Apples are the most widely grown and used fruit in Europe - but around 1 million people, especially in Mediterranean countries, are allergic to apple. However, researchers have now discovered that cooking apples ‘protects their allergenicity’.

In other words, when you subject apples without sugar to severe heat (100C), there is a thirty-fold decrease in the allergenicity of one of the most allergenic proteins found in the peel (Mal d 3). Mal d 3 causes histamine release and can cause anaphylaxis. However, if you heat them with sugar there is less reduction in allergenicity.

This discovery is not only of interest apple pie-making allergy sufferers but is hugely important for the extremely large apple processing industry.

More details from the Institute of Food Research.

First published November 2005

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