Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an acquired allergy to alpha-gal, a sugar molecule found in the tissues of most mammals except for humans and other primates. It occurs when a person is bitten by a tick — notably the lone star tick — that carries alpha-gal from previous bites. The tick injects the alpha-gal into the person’s body, which triggers the immune system to produce antibodies against it.
Little research to date has been done to examine the alpha-gal content of various products, prompting researchers from Kansas State University
Affected individuals can experience a range of symptoms from mild itching to potentially fatal anaphylaxis after consuming products containing mammalian meat that contains alpha-gal.
There has been little research to date to determine the alpha-gal content of food products, prompting researchers at Kansas State University to study the concentration of the sugar in beef cooked to various states of doneness.
Ten beef striploins were collected from a Midwest beef processing plant and transported under refrigeration to the Kansas State University Meat Laboratory. Striploins were cut into four steaks each and either left raw or cooked to medium rare (130°F), medium (140°F), or well done (160°F). Whole muscle proteins were extracted and separated, and tested against a primary anti-α-Gal antibody.
Striploin cooked to well done had the greatest alpha-gal concentration among all cooking treatments, followed by steaks cooked to medium rare and medium, while steaks left raw had the lowest alpha-gal concentration.
They concluded that cooking seemed to concentrate alpha-gal glycans to a higher degree than that of the raw striploin and suggested further research is needed to evaluate the efficacy of other interventions to improve the care and management of AGS patients.
