Food Allergy Resources
Practice Parameters and Guidelines
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
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Food Allergy Resources
Practice Parameters and Guidelines
Is your patient a candidate for specific IgE testing?
Get detailed information on whole allergens and allergen components.
Ready to test a patient?
Access videos and webinars delivered by key experts in the field of allergy.
Food Allergies
Symptoms, types, and testing
Food allergies affect as many as 250 million people in the world and nearly 33 million people in the United States.1,2 This page provides valuable information on food allergies, symptoms, and testing options, helping you understand and manage the condition effectively.
What are food allergies?
Food allergies are a type of allergic reaction that occur when the immune system reacts to typically harmless substances, like whole allergens from milk, eggs, fish, or peanuts. It’s also possible to have allergic reactions to specific molecules, called allergen components, within whole allergens.
Food allergies affect...
1 in 13 children3
1 in 10 adults4
Food allergies vs food intolerances
Food intolerances, like lactose intolerance and wheat sensitivity, mimic food allergy symptoms but are not caused by an immune system reaction.5 They result from enzyme deficiencies or pharmacological reactions. Food allergies are solely immune system responses.
What causes food allergies?
Food allergies can be hereditary, but that doesn’t mean that they are limited to the people with a family history of reactions.6
A food allergy develops when your body’s immune system has an abnormal response to a specific food and creates IgE antibodies.7
The next time you eat that specific food, those specific IgE antibodies cause an immune response which results in food allergy symptoms.7
How do food allergies affect children and adults?
Food allergies in children
80% of children outgrow milk, egg, soy, and wheat allergies.8
More than 40% of children with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction.3
Food allergies in adults
12 million adults in the U.S. report developing a food allergy later in life.4
More than 50% of adults with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction.4
Common food allergens
90% of food allergies are caused by nine allergens, called the “Big 9.”9
Because a large population of people react to the Big 9, they are deemed major allergens and must be called out on food labels.
Other common food allergens
Pollen food allergy syndrome, or oral allergy syndrome (OAS), occurs when someone with a pollen allergy eats a specific fruit or vegetable—like kiwi, celery, tomatoes, peppers, and avocado—and experiences symptoms like itchy mouth and throat.
Red meat allergy (or alpha-Gal syndrome) is caused by a bite from a lone star tick or chigger. This food allergy is becoming more common and may someday be added to the “Big 9.”
Food allergy symptoms
Food allergy symptoms vary from stomach cramps and itchy mouth to rashes and fatigue. While anaphylaxis is the most severe reaction, food allergies can also cause minor reactions depending on the individual.
Gastrointestinal symptoms
- Stomach pain or cramps
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Bloating
- Acid reflux
Lungs, throat, and mouth symptoms
- Itchy or tingly mouth, lips, or throat
- Swelling of the tongue or throat
- Wheezing or coughing
- Difficulty breathing
- Hoarseness
- Very pale lips
Skin related symptoms
- Rashes & hives
- Intense itching
- Facial swelling
- Pale or flushed appearance
Full-body symptoms
- Fatigue
- Rising anxiety
- Feeling too hot or very cold
- Failure to thrive
Anaphylaxis symptoms
- Difficulty breathing
- Weak and rapid pulse
- Drop in blood pressure
- Swollen tongue or throat
- Dizziness or loss of consciousness
- Nausea or diarrhea
Food allergy diagnosis
The only way to be clinically diagnosed with a food allergy is to have a medical history of reactions paired with a positive allergy test.10 Serologic food allergy testing evaluates specific IgE antibodies (sIgE) found in the blood, which at high levels indicates what food allergens may be causing you to react.
How to test for food allergies
Healthcare providers use two main types of food allergy testing: skin prick testing (SPT) and specific IgE blood testing. SPT is usually only offered by an allergist, however, specific IgE blood testing can be used by a wide range of clinicians, such as primary care providers, urgent care clinicians, pediatricians, and internists.
Be wary of “at-home” testing
Be careful not to confuse at-home food sensitivity or food intolerance testing as allergy testing. These for-purchase testing kits found online or over the counter do not evaluate sIgE antibodies, therefore they cannot be used to diagnose an allergy.
The difference between sensitivity testing and allergy testing
What is testing with food allergen components?
Testing with food allergen components is primarily a type of specific IgE blood test that evaluates whether you may be allergic to a specific protein or allergen component found within a food allergen.
Think of a “whole allergen” as a completed puzzle.
Allergen components are like the puzzle pieces that make up the puzzle.
Testing with allergen components identifies which specific component of a whole allergen may be causing your reaction.
Why is it important to know which food allergen components you are allergic to?
Being allergic to different types of food allergen components may cause different types of reactions. Likewise, understanding which allergen components you are allergic to can also broaden your understanding of your food allergy, such as …11, 12
Whether you may be able to tolerate baked milk or baked eggs.
How severe your peanut or tree nut allergy may be.
Whether fruit or vegetables may be cross-reacting with your pollen allergy.
How to get tested for food allergies
Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider today and get tested for food allergies.
Allergy questionnaire
Use this allergy questionnaire to help prepare you for your food allergy appointment. Once filled out, you can provide it to your clinician so that you can have an efficient and impactful conversation about your allergies
Additional food allergy resources
Clinical resources for healthcare providers interested in learning more about food allergies and food allergy testing
- Pawankar R, Holgate ST, Canonica GW, et al. World Allergy Organization (WAO) White Book on Allergy. 2013. Pg. 19 http://www.worldallergy.org/UserFiles/file/WhiteBook2-2013-v8.pdf. Accessed April 2025.
- Food Allergy Research & Education. (n.d.). Facts and statistics. Retrieved Apr 2025, from https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics
- Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, Blumenstock JA, Jiang J, Davis MM, Nadeau KC. The Public Health Impact of Parent-Reported Childhood Food Allergies in the United States. Pediatrics. 2018 Dec;142(6):e20181235.
- Gupta RS, Warren CM, Smith BM, Jiang J, Blumenstock JA, Davis MM, Schleimer RP, Nadeau KC. Prevalence and Severity of Food Allergies Among US Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630.
- Spergel, Jonathan M. “Nonimmunoglobulin E–Mediated Immune Reactions to Foods.” Allergy, Asthma, and Clinical Immunology, vol. 02, no. 02, 2006, p. 78;84. Crossref,
- Dreskin SC. Genetics of food allergy. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. 2006 Feb;6(1):58-64.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Allergies and the immune system. Retrieved April 2025, from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/allergies-and-the-immune-system
- Radlović N, Leković Z, Radlović V, Simić D, Ristić D, Vuletić B. Food allergy in children. Srp Arh Celok Lek. 2016 Jan-Feb;144(1-2):99-103. doi: 10.2298/sarh1602099r. PMID: 27276868.
- Food Safety and Inspection Service. Food Allergies: The “Big 9” | Food Safety and Inspection Service. (n.d.). https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/food-allergies-big-9
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. “Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Food Allergy in the United States: Report of the NIAID-Sponsored Expert Panel.” National Institute of Health, vol. 126, no. 6, 2010, p. 4, 14. Crossref, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2010.10.007.
- Canonica, G.W., et al., A WAO - ARIA - GA(2)LEN consensus document on molecular-based allergy diagnostics. World Allergy Organ J, 2013. 6(1): p.17
- Matricardi, P.M., et al., EAACI Molecular Allergology User's Guide. Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2016. 27 Suppl 23: p 1-250
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Allergy Symptom Questionnaire
Allergies affect us all differently. This questionnaire will summarize your specific allergy symptoms to share with your healthcare provider and learn more about your testing options.
- Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document
- Share the summary with your healthcare provider for a productive conversation about allergy blood testing
- Gain an optimized diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan
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Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document |
Create a summary of your allergy symptoms in a downloadable document
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Share the summary with your healthcare provider for a productive conversation about allergy blood testing |
Share the summary with your healthcare provider for a productive conversation about allergy blood testing
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Gain an optimized diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan |
Gain an optimized diagnosis and a personalized treatment plan
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