Diagnosis

It is often difficult to identify the exact ingredients responsible for a food allergy, especially when the allergy results from eating processed foods with many different ingredients.

Many allergens are "hidden" – this is especially true of processed food products, for instance traces of peanuts in "pure" milk chocolate, or traces of milk in orange juice. Frozen meals often contain common allergens such as soya, peanuts, or flavourings.

A "pseudoallergy" can be diagnosed only via "provocation testing", an in-patient process. Patients are given small doses of potential allergens in order to identify the culprit. The testing process requires patients to go on a special diet excluding certain food products before they can be tested. This diet can last up to three weeks, though often 10 to 14 days are sufficient, provided the patient has adhered to the diet. It is important not to make any "diet mistakes", because these can affect the results of the provocation test.

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