Food allergy evaluation starts in primary care
Clarity in diagnosis. Confidence in patient care.
Early identification and testing are essential in managing food allergies. Food allergies are becoming increasingly prevalent, now impacting up to 1 in 10 children and adults.1
The use of ImmunoCAP™ specific IgE tests can provide accurate and reliable results that aid in the timely diagnosis and effective management of food allergies.
Anaphylaxis: a rising challenge in every clinic
Food anaphylaxis is increasing worldwide, especially affecting children under the age of 5 years who are most at risk of requiring hospitalization.2 It’s never been more important for healthcare providers to be able to help patients determine which allergens are dangerous to them and to develop a personalized management plan to help them avoid those dangers.
42%
of children with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction.3
51%
of adults with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction.3
Primary care clinicians are often the first point of contact for the majority of patients experiencing food-related symptoms.4
Patients with suspected food allergy should receive appropriate testing to support a proper diagnosis and to ensure that quality of life is not unnecessarily impaired by food restrictions.5 Of the 35% of patients who self-report having a food allergy, only 3.5% have a true clinical allergy.1
You play an essential role in early detection, initial testing for allergen triggers, guideline-recommended management and referral to specialists when necessary.
Early diagnosis confirmed by ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests can guide appropriate intervention for food allergies.
Uncover the true threats of food allergy with the help of ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests
ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests are easily ordered in primary care, whereas skin prick testing (SPT) usually requires a referral to a specialist. The ImmunoCAP Specific IgE test portfolio, including whole allergens and allergen components, provides reproducible, quantitative results that can strengthen your judgment and sharpen your treatment strategies.
An overview of ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests
Specific IgE testing is one of the first-line diagnostic recommended by international guidelines.6
Supports patient management
ImmunoCAP allergen component tests aid in patient management by helping to identify which molecules a patient may be reacting to in whole allergens, such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, pets and more.7
Safe and accessible
Irrespective of age, skin condition, antihistamine use or pregnancy, ImmunoCAP Specific IgE tests can be used for a variety of patient types and, unlike skin-prick testing, carries no risk of anaphylaxis.8,9
Guideline-driven
Testing for sensitization to single food allergens is endorsed by international guidelines for targeted, patient-centered care.
Identify food allergy symptoms to guide accurate testing
Determining if symptoms are related to IgE-mediated reactions is fundamental for developing an effective management plan. Sensitization alone is not sufficient for a diagnosis of food allergy, but must be consistent with the patient’s clinical history and symptoms.
IgE-mediated food allergy
Onset: Usually rapid, within minutes to two hours after eating the trigger food
Symptoms:
- Skin: Hives, itching, redness, swelling (angioedema)
- Respiratory: Wheezing, difficulty breathing, coughing, sneezing
- Gastrointestinal: Vomiting, nausea
- Severe Reactions: Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening reaction involving multiple body systems
Examples: Peanut, tree nut and seafood allergies
Non-IgE-mediated food allergy
Onset: Usually delayed, appearing hours or days after ingesting the food
Symptoms:
- Gastrointestinal: Vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, bloating, constipation or blood/mucus in the stool
- Skin: Eczema flare-ups
- Failure to thrive: Poor weight gain and growth in infants
Examples: Food protein-induced enterocolitis (FPIES), food protein-induced allergic proctocolitis (FPIAP) and food protein-induced enteropathy (FPE)
Key differences
Timing:
IgE reactions are immediate; non-IgE reactions are delayed.
Occurrence:
IgE-mediated responses are reproducible; non-IgE responses are inconsistent.
Immune mechanism:
IgE reactions are mediated by immunoglobulin E antibodies, while non-IgE reactions involve other parts of the immune system.
Severity & outcome:
IgE-mediated reactions can be severe and fatal (anaphylaxis), whereas non-IgE reactions are typically less acute, though they can significantly impact quality of life and growth.
Diagnosis:
IgE allergies can often be diagnosed with the help of skin prick or blood tests. Non-IgE allergies are harder to diagnose and often require an elimination diet and challenge to identify the culprit food.
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Wheat
Eggs
Milk
Sesame
Soy
Shellfish
Fish
90% of food allergies are caused by nine allergen families, called the “Big 9”10
Consult the Allergen Encyclopedia for more information on the “Big 9” food allergens.
Accurate food allergy diagnosis builds the foundation for effective management
Management of food allergy has evolved from a “wait and see” approach to more active interventions.11
You can provide dietary guidance and an initial treatment plan with the help of specific IgE whole allergen or allergen component test results. The molecular profile supports decisions about the safety of re-introducing a food, conducting an oral food challenge and prescribing immunomodulatory treatments.
Pathway to care for food allergies
Getting a thorough patient history and a list of symptoms is key in taking the next step and ordering a test.
If a history and symptoms indicate a potential food allergy, you can order a test to measure the sensitization to the specific foods suspected.
When specific foods aren't identified from history, it's important to test only for the most common food allergen types. Large, indiscriminate profiles that include many unnecessary food allergens are never appropriate.12
If available, the other important selection is to choose a profile with allergen component reflex in the name.
Allergen component reflex tests provide more detailed information than whole allergen tests alone. If a whole allergen comes back positive, the components of that allergen are automatically tested to get a more granular picture of the patient’s sensitization. This means:
- No repeat blood draws.
- No additional billing or claims to submit to insurance.
- Better identification of triggers (raw foods versus cooked, male or female dogs, etc.)13
Testing with allergen components: Seeing past the surface
- Testing with allergen components measures allergic sensitization to molecules found within whole allergens, allowing for a deeper understanding of causes, risks, and management of symptoms.7,13
- You can get answers to valuable questions that may narrow your differential diagnosis and optimize patient management by testing with allergen components.7,13
You have the power to make a difference.
Learn more about allergen components.
Ordering ImmunoCAP tests is easy
Order an ImmunoCAP Specific IgE test
Find ImmunoCAP test codes for a specific laboratory and order using your preferred method.
Let the laboratory analyze
The laboratory will process the ImmunoCAP test on Phadia™ Laboratory Systems.
Receive test results
Assess and interpret ImmunoCAP test results to personalize allergen management.
Explore our ImmunoCAP™ allergy diagnostics
Test result interpretation guides
Use these food allergy result interpretation guides for concise information on how to interpret ImmunoCAP Specific IgE test results as well as potential clinical implications to aid in your food allergy diagnosis and patient management plan.
Relevant resources
Tools to aid in your diagnosis and patient management
- Onyimba F, et al. Food Allergies and intolerances: a clinical approach to the diagnosis and management of adverse reactions to food. Clin Gastro Hepatol. 2021:1-11.
- Koplin JJ, et al. An update on epidemiology of anaphylaxis in children and adults. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2011;11(5):492-496.
- Allergy & Asthma Network. Anaphylaxis statistics. Accessed 16 Aug 2025. https://allergyasthmanetwork.org/anaphylaxis/anaphylaxis-statistics/
- Demoly P, et al. Development of algorithms for the diagnosis and management of acute allergy in primary practice. World Allergy Organ J. 2019;12(3):100022.
- Gupta RS, et al. Prevalence and severity of food allergies among US adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e185630. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5630. PMID: 30646188; PMCID: PMC6324316.
- Santos AF, et al. EAACI guidelines on the diagnosis of IgE-mediated food allergy. Allergy. 2023;78(12):3057-3076.
- Matricardi, P.M., et al., EAACI Molecular Allergology User's Guide. Pediatr Allergy Immunol, 2016. 27 Suppl 23: 1-250.
- Gupta D. Allergy Testing - An Overview. Indian Pediatr. 2019 Nov 15;56(11):951-957. Available from: https://www.indianpediatrics.net/nov2019/951.pdf.
- Pali-Schöll, Isabella et al. “Allergic diseases and asthma in pregnancy, a secondary publication.” The World Allergy Organization journal vol. 10,1 10. 2 Mar. 2017, doi:10.1186/s40413-017-0141-8 Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5333384/.
- 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.
- Johansson SGO. Expert Rev Mol Diagn. 2004;4(3):273-279.
- Portnoy JM. Appropriate allergy testing and interpretation. Mo Med. 2011;108(5);339-343. (p. 342)
- Canonica GW, et al. A WAO - ARIA - GA²LEN consensus document on molecular-based allergy diagnostics. World Allergy Organ J. 2013;6(1):17
