Simultaneous detection of allergenic fish,cephalopods and shellfish in food by multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification

People suffering from food allergy rely on correct food labelling as the ingestion of minimal amounts of the respective allergen can trigger severe allergenic reactions. Probes for the detection of DNA from allergenic fish, shellfish and cephalopod species in food using multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification were developed. The specificity and the sensitivity of the detection system were investigated. The limit of detection was 20 mg kg^?1 for scallop, fish and bivalve species and 100 mg kg^?1 for cephalopod, gastropod and crustacean species using self-prepared sushi spiked with the analytes in different concentration levels. The analysis of 10 commercial food samples demonstrates the applicability of the developed method and its suitability for food quality control. Therefore, the method can be used to monitor the compliance with labelling rules regarding food allergens.