Characterization of Allergen-reduced eggs — Protein composition and three major functional properties —

Egg allergens are of significant health concern. Among egg allergens, ovomucoid is a major issue because of its heat and protease stability. To overcome this problem, genome editing has been used to create allergen-reduced eggs lacking ovomucoid. This manuscript describes the protein profile and functional properties of allergen-reduced eggs. Allergen-reduced egg whites tended to contain more protein than normal egg whites. Label-free quantitative proteomics analysis revealed that allergen-reduced egg whites tend to possess more major proteins, such as ovalbumin and ovotransferrin. Allergen-reduced and normal egg whites showed almost the same processing properties, including gelling, foaming, and emulsifying properties. However, gel firmness and foam stability were greater in allergen-reduced egg whites than in normal egg whites, likely due to an increase in major proteins and ovomucin. Therefore, allergen-reduced eggs can be processed in a manner similar to normal eggs.