[Food hypersensitivity: skin test with commercial food extracts or natural products?]

In 46 patients with a suspected history of food allergy, we performed scratch tests using commercial food extracts (CF) in comparison with natural food products (NF). We found that NF brought about significantly stronger reactions than CF: 77% of the skin tests with NF were positive, whereas 75% of the tests with CF equivalents yielded negative or questionably positive results. We conclude, therefore, that in case of suspected food allergy, testing with CF only is not sufficient.