Food Science and Technology, Department of

 

Department of Food Science and Technology: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

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First Advisor

Melanie L. Downs

Second Advisor

Joseph Baumert

Committee Members

Mary-Grace Danao, Philip E. Johnson

Date of this Version

4-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the university of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science 

Major: Food Science and Technology

Under the supervision of professors Melanie L. Downs and Joseph Baumert

Lincoln, Nebraska, April 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Francisca Asigri. Used by permission

Abstract

Cow’s milk and egg allergies are prevalent IgE-mediated food allergies that pose significant public health concerns worldwide. Although strict avoidance remains the primary management strategy, unintended exposure can still occur through allergen cross-contact, particularly in commercial and industrial food operations that utilize shared frying oils. The objective of this study was to identify and quantify allergen transfer in shared frying oil and assess the robustness of existing targeted mass spectrometry methods (LC-MS/MS) for detecting milk and egg proteins in heated oil matrices.

Heated oil spikes were developed by incorporating non-fat dry milk (NFDM) and whole egg powder (WEP) into oil and heating at 150°C and 170°C for 2–20 minutes. Additionally, an incurred food model using WEP-incurred hushpuppies was fried in multiple batches in 1.6 L oil heated to 180°C to assess allergen transfer to oil and from oil to another food product.

Results showed that heating significantly reduced the detectability of milk proteins, with most targeted peptides becoming undetectable after prolonged heating times due to protein denaturation, aggregation, and Maillard reactions. In contrast, egg proteins demonstrate greater stability, remaining detectable under similar conditions. Multiple frying experiments revealed minimal egg allergen transfer of > 1 ppm into oil and no detectable transfer into fried blank hushpuppies.

Overall, these findings highlight the impact of thermal processing and food matrix effects on allergen detectability and provide important insights for allergen risk assessment.

Advisors: Melanie L. Downs and Joseph Baumert

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