Development and\nValidation of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal\nAmplification (LAMP) Method for the Rapid, Sensitive, and Specific\nDetection of Hazelnut as an Allergen in Food Matrix

Analytical verification of hazelnut in food supports\nrisk-based\napproaches for proper allergen labeling to prevent unwanted allergic\nreactions or to quality control diagnostic or therapeutic allergen\npreparations for allergic subjects. We present the development and\nvalidation of a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay\nfor rapid detection of hazelnut by targeting the internal transcribed\nspacer 2 gene. The qualitative method requires neither sophisticated\nanalytical equipment nor antibodies, allowing an easy-to-use application\nwith no ethical concern related to the use of animals. It demonstrated\na limit of detection at or below 10 mg/kg hazelnut in various food\nmatrices, making it also suitable for verifying hazelnut at levels\nof clinically relevant eliciting doses. Validation against proficiency\ntest samples and testing of applicability with commercial food items\nconfirmed its usefulness in processed foods. The simplicity of the\nmethod, including visual colorimetric detection, combined with high\nspecificity and sensitivity, represents an advancement over existing\nqualitative methods.