Today, an estimated 33 million Americans are coping with food allergies — roughly every 10th person — and that number is growing. Thankfully, we live in a time when there are multiple treatments available, including oral immunotherapy (OIT), sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), omalizumab (Xolair), biosimilar therapy, and many others in the pipeline.
As research into modifying the immune system to treat food allergies marches forward, innovations like CRISPR are making it easier to modify the foods we eat to eliminate their allergenicity.
Two stories in the news are circulating regarding such foods.
The first involves bacon that can be safely consumed by people with alpha-gal syndrome (AGS). The Mayo Clinic describes AGS as follows:
Alpha-gal syndrome is a type of food allergy. It makes people allergic to red meat and other products made from mammals.
In the United States, the condition usually begins with the bite of the Lone Star tick. The bite transfers a sugar molecule called alpha-gal into the body. In some people, this triggers a reaction from the body’s defenses, also called the immune system. It causes mild to severe allergic reactions to red meat, such as beef, pork or lamb. It also can cause reactions to other foods that come from mammals, such as dairy products or gelatins.
Generally, a diagnosis of AGS means avoiding all mammalian meat products, but according to a recent news report, there may be one exception.
Pigs genetically modified for organ transplant research have been bred to not produce alpha-gal sugar, which is a major cause of rejection in humans. Revivicor, a company researching xenotransplants — organ transplants from animals to humans — obtained FDA approval for their “GalSafe” pigs in 2020 when the FDA determined the pigs to be alpha-gal free.
According to an article from the Associated Press, the company is now sharing meat derived from their pigs free of charge to allergy patients.
The second involves a company called MyFloraDNA whose website states:
Our mission is to be the leading provider of biotechnology solutions, by developing and delivering innovative and accessible products, services, and education that empower all players in the industry to improve their yields, quality, and sustainability of their crops.
The company is raising funds on Start Engine where they make the following pitch:
The 6.1 million Americans allergic to peanuts live in fear of severe reactions, driving up healthcare costs and limiting food choices. Our application could save millions of dollars to Americans in medication and treatments. At MyFloraDNA Inc, we’re harnessing the power of CRISPR technology to create non-allergenic peanuts. We offer a revolutionary solution: safer products for allergy sufferers (reducing emergencies), faster innovation for allergy-friendly products, significant cost savings for producers (through less allergen management), decreased burden on our already taxed healthcare system, and expanded market reach with new consumers.
This one’s a bit more difficult to understand: whereas Revivicor is offering their meat as a byproduct of their research, MyFloraDNA is setting out to change the peanut itself for the sake of making it non-allergenic.
But we wonder to what end? Even if they are successful, the vast majority of peanuts will continue to be allergenic, meaning the products derived from them will continue to be dangerous to those with peanut allergy. Is there really market demand for non-allergenic peanut butter when there are so many alternatives available?
And if they envision schools someday serving their peanut butter, how many parents of children with peanut allergy will trust their children to eat it? And how many parents of kids without peanut allergy will trust it to be safe?
In this case, we think the food allergy community would be better served by having those research dollars go toward finding therapies and a cure for peanut allergy.
What do you think? If you have AGS, would you consume GalSafe pork products even though the pigs have been genetically modified? If you or someone you care for has a peanut allergy, would you purchase a genetically modified peanut butter for home? Would you trust it served at school or the local cafe?
Let us know in the comments section below.
- Pig transplant research yields a surprise: Bacon safe for some people allergic to red meat — Associated Press
- Alpha-gal syndrome — Mayo Clinic
- Making peanuts allergy-free — Start Engine
I would definitely be a proponent for a non-allergenic peanut and would purchase it. I have two children allergic to peanuts and one not allergic who loves it but can’t have it as one of the two kids allergic is so severe, her allergy is airborne, so we can’t ever let it or anything even cross contaminated with peanuts into the house. My child who loves peanut butter can only have it outside the home and needs to be super careful not get any proteins on himself and so it is stressful. I would trust it and purchase it, since there has been little headway with finding a cure for those so allergic like my children who are not even eligible for the current treatments.
NO WAY! How confusing. It’s safe to eat this peanut, but not that one. I can see that get really confusing and dangrous for chldren especially.