Casein allergy ELISA test kit | RIDASCREEN®FAST Casein

1. Intended use

RIDASCREEN®FAST Casein (catalogue number R4612) is an ELISA kit that uses a sandwich enzyme immunoassay for the quantitative analysis of casein allergen in foods such as bread, pastry and bread mixes, non-hydrolysed infant formula, ice cream, beverages, chocolate, wine and sausage.

2. General information

- Casein refers to a family of proteins commonly found in the milk of mammals. The term “casein” comes from the Latin “caseus”, which means “cheese”. Cow's milk contains 3.2% protein, including approx. Around 10% ß-lactoglobulin (the leading whey protein), approx. 80% casein and approx. 10% other proteins. The most important allergen for children is ß-lactoglobulin, while casein later becomes the predominant allergen in adults. Casein is also a heat-stable allergen.

- Cow's milk is one of the most important allergenic ingredients in food, especially for children. That is why labelling casein or milk is mandatory in many countries around the world. Although there is no legal limit for casein, food manufacturers are advised to test for very low casein concentrations in order to protect allergic people and to avoid recalls related to allergens. Furthermore, casein is an organic compound commonly used as a fining agent in wine production. During fining, casein is added to bind suspended particles so that they drop out of the wine.

- Casein is a coarsely flaky coagulated protein that forms micelles in milk and precipitates under acidic conditions. The casein group includes the α-caseins, ß-casein, κ-casein and γ-casein (protein fragments from the proteolysis of ß-casein by the milk protease plasmin). κ-casein can be split into a hydrophobic part (para κ-casein) and a water-soluble polar fraction (macropeptide) by proteolysis, for example by using laboratory fermentation. Casein can be present as an ingredient or as a contaminant in fresh and processed food products. Skimmed milk powder or casein/caseinate are often added to food products (for example in sausage) to increase the protein content or as a thickener. Under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, milk and milk products must be declared on the food label. Similar rules also exist in the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

3. The benefits of using the Casein allergy ELISA test kit

- Especially high for k-casein, which is heat-stable and resistant to enzymatic digestion during cheese production.

- Specificity: no cross-reaction with ß-lactoglobulin and with the casein of other animal species (more than 60 sample matrices have been evaluated).

- A large number of application notes.

4. Specifications of the Casein allergy ELISA test kit | RIDASCREEN® FAST Casein R4612

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