Tag: Oral food challenge

According to leading health organizations like the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, a qualified medical doctor, not a dietitian, is responsible for the official diagnosis of a food allergy. Therefore, while many seek nutritional guidance, the question, "Do dieticians diagnose food allergies?" is definitively answered by medical specialists.

According to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Connection Team (FAACT), a medically supervised oral food challenge is considered the 'gold standard' for accurately diagnosing or ruling out a food allergy. This highly controlled procedure is just one of the distinct meanings behind the term food challenges, which can also refer to the popular and often dangerous competitive eating competitions seen in restaurants and on social media.

Food challenges serve multiple distinct purposes, from competitive sport to clinical diagnosis, and their qualifications differ dramatically across disciplines. A Major League Eating event, for instance, requires physical stamina and intense training, while an oral food challenge for a food allergy requires careful medical oversight and a patient's overall health.

Oral food challenges are considered the gold standard for diagnosing food allergies but require strict medical supervision and specific dietary instructions. So, should you eat the day of a food challenge? The answer depends entirely on whether it's a medical test or a competitive eating event.

According to the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization, millions of people have food allergies, and accurate diagnosis is critical for management. When it comes to pinpointing an allergy, the oral food challenge is the most definitive test, but patients and parents must understand **what are the risks of food challenge?** and how medical professionals mitigate them.