ELISA kit for determination of egg white proteins: interlaboratory study

Area of Science:

• Food science
• Analytical chemistry
• Immunology

Background:

• Accurate quantification of egg white proteins (EWPs) is crucial for food safety and labeling.
• Existing methods may lack specificity or be unsuitable for complex food matrices.
• Development of a reliable method for EWP detection is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method for the quantitative determination of EWPs in various food products.
• To assess the performance of the ELISA kit across multiple laboratories and diverse food matrices.

Main Methods:

• An interlaboratory study involving 11 laboratories.
• Utilized an ELISA kit based on sheep polyclonal antibodies for EWP quantification.
• Tested 10 food samples, including matrices with and without EWPs.
• Statistical analysis including ANOVA, Cochran, Dixon, and Mandel tests were employed.

Main Results:

• The ELISA kit showed no false-positive results or cross-reactivity in a broad range of food matrices.
• Limit of Quantification (LOQ) was determined to be 1.4 mg EWP/kg, and Limit of Detection (LOD) was 0.43 mg EWP/kg.
• The method proved reliable for detecting EWPs in food samples, with high agreement among laboratories.

Conclusions:

• The validated ELISA method is suitable for the accurate and reliable quantification of EWPs in foods.
• The kit's specificity and sensitivity make it a valuable tool for food analysis and allergen detection.
• The interlaboratory study confirmed the robustness of the ELISA method for routine food testing.