2023-08-06 05:18:12
The hen
Japanese researchers from the University of Hiroshima have studied the food safety of eggs laid by genetically modified hens. The eggs of these hens have the particularity of not containing ovomucoid, one of the most allergenic proteins of the egg and which cannot be destroyed during cooking. Their work was published in May in the journal Food and Chemical Toxicology.
the egg
Several proteins, both in the white and in the yolk of the egg, can cause allergies. The egg yolk is however less allergenic than the white.
- Ovomucoid, the most allergenic component of egg white. Resists heat and cooking.
- Ovalbumin, the most abundant component in egg white. Destroyed by cooking.
- Ovotransferrine (ou conalbumine)
- Lysozyme
- Alpha-livétine
allergy
Without ovomucoid, but not without allergen.
For allergist Philippe Bégin, director of the Oral Immunotherapy Clinic at CHU Sainte-Justine, the scientific prowess of creating eggs without ovomucoid is certainly interesting… But is it a realistic solution for allergy sufferers? ? “We probably won’t replace all the chickens in the world with a GMO without ovomucoid, so that won’t remove the risk of accidental reactions for the patient. »
2 %
Proportion of young children allergic to eggs. In the vast majority of cases, the egg allergy disappears, often before school age.
2/3
About two-thirds of children with egg allergy tolerate well-cooked egg forms in foods such as cakes or cookies.
Source: Association of Allergists of Quebec
Vaccine
Some vaccines, like those for influenza, are grown in eggs – a needle punctures the shell to inoculate a strain of the virus which multiplies, before being harvested a few days later. The Japanese researchers say their modified egg might be used to create safe vaccines for allergy sufferers. An assertion contradicted by allergists:
It has been demonstrated that it is completely safe to administer an influenza vaccine to a patient allergic to eggs due to the very low quantity of residual egg protein. As for the yellow fever vaccine, the risk seems to be quite low as well and egg allergy is not a contraindication.
The Dr Matthieu Picard, allergist-immunologist, Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital
the egg
White, brown, with omega-3, free-range or organic hens… The more specialized the egg, the more expensive it is. Will an egg without ovomucoid allergen be cheaper than an egg that contains it? “No, I don’t think those eggs will be cheap,” says the Dr Begin. And this is a major element that does not meet the needs of allergy sufferers. “We already know that one of the burdens of food allergies is the high cost of replacement products. »
What a dozen eggs cost
- Medium eggs: $3.69
- Omega-3 eggs: $5.99
- Free range eggs: $6.59
- Organic eggs: $8.29
Source: current prices in major Quebec supermarket chains, week of June 5, 2023
The hen
And the risk for the genetically modified chicken? This is certainly another element to consider, underlines the Dr Begin. What is the long-term effect of the lack of ovomucoid on the health of the hens themselves? “There aren’t many genes that are useless,” he points out.
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