EPA Awards Grant for Research on Food Allergy Triggers

WASHINGTON–The EPA has awarded a $433,100 grant to the University of Chicago to investigate how allergic reactions to food are initiated and why specific antibodies start reacting to foods and allergens when they are eaten. Understanding this process will help determine how food can trigger an allergic response and could help predict the potential for people to develop allergies to new genetically engineered foods. With better understanding of how foods trigger allergic responses, scientists will be equipped to develop new tests for adverse effects from these foods and interpret data from toxicity tests required by regulation.