more advanced regulatory tools for wheat and gluten, “there isn’t a test to say if something is hazelnut free,” she said. “Promoting awareness of cross-contact is the perspective we’re coming from with these reference materials.”
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates and provides guidance on assessing and managing allergens in food. Currently, the FDA recognizes eight food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soybeans, wheat, peanuts and tree nuts. A law was signed last year that declared sesame as the ninth food allergen, but the addition will not become effective until the beginning of 2023.
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