Kiwifruit Allergy: Epidemiology, Allergenic Mechanisms, and Processing Strategies for Allergenicity Reduction

Kiwifruit presents a growing global health concern, characterized by IgE-mediated type I hypersensitivity reactions ranging from mild oral symptoms to severe anaphylaxis. This allergy is driven by five major allergenic proteins (Act d 1, 2, 5, 8, and 12), which exhibit significant cross-reactivity, contributing to conditions such as latex-fruit syndrome and pollen-food allergy syndrome. The structural heterogeneity and epitope variations among kiwifruit allergens directly influence the diversity and severity of clinical reactions. Accurate epitope mapping may improve diagnostic accuracy, clarifies cross-reactivity mechanisms and assist in risk assessment, while food processing techniques modify allergenic protein structures. Understanding how processing affects epitope accessibility is essential for developing low-allergenic kiwifruit products and improving food safety. This review synthesizes current understanding of kiwifruit allergy, emphasizing the structural and immunological basis of its major allergens, and assesses how food processing can mitigate allergenicity to guide clinical management and product innovation.