ABSTRACT
Food allergy is considered one of the major health issues nowadays that affects millions of people worldwide, especially in industrial countries. Studies have shown that food allergy affects about 4" of the adult population and a higher prevalence amongst children (6-8") was reported. Different analytical methods are currently used for allergens detection such as Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays (ELISA), enzyme-linked immunoaffinity chromatography, HPLC (High-Performance Liquid Chromatography) and capillary electrophoresis methods with size-exclusion chromatography and laser-induced fluorescence detection. Protein-based methods such as western blot and immunoperoxidase staining are also utilized. This chapter discusses several aspects of biosensor developments for allergen monitoring and allergy diagnosis and reviews the recent achievements in the allergen detection. It then describes the integration of bionanotechnology to the biosensor devices. Electrochemical biosensors are more favourable as they can meet market demands for fabrication of compact, portable and low-cost devices.
