Food Allergy Test

Why test for a food allergy?

Some people suffer from food allergies – often without knowing it. In some cases, the symptoms are annoying and unhealthy in the long run, but they are also subtle and difficult to attribute to specific meals. It can then make sense to get a first indication with a test to identify which foods you might not be able to tolerate.

In theory, you could be allergic to all kinds of foods. In practice, however, it is always the usual suspects that are responsible for a large part of allergies. These common food allergy triggers – and a few more – are taken into account in the cerascreen® Food Allergy Test.

If you can use the test to find out a previously undetected food allergy, it is important to remove that food item from your diet. This is more difficult with some foods than with others. Either way, you can avoid the cause of your complaints in the future.

How does the Food Allergy Test work?

For the Food Allergy Test, take a few drops of blood from your fingertip with one of the two lancets. Everything you need is included in the test kit.

The next step is to  send the sample to a diagnostic laboratory. The laboratory analyses the amount of certain IgE antibodies in your blood. These antibodies indicate whether you are  intolerant to one of 38 different foods. After the analysis, you will receive a notification and can access your personal results report via the online customer area or the My cerascreen® app.

What does the results report tell me?

The results report of the Food Allergy Test shows for which foods there are large amounts of IgE antibodies in the blood. A clear table shows you how strongly you are allergic to 38 different foods and food groups.

This intolerance shows the likelihood of your immune system having an allergic reaction to certain foods. This way, you receive a first indication of a possible food allergy.

The test cannot give you a definite allergy diagnosis. The diagnosis may only be made by doctors who combine allergy test results with your medical history – that is, question you about your symptoms and your state of health. However, you can use the results as a first point of reference to discuss a further course of action with your doctor, who may then no longer have to carry out skin tests or blood tests.

Which recommendations will I receive?

You will receive recommendations on how to deal with the test results. It is important that you take into account whether you have any symptoms after eating certain foods. Some people have an increased number of IgE antibodies against a certain food in their blood, but still show no symptoms. If this is the case for you, you will receive recommendations  in the results report.

You will also receive recommendations on how to deal with identified allergies and how to make your diet healthy and balanced despite a potential food allergy. We give specific tips that you can use to support your digestive and intestinal health.

How common are food allergies?

According to estimates by AllergyUK, around 20 per cent of adults in the United Kingdom have a food allergy.

Allergies to food are somewhat more common in children, and in many cases, they go away on their own before adolescence or adulthood.

Which types of allergies will be tested?

There are different types of allergies. A  type 1 allergy, also called immediate type allergy is by far the most common type. Food allergies generally fall into this category.

These type 1 allergies are associated with increased concentrations of IgE antibodies. The cerascreen® Food Allergy Test examines precisely these concentrations in response to 38 different foods. This will give you first indications of a possible allergy of the immediate type.

What are IgE antibodies?

Antibodies are one of the defence mechanisms of your immune system. These are certain proteins. The body uses them primarily to fight off pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. There are different classes of antibodies, each with different tasks. The immunoglobulins E (IgE) specialise in defending against parasites – for example, worms.

When your body’s immune cells recognise pathogens or parasites, they pass this information on to plasma cells, a class of white blood cells. These then produce specific antibodies. ‘Specific’ in this context means that these antibodies are only there to initiate reactions against a specific pathogen.

How are IgE antibodies and allergies related?

If you have an allergy, your body has confused a harmless substance with a threatening pathogen in the past. Substances that can be used are proteins that are found in foods, pollen, animal hair, dust mites and medicines, among other things. These possible allergies triggers are called allergens.

The immune systems of allergy sufferers will have produced certain IgE antibodies to the allergen after confusing a harmless substance with a threatening pathogen. If the same substances enter the body again, your immune system will sound the alarm. They initiate defensive reactions: the messenger substance histamine is released, and inflammation occurs – the typical symptoms of an allergic reaction.

The IgE antibodies can stay in your body for your whole life. In some cases, the allergies disappear. In the case of food allergies, sensitisation usually begins in childhood. As child allergy sufferers become teenagers, many then lose their allergies to cow’s milk, eggs, wheat and soy. Allergies to nuts, fish and shellfish, in turn, persist in most cases for life.

What are the symptoms?

Food allergies are allergies of the immediate type. Symptoms usually appear immediately or only a few minutes after eating.

Typical symptoms of a food allergy are:

• Rashes and redness of the skin
• Gastrointestinal complaints such as diarrhoea, vomiting and abdominal pain
• An itchy palate and a ‘furry feeling’ on the tongue
• Breathing difficulties and allergic asthma

What is an anaphylactic shock?

In particular, nuts, soy and animal products – such as milk, egg and shellfish – can also cause a dangerous allergic reaction (anaphylactic shock). Blood pressure suddenly drops. This can lead to fainting and in rare cases even death.

If you have ever had an anaphylactic shock or you have been found to be at risk of having one, doctors will prescribe an anaphylaxis emergency kit. This includes medicines that you can use to counteract this violent allergic reaction, such as an an EpiPen (epinephrine pen) that allows you to inject adrenaline into the thigh, which usually prevents the drop in blood pressure.

Which foods trigger food allergies?

More than 170 foods can be responsible for allergies. However, a far smaller number of foods is most frequently responsible. They include:

• Cow’s milk and eggs
• Legumes (especially peanuts and soy)
• Nuts
• Wheat
• Fish and shellfish

What can I do about a food allergy?

There is no cure for a food allergy. In some cases, allergies disappear on their own over time. Doctors still have no way of influencing this effectively.

The only effective long-term measure is therefore to avoid food that you cannot tolerate. This can mean that you have to spend some time studying ingredient lists on packaging. Many products contain allergens that you would not expect them to. Soy, egg, milk and wheat, in particular, are found in numerous products and processed foods.

Fortunately, manufacturers have to label and highlight the 14 most important allergens on their product packaging. And restaurants and bakeries must also give you this information.

Are there medications for food allergies?

Medications only help with  suppressing food allergy symptoms. Antihistamines can temporarily alleviate allergic reaction symptoms. These drugs are the same that are used for hay fever. However, they are not suitable for long-term use.

People who have particularly severe allergic reactions often carry an anaphylaxis emergency kit with an adrenaline injector (EpiPen). The kit can be life-saving for those experiencing an anaphylactic shock.

Who is the test not suitable for?

The Food Allergy Test is not suitable for or is only suitable for certain groups of people:

• People with contagious diseases, like hhepatitis, are not allowed to take the Food Allergy Test. 
• People with a haemophilia blood disorder should not take the blood test.
• Pregnant and/or breastfeeding women should only carry out the Food Allergy Test under medical supervision. The reference values and recommendations do not apply to them, so they should obtain recommendations on the test results from their doctor.
• The Food Allergy Test is not suitable for children under the age of 18.

The test is not there to diagnose diseases. For example, if you suffer from chronic diarrhoea or extreme pain, contact a doctor.

Why are children under 18 not allowed to take the test?

Our tests are not suitable for underage children and adolescents under the age of 18. Under 18s cannot activate the tests online and therefore cannot receive a test result. We ask that you do not administer the tests to your children either.

Children and adolescents need much closer supervision and counselling regarding medical tests and their interpretation. Testing with lancets and chemicals is not without risk and would need to be closely supervised by guardians. In addition, the reference values we give are always based on adult data. In the case of children, the risk of misinterpreting the results would be very high.

We want to fulfil our responsibility as a provider of medical products and ensure that children and adolescents are not unsettled by measurement results that are difficult for them to interpret. Since we cannot control whether the minors' legal guardians actually consent to the test being carried out and supervise them, we exclude tests for under 18s altogether.

If you are under 18 and have purchased a test, please contact our customer support.