Researchers Discover New Tomato Allergen

Researchers in Spain have identified a new allergen found in the peel of tomatoes. The discovery of the allergen is important, especially for food manufacturers who need to be aware of product ingredients that may prove harmful to consumers. The researchers screened tomato peel DNA and from the data they identified sequences of allergens that provoked immune reactions. The allergen they subsequently identified contains 34 amino acids on a specific region of the acidic ribosomal protein 60S, which is 85 percent similar to fungal allergens and 93.8 percent similar to almond allergens. The researchers said further study is needed to determine the relevance and clinical importance of the allergen under native conditions.