Cold plasma can significantly reduce the allergenicity of peanuts – new research indicates up to a 69% reduction.

Peanut allergy is one of the most serious food allergies in the world, and even small amounts of the allergen can trigger severe body reactions. In response to this challenge, scientists are increasingly studying non-thermal food processing technologies, including cold plasma, as a way to reduce allergic risk without compromising product quality. In the latest study, the impact of this technology on peanut proteins was analyzed, focusing on their immunoreactivity, or the ability to trigger an immune response. The application of cold plasma for 25 minutes led to a reduction in this reactivity by about 69 percent, which is one of the highest levels of effectiveness reported to date for this method. What happens to the proteins? The key mechanism behind this effect is the structural changes in the proteins. Researchers observed a decrease in the proportion of α-helical structures and an increase in β-sheet structures, indicating a disruption of the protein's natural organization. ...