Residual α-Gal in digested beef, pork and lamb meat submitted to different cooking methods

Food allergy typically arises as an adverse reaction mediated by food proteins. However, in the case of meat allergy, not only proteins have been identified as causal antigens, but also the carbohydrate galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose (α-Gal), which remains poorly studied as an allergen. We aimed to investigate the effect of different cooking methods on the digestibility and immunogenicity of meat. Our results reveal that the ability of α-Gal in roasted beef to be recognized by specific antibodies does not decrease after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Furthermore, in the case of boiled or roasted pork, antibody binding to α-Gal even increases, underscoring the influence of temperature, cooking method, and animal species. This suggests that the exposure of glycans due to the proteolytic degradation of the amino acid chain increases their accessibility for antibody binding. Such findings may offer a complementary explanation for the delayed anaphylactic responses observed in meat allergic patients in comparison with the reactions that suffer allergic patients to other foods.