Despite its many health benefits, it also has a high allergenic potential, ranging from mild symptoms such as itching, skin rashes, and gastrointestinal discomfort to severe, life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Buckwheat allergies are particularly common in Asia, where buckwheat is a widely consumed food. A cross-allergy to buckwheat can develop, among other things, in individuals with a latex or coconut allergy. Buckwheat can cause allergic reactions not only through ingestion but also through inhalation of buckwheat flour.

The prevalence of buckwheat allergy has increased in recent years, which underlines the need for reliable detection methods. Buckwheat belongs to the knotweed family and the genus Fagopyrum. The most commonly used species are common buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) and tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum).

To reliably detect the smallest possible quantities of buckwheat, lifeprint GmbH, a Tentamus Group company based in Illertissen, Germany, has developed a both highly sensitive and specific real-time PCR detection of a chloroplast sequence for buckwheat. Both of the economically relevant species are reliably detected.

Detection is not only important in production environments where cross-contamination must be avoided to protect affected consumers as best as possible but also for exports to countries where buckwheat must be declared as an allergen.

More information:
https://www.tentamus.com

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