Determination of crustacean allergens in purified chitosan through interlaboratory assessment

CuanTec is a Scottish company which develops products such as food packaging from waste seafood shells. It has established an innovative, environmentally benign process to extract chitin from shellfish waste. This chitin, and the chitosan which can be derived from it, has the potential to be a key ingredient in a range of products within the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and environmental sectors to replace petrochemical derived products.

Challenge

The company needed a sensitive test for the common shellfish allergen tropomyosin to establish whether there is any allergy risk from their packaging.

The project outcome is important for CuanTec as it is the starting point for regulatory compliance for food contact materials. The commercial value of its products is strongly based on accurate quantification of the allergens present in the finished products. 

Solution

IBiolC Feasibility funding enabled CuanTec to access the analytical capabilities of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI), with its experience and capacity, to accurately determine the presence of allergens in CuanTec’s purified chitosan.

CuanTec provided samples, from various stages through their process, to Angelique Stalmach of UHI to quantify allergen concentration using high sensitivity mass spectroscopy. None of this was possible for CuanTec to carry out in their own facilities as they did not have the specialised equipment to do so

The team developed the proposed method on unrelated samples of tropomyosin in a mushroom chitin background. Qualifying and quantifying signals were determined using Multiple Reaction Monitoring (MRM) mass spectrometry. This meant that small fragments of the tropomyosin protein were chosen that could identify the protein and be used to quantify the protein. Different fragments are needed for these two metrics. The MRM is the method for isolating these protein fragments and is much more sensitive than conventional mass spectrometry. Standard curves were developed to determine the quantities of tropomyosin in real samples which enabled the team to make an initial determination of the Tropomyosin concentration in raw chitin, chitosan supernatant and chitosan samples.

Outcome

UHI  provided a documented set of accurate results; essential for CuanTec to move forward with product compliance  for use of chitosan in Food Contact Materials and Food Grade Additives. The very low limit of detection provided by this very sensitive analytical method provides further assurance to the regulatory bodies CuanTec will collaborate with on seeking regulatory approvals.

Ultimately, this project may allow CuanTec to access additional routes to market and establish a novel zero-waste approach within the circular economy process.

UHI developed a method to detect a range of allergens at picogram level sensitivity and can now market this assay as part of their service offering to other clients.

The success of this project gives the partners the ability to further develop their relationship through IP development and publications.