Food Allergy Testing: Problems in Identification of Allergenic Foods.
The greatest challenge in managing food allergy or intolerance is identifying the food that is responsible for the symptoms. The medical model of a diagnosis based on tests appropriate to the symptoms, which dictates the usual most effective treatment strategy, does not work well in the management of adverse reactions to foods. A single test could not identify the specific trigger for the wide array of symptoms that can result from food sensitivity, because the immunological, physiological and biochemical reactions that mediate food sensitivity are so diverse. Skin tests, blood tests for food antigen-specific antibodies, and other in vitro tests cannot provide the same information as well-controlled elimination and challenge. Once the reactive foods have been identified, management of the condition may be effectively achieved by a diet that avoids the culprit food components and supplies complete balanced nutrition from alternative sources. A suitably qualified dietitian/ nutritionist is the most appropriate health care practitioner to inform and supervise food-sensitive people in identifying and avoiding the specific food components that are responsible for their symptoms, and in obtaining complete nutrition from an appropriately selected diet.
Joneja
Janice M.
JM
Allergy Nutrition Research Program, Vancouver Hospital and Health Sciences Centre, B.C.