Food allergy: in-vivo diagnostics including challenge.

The diagnosis of food allergy related to IgE-mediated reactions is based on the establishment of the allergic origin of the symptoms and the identification of the causal allergen or allergens. The double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge remains the 'gold standard' for the in-vivo diagnosis of specific food allergy. Valuable information can be obtained with both in-vitro and in-vivo diagnostic procedures; however, for the accurate prediction and diagnosis of food allergy, these methods must be standardized and correlated with a standardized double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenge procedure.