Effects of Insect Control Treatments and Damage Caused by Stored-product Insects on Rice Allergenic Proteins

The number of food allergy sufferers has been increasing and foods containing allergenic proteins have caused concern for many of the people especially in developed countries. Although rice, a staple food for Japanese people, rarely induces severe allergic symptoms such as anaphylactic shock, it has long been known to be a potential cause of atopic dermatitis. We investigated the effects of high-pressure carbon dioxide treatment, an alternative to methyl bromide fumigation for insect pest control, as well as both methyl bromide and phosphine fumigation, on rice allergenic proteins. In addition, brown rice samples were treated with the larvae of the stored-product insect Plodia interpunctella to determine the effects of insect damage on these proteins. We found that neither these insect control treatments nor damage caused by stored-product insect have any effect on allergenic proteins.