Supporting Allergen Risk Management in Spice Supply Chains: Detection of Peanut Contamination in Garlic and Garlic-Derived Products Using Molecular and Protein-Based Approaches

Introduction: Peanut (Arachis hypogaea) allergy is one of the leading causes of severe food-induced allergic reactions worldwide. Effective allergen management requires reliable methods for detecting unintended peanut contamination in food products. While protein-based methods such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are widely used, their performance can be influenced by food processing and matrix complexity. DNA-based approaches, building on advances in molecular species authentication and DNA barcoding, offer a complementary strategy owing to the stability and specificity of nucleic acid targets.

Methods: Artificially contaminated garlic samples, commercial garlic products, and garlic-derived supplements were analysed using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), quantitative PCR (qPCR), high-resolution melting (HRM) analysis, and ELISA. A peanut-specific molecular marker was evaluated alongside ELISA to compare the analytical performance, sensitivity, and suitability of DNA-based and protein-based approaches across different contamination levels and garlic-based matrices.

Results and Discussion: Peanut DNA was successfully detected in artificially contaminated samples and in selected commercial garlic products and garlic-derived supplements using DNA-based approaches. ELISA analysis was also successfully completed for the same sample set. No amplification was observed in uncontaminated controls, demonstrating assay specificity. Comparative analyses are ongoing to evaluate the relative analytical sensitivity and practical performance of PCR, qPCR, HRM analysis, and ELISA across different contamination levels and garlic-based matrices.

Conclusions: This research addresses the growing need for robust allergen monitoring tools within spice supply chains, where complex sourcing networks and processing practices can increase the risk of unintended cross-contamination. The study supports the development of evidence-based allergen detection strategies with the potential to strengthen food safety, quality assurance, traceability, and regulatory compliance within the spice sector.