Description
Blue Mussel Allergy Test
Code: f37
Latin name: Mytilus edulis
Source material: Canned mussel
Family: Mytilidae
Common names: Mussel, Common mussel
Blue mussel is a food which may result in allergy symptoms in sensitised individuals.
Blue Mussel Allergy Test: Allergen Exposure
Blue mussels are edible marine bivalve molluscs, and are found in intertidal areas in cooler seas around the world. They are a popular seafood, having been consumed as food by humans for thousands of years, and feature in many regional cuisines including Spanish (especially Galician), Portuguese, French, Dutch, Belgian and Italian.
The largest global consumer of mussels is China, responsible for 40% of the total annual catch worldwide.
They can be prepared in a range of ways, smoked, boiled, steamed, roasted, barbecued or fried in butter or vegetable oil. They may also be used in chowders, soups and stews.
In France and Belgium, mussels are served alongside french fries in the classic dish “moules frites”, or cooked with herbs and vegetables in a white wine and butter broth.
In the Netherlands, deep fried battered or breadcrumbed mussels are a popular takeout food. In Italy, mussels are commonly found as part of a seafood mix, usually cooked by steaming and served with lemon. In Spanish cuisine, mussels may be combined with shrimp meat and fish, along with bechamel sauce to create a type of croquette known as a “tigre”.
In Cantonese cuisine, mussels are cooked in a broth of garlic and fermented black bean. In India they may be paired with breadfruit or other vegetables, or filled with rice and coconut paste with spices and served hot.
Blue mussels are a good source of zinc and folate, and an excellent source of selenium and vitamin B12.
Blue Mussel Allergy Test: Allergen Description
No specific allergens present in blue mussel have been characterised, although a number of proteins have been identified.
Blue Mussel Allergy Test: Potential Cross-Reactivity
Cross reactivity to oyster (Ostrea edulis) could be expected.
Allergy to mussel is most often associated with allergy to other related molluscs. Cross-reactions are found between molluscs, especially within the same class (bivalves, cephalopods or gastropods).
Therefore those allergic to bivalves (clams, mussels, oysters, and scallops) are likely to react to other bivalves, while those reacting to gastropods (abalone, limpets, snails, winkles and whelks) are likely to react to other gastropods.
Blue Mussel Allergy Test: Clinical Experience
Skin reactivity and specific IgE-mediated reactions have been reported to mussel.
Shellfish is one of the more common food allergies, and usually persists throughout the patient’s lifetime. The majority of people (around 60%) of shellfish-allergic people experience their first allergic reaction as adults.
Symptoms can be severe and potentially life-threatening, including anaphylaxis. Even very small amounts of shellfish can provoke a reaction.
Exposure to the steam from cooking shellfish has been reported to cause an allergic reaction in some cases, due to the presence of allergenic proteins in the steam.
Other reactions
Seafood may contain high levels of histamine.
Shellfish poisoning is a potential consequence of ingesting shellfish contaminated with any one of a number of toxins. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea; chills, fever or headache; conjunctival irritation, sneezing and rhinorrhea and even paralysis.