About COMPARE

The COMprehensive Protein Allergen REsource (COMPARE) is a database containing protein sequences of known allergens. COMPARE originated from the foundational sequence list developed in version 16 of the FARRP Allergen Online database. Each year, new sequences identified through the COMPARE process are added to this database. Allergens are identified using “rule-based” text-sorting algorithms that scan public sequence and literature repositories. Candidate sequences selected through these automated methods are then reviewed by an independent peer-review panel of allergy experts from the public sector. This panel evaluates the evidence and determines the final content of the database. A protein sequence is included only if there is supporting literature evidence of IgE-binding. These rigorous and well-documented processes (van Ree et al., 2021) have been carefully designed to meet the requirements of regulatory agencies for allergy safety assessments.

COMPARE also features a comparative sequence search tool called COMPASS (COMPare Analysis of Sequences with Software). This tool enables users to query the COMPARE database with their target sequence and generate amino acid sequence alignments to known allergens. It is specifically designed to support the regulatory safety review of novel foods and feeds by implementing criteria to help determine whether relevant alignments have occurred.

 

Click HERE for an update on the Current Status of the COMPARE Database

Program Structure

The COMPARE database program is a collaborative initiative of the HESI (Health and Environmental Sciences Institute). The program brings together expertise from academic, government, and industry scientists to support advancements in the assessment of allergenicity for novel food and feed proteins.

The Steering Team consists of a diverse group of academic, government, and industry scientists, providing significant in-kind expertise in protein allergenicity. This collaborative team has played a crucial role in designing the database, making decisions about search algorithms, and developing documentation for the COMPARE website.

The Peer Review Panel is composed of external public-sector experts who convene annually to review protein sequences identified through automated selections. They also evaluate relevant peer-reviewed publications to determine whether the allergen candidates meet the criteria for inclusion in the database. In a fully transparent process, the expert panel records the supporting data for each verified allergen in a Transparency file, which is accessible on the database’s Documentation page. Approved allergens are added to the COMPARE database alongside the supporting literature containing evidence of allergenicity. Detailed information about the peer review process and inclusion criteria can be found here.

Steering Team Members

  • Laurent Beuf, Vilmorin & Cie
  • Supratim Choudhuri, US FDA
  • Saurabh Joshi, Syngenta
  • Liisa Koski, HESI
  • Lucilia Mouries, HESI
  • Esmeralda Posada Campos, BASF
  • Kyle Skottke, Bayer
  • Andre Silvanovich, Retired from Bayer
  • Ping Song, Corteva Agriscience™
  • Ronald van Ree, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam
  • Wiebke Striegal, US EPA 
  • Gao Zhongshan, Zhejiang University, China

Peer Review Panel

  • Gabriele Gadermaier, PhD, Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria
  • Karin Hoffman-Sommergruber, PhD, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
  • Lars Poulsen, PhD, Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark
  • Suzanne Teuber, MD, University of California, Davis
  • Ronald van Ree, PhD, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam

Past Peer Review Panelist

  • Cecilia Berin, PhD, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NY, USA (for COMPARE 2017 and COMPARE 2018 versions)

Past Steering Team Members

  • Jean-Baptiste Rascle, Bayer
  • Kevin Glenn, Monsanto
  • John Vicini, Bayer
  • Rakesh Ranjan, BASF
  • Greg Ladics, DuPont
  • Scott McClain, Syngenta
  • Kyle McKillop, University of Maryland / JIFSAN
  • Afua Tetteh, BASF
  • Henry Mirsky, Corteva
  • Paul Guevara, University of Maryland / JIFSAN
  • Emir Islamovic, BASF
  • John Kough, U.S. EPA
  • Dexter Sapiter Ballerda, University of Maryland / JIFSAN
  • Justin McDonald, Syngenta
  • Rod Herman, Corteva
  • Eva Gietl, KWS
  • Eric Ma, Syngenta
  • Clare Narrod, University of Maryland/JIFSAN

About HESI

HESI, the Health and Environmental Sciences Institute, is a non-profit, global scientific organization dedicated to developing science for a safer, more sustainable world. 

HESI’s mission is to collaboratively identify and help to resolve global health and environmental challenges through engagement of scientists from academia, government, industry, NGOs, and other strategic partners.

HESI was established in 1989 to provide an international forum to advance the understanding of scientific issues related to human health, toxicology, risk assessment, and the environment.