CUHK research identifies 11 allergens in crabs
發佈日期: 2025-08-02 20:16
TVB News
Some people are allergic to crabs, and will display various symptoms after eating the crustaceans.
A study by the Chinese University of Hong Kong found 11 crab allergens, substances that cause allergy.
The researchers from the paediatric allergy team said the findings will be useful for doctors to accurately diagnose shellfish allergies and offer appropriate meal advice.
Mercy is 17-years-old and has been allergic to some types of fish since a young age, but has been able to eat cooked crabs, shrimp and mussels without problems.
Two months ago, she went on holiday in South Korea where she developed immediate allergic reactions, including swollen lips, blocked throat and dizziness after eating soy sauce crab and a small amount of crab paste.
To find out why Mercy was so reactive to crabs which she was able to tolerate in the past, the CUHK conducted IgE reactivity tests with her serum samples.
Results revealed that her serum samples reacted sharply with the muscle proteins from two types of crabs - the Charybdis feriata and Eriocheir sinensis, which is usually used in crab paste.
The research team analysed six widely consumed edible crab species, with 64 serum samples from patients allergic to crabs.
They found 11 crab allergens, which led to various levels of allergy among different people.
Professor Leung Ting-fan of Paediatrics, CU Medicine said, "so if we understand different patterns in different patients, we can actually help them appropriately avoid different crabs that they are allergic to whereas they can enjoy some other crabs that don't have that allergens."
King crabs look basically the same as other crabs. But if you look closer, you will see king crabs only have eight legs, while other crabs have ten legs.
The medical experts said people with allergies can try a little bit if they are not sure whether they are allergic to a particular type of food.
