EuroPrevall report on 'Food allergy diagnosis today and in the future'

Self-diagnosis of food allergies is notoriously unreliable and highly over-reported. Unnecessary avoidance of certain foods may have adverse nutritional consequences. People with food allergies therefore rely on accurate diagnosis in order to manage their allergies, as they need to avoid foods to which they react, but also must not needlessly restrict their diet.

Accurate food allergy diagnosis is a specialized procedure requiring considerable clinical expertise. Currently, there are a range of diagnostic tests and procedures available to clinicians. However, all have their advantages as well as shortcomings. Further research is required to develop more accurate, convenient, and inexpensive tests.

Read the full report

References
R. Asero, B.K. Ballmer-Weber, K. Beyer, A. Conti, R. Dubakiene, M. Fernandez-Rivas, K. Hoffmann-Sommergruber, J. Lidholm, T. Mustakov, J.N.G. Oude Elberink, R.S.H. Pumphrey, P.S. Skov, R. van Ree,  B.J. Vlieg-Boerstra, R. Hiller, J.O. Hourihane, M. Kowalski, N.G. Papadopoulos, J.-M. Wal, E.N.C. Mills, Stefan Vieths (2007).
IgE-Mediated food allergy diagnosis: Current status and new perspectives.
Mol Nutr Food Res 2007; 51, 135-147.

More information
EuroPrevall website
InformAll database - for detailed information on the foods, which may cause allergic reactions