Abstract
Egg allergens remaining on food service tableware made from four different materials (polypropylene, strengthened porcelain, polyethylene naphthalate, and melamine) were tested by immunochromatography and an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay after washing the tableware with water and/or detergent. The tableware tested positive (＋) or weakly positive (＋w) after washing with only water, and negative (－) or weakly positive (＋w) after washing with detergent, there being no differences among the tableware materials. The tableware was then rinsed twice or four times, and tested again as positive (＋) or weakly positive (＋w). The quantitative ELISA results showed the allergen levels to be slightly higher than or close to 50 ng/mL after washing with only water, and below the lower limit of quantification (＜0.78 ng/mL) after washing with detergent for many of the tested allergens. There were no significant differences (P＝0.05) among the four kinds of tableware material for the residual characteristics of the egg allergens.
