Potential transfer of peanut and/or soy proteins from poultry feed to the meat and/or eggs produced

Authors: Toomer, Ondulla; SANDERS, ELLIOT - North Carolina State University; Vu, Thien; LIVINGSTON, MATTHEW - North Carolina State University; WALL, BRITTANY - North Dakota State University; MELHEIROS, RAMON - North Carolina State University; CARVALHO, LUIZ - North Carolina State University; LIVINGSTON, KIMBERLY - North Carolina State University; FERKET, PETER - North Carolina State University; ANDERSON, KENNETH - North Carolina State University

Submitted to: ACS Omega
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/30/2019
Publication Date: 1/21/2020
Citation: Toomer, O.T., Sanders, E., Vu, T.C., Livingston, M., Wall, B., Melheiros, R.D., Carvalho, L.V., Livingston, K.A., Ferket, P.R., Anderson, K.E. 2020. Potential transfer of peanut and/or soy proteins from poultry feed to the meat and/or eggs produced. ACS Omega. 5(2):1080-1085. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b03218.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.9b03218

Interpretive Summary: No studies to date have examined the potential transfer of allergenic proteins from the feed of meat-type chickens or egg-producing hens to the eggs and/or meat produced. Therefore we aimed to determine if soy and/or peanut proteins in broiler chicken or layer hen diets would be transferred to the meat or eggs produced after 6 weeks to 8 weeks. In this study we fed 99 egg-producing layer hens (33 birds per treatment) and 300 broiler meat-type chickens (100 birds per treatment) with three treatment groups for 6 to 8 weeks. The three dietary treatments were a conventional soybean meal and corn diet (control), whole high-oleic peanut with the skin intact and corn diet, or a control diet spiked with oleic acid oil. At 6 weeks, broiler meat-type chickens were processed and chicken breast samples of the left pectoralis muscle were collected and at 8 weeks eggs were collected from layer hens. Total proteins from pooled egg samples (10 per treatment) and chicken breast samples were extracted and peanut and soy proteins were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and immunoblotting methods with peanut-specific and soy-specific capture antibodies. All pooled egg samples and individual chicken breast meat samples did not contain peanut or soy proteins when analyzed by both assay methods. Hence, this study helps to validate the allergenic safety of meat and/or eggs produced from poultry fed peanut feed ingredients.

Technical Abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that allergenic feed proteins from peanuts in the diets of layer hens are not detected in the eggs produced. Hence, in this study, we aimed to determine if soy and/or peanut proteins in poultry feed rations of broiler chickens or layer hens would be transferred or detectable in the meat or eggs produced. To meet this objective, 99 layer hens and 300 broiler chickens were equally divided into treatment groups and fed one of three experimental diets: control soybean meal and corn diet, whole unblanched high-oleic peanut and corn diet (HO PN), or a control diet spiked supplemented with oleic acid (OA) oil. At termination, broiler chickens were processed, and chicken breast samples of the left pectoralis muscle were collected, and eggs were collected from layers. Total protein extracts from pooled egg samples and chicken breast samples were subjected to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) methods and immunoblotting analysis with rabbit antipeanut agglutinin antibodies and rabbit antisoy antibodies for the detection of peanut and soy proteins. Peanut and soy proteins were undetected in all pooled egg samples and individual chicken breast meat samples using immunoblotting techniques with rabbit antipeanut agglutinin and rabbit antisoy antibodies. Moreover, quantitative ELISA allergen detection methods determined all pooled egg samples and individual meat samples as “not containing” peanut or soy allergens. Therefore, this study helps to evaluate the risk associated with the potential transfer of allergenic proteins from animal feed to the products produced for human consumption.