Impact of food processing on the structural and allergenic properties of egg white

Background: Egg is one of the most nutritious foods that is easily available and it has become a favorite source of major nutrients like lipids and proteins around the world. However, eggs can trigger severe allergic reactions, especially in infants and children. The reactions are mostly IgE-mediated with a range of symptoms related to nose and throat and further can lead to life-threatening anaphylaxis. A total of ten allergens have been recognized to date and researchers are actively working on understanding their structure-function relationship which could help reduce the allergy incidences. Major egg allergens are abundant in egg white which include ovalbumin (OA), ovomucoid (OVM), ovotransferrin (OVT) and lysozyme (Lys). In addition to allergens, avidin present in egg white is also extensively studied due to its anti-nutritional properties. Avidin is known to form a complex with biotin which makes it unavailable for absorption. Scope and approach: This review focuses on the effects of thermal and non-thermal processing methods on the structure and functional properties of various egg proteins including a wide range of allergens and anti-nutrients. Key findings and conclusions: Novel processing techniques including various non-thermal techniques show promising results in reducing the allergic reactions of egg. Anti-nutrients like avidin can be partly inactivated under combined high-pressure processing and heat treatment.