In a new study by researchers at McGill University, treating peanut protein with cold plasma significantly reduced its immunoreactivity, suggesting a potential method for lowering allergenic risk while maintaining functional properties.

The researchers attributed the reduction in allergenicity to structural changes in the proteins responsible for triggering immune responses.

Led by Jin Wang, Ph.D., now a Professor at Southeast University in China, during his doctoral research at McGill University, the study was published in the Journal of Future Foods.

Reduction in Immunoreactivity Observed

The allergenic potential of peanuts presents a persistent food safety and formulation challenge. Conventional mitigation strategies, such as heat treatment, can negatively affect sensory and functional properties, while non-thermal methods like irradiation have produced inconsistent results.

For the study, cold plasma was applied to whole peanut protein extracts. The researchers evaluated allergenic potential using multiple in vitro assays, including immunoreactivity testing, which measures the binding strength between proteins and immune antibodies.

The researchers reported that cold plasma treatment reduced overall immunoreactivity of whole peanut protein by nearly 70 percent after 25 minutes.

“In real-life scenarios, consumers are exposed to the complex mixture of proteins present in whole peanuts, rather than isolated individual allergens,” said Vijaya Raghavan, Ph.D., co-author and Professor of Bioresource Engineering at McGill University. “Our study focused on whole peanut protein.”

The study also found that treated proteins were more susceptible to intestinal digestion, which may further influence allergenic potential.

Functional Properties Maintained for Food Applications

In addition to reducing allergenicity, the treatment improved functional properties relevant to food manufacturing, suggesting potential for use in developing hypoallergenic peanut-derived ingredients.

Dr. Raghavan stated that the approach could enable the use of peanut protein powders in a broader range of food products while reducing associated allergen risks.

Exploring the Role of Nitrite

While previous studies have identified both hydrogen peroxide and nitrite as key chemical agents involved in cold plasma treatment, the new study observed an increase only in nitrite levels.

The researchers suggested that nitrite may play a more significant role in altering protein structure than previously recognized, although further investigation is needed to confirm the mechanism.

Potential Application to Other Food Allergens

According to the researchers, the approach may be applicable to other allergenic foods, including eggs and tree nuts, potentially significantly reducing allergy risks across a wide range of foods. They plan to further study the underlying mechanisms of cold plasma’s effect on allergenicity and optimize the treatment process for efficiency and scalability.