Immunologically mediated food allergy: the importance of food challenge procedures

The past several years have witnessed a growing public awareness and concern about adverse reactions to foods. Although the scientific community's interest in this topic has grown also, much needs to be learned about the prevalence, etiology, and symptoms related to these disorders. Reasons why double-blind placebo-controlled food challenges are mandatory for the diagnosis of food allergy in the research setting are discussed. A practical office approach for evaluating complaints of potential adverse reactions to foods is presented.