Genetic engineering for removing food allergens from plants.

Genetic engineering has great potential for improving the safety of plant-based foods by eliminating allergenic components. A recent publication by Dodo et al. demonstrates that RNA interference can mediate the silencing of a major allergen protein from peanuts. Three additional papers (two by Le et al. and one by Lorenz et al.) report the removal of allergenic proteins from tomato fruits. This research highlights the potential for using genetically engineered hypoallergenic plants in a new approach to alleviating food allergy symptoms.