Elk/Moose Meat Allergy Test

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Description

Elk/Moose Meat Allergy Test

Code: f285
Latin name: Alces spp.
Source material: Raw meat
Family: Cervidae
Common names: Elk, Moose

Elk/Moose meat is a food which may result in allergy symptoms in sensitised individuals.

NB: The name elk is used in Eurasia for Alces spp. to which this article refers and also in North America for the species Cervus canadensis.

Elk/Moose Meat Allergy Test: Allergen Exposure

The moose is the largest surviving species within the deer family, and is found in forested areas of North America in temperate to subarctic climates. They have been hunted by humans for food since the Stone Age, a fact attested to by a number of cave paintings from the era. They continue to be hunted as game across the regions in which they are found.

Moose meat has been described as similar to beef, but more tender and flavoursome. It is lower in fat, and has a higher proportion of polyunsaturated fat to saturated fat, making it somewhat healthier as a food.

As with beef, the meat is usually aged in order to tenderise it before consumption. It is also inadvisable to eat undercooked, or rare, moose meat due to the likely presence of parasites within the meat.

The offal from moose, particularly the liver and kidneys, has been found to be high in cadmium, and it is therefore not advised for human consumption. Consumption of offal from moose over one year old is specifically prohibited in Finland, as cadmium concentrations rise with the age of the animal.

As well as meat, moose milk is commercially farmed to a limited extent, principally in Russia where it is prized for its supposed health giving properties. It is high in butterfat and milk solids, and compared to cow’s milk has higher levels of iron, selenium, and zinc. One farm in Sweden has pioneered the production of moose cheese, which sells at a high price due to its rarity.

Elk/Moose Meat Allergy Test: Allergen Description

No specific allergens present in elk/moose meat have been characterised to date, although a number of proteins have been identified.

Elk/Moose Meat Allergy Test: Potential Cross-Reactivity

Cross reactivity between elk and deer allergens, as well as horse and cow allergens, has been suggested.

In another case a man working as a bone carver experienced anaphylaxis and asthma while carving deer bones. Upon investigation it was found that the man had IgE-mediated allergy to the deer proteins altered by boiling in alkali, during the preparation process.

Elk/Moose Meat Allergy Test: Clinical Experience

Elk has been reported as an occupational allergen. In one study, thirteen patients from the western US were tested and had positive skin tests to moose and deer hair.

Other studies have shown allergenic relations between deer epithelium allergens and horse or cow epithelium and recognition of deer serum albumin by bovine serum albumin-specific IgE antibodies can not be fully excluded.

In another case a man working as a bone carver experienced anaphylaxis and asthma while carving deer bones. Upon investigation it was found that the man had IgE-mediated allergy to the deer proteins altered by boiling in alkali, during the preparation process.

Other reactions