Application of antibodies for the identification of polysaccharide gum additives in processed foods

Anti-carbohydrate antibodies with specificities for polysaccharide gums were isolated from the serum of rabbits that were immunized with a solution of the gums and Freund's complete adjuvant. The primary objective was to test an immunological method for the detection of the polysaccharide gums as additives to processed foods. Analysis involved the extraction of food with phosphate buffer and the testing of the extract for a reaction with anti-gum antibodies by the agar diffusion method. Reaction by a specific gum with the homologous antibodies establishes the presence of the gum in the food. The method is a novel application of antibodies. The antibody method is highly specific for a gum and thus possesses advantages over other methods of analysis for polysaccharide gums as additives in processed foods.