Viability and antigenicity of anisakis simplex after conventional and microwave heating at fixed temperatures

• Published in: Journal of food protection Vol. 74; no. 12; p. 2119
• Main Authors: Vidaček, Sanja, De Las Heras, Cristina, Solas, Maria Teresa, García, Maria Luisa, Mendizábal, Angel, Tejada, Margarita
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01-12-2011
• Subjects: Allergens - analysis; Allergens - immunology; Animals; Anisakis - growth & development; Anisakis - immunology; Consumer Product Safety; Fish Products - parasitology; Fishes - parasitology; Food Handling - methods; Food Hypersensitivity; Food Parasitology; Food Safety; Hot Temperature; Humans; Infrared Rays; Larva; Microwaves; Seafood - parasitology
• ISSN: 1944-9097
• DOI: 10.4315/0362-028X.JFP-11-108

Inactivation of parasites in food by microwave treatment may vary due to differences in the characteristics of microwave ovens and food properties. Microwave treatment in standard domestic ovens results in hot and cold spots, and the microwaves do not penetrate all areas of the samples depending on the thickness, which makes it difficult to compare microwave with conventional heat treatments. The viability of Anisakis simplex (isolated larvae and infected fish muscle) heated in a microwave oven with precise temperature control was compared with that of larvae heated in a water bath to investigate any additional effect of the microwaves. At a given temperature, less time was required to kill the larvae by microwaves than by heated water. Microwave treatment killed A. simplex larvae faster than did conventional cooking when the microwaves fully penetrated the samples and resulted in fewer changes in the fish muscle. However, the heat-stable allergen Ani s 4 was detected by immunohistochemistry in the fish muscle after both heat treatments, even at 70°C, suggesting that Ani s 4 allergens were released from the larvae into the surrounding tissue and that the tissues retained their allergenicity even after the larvae were killed by both heat treatments. Thus, microwave cooking will not render fish safe for individuals already sensitized to A. simplex heat-resistant allergens.