Food allergy affects up to 6 to 8 percent of children under the age of 3 and close to 4 percent of adults. If you have an unpleasant reaction to something you have eaten, you might wonder if you have a food allergy. One out of three people either believe they have a food allergy or modify their or their family’s diet. Thus, while food allergy is commonly suspected, healthcare providers diagnose it less frequently than most people believe.

This section describes allergic reactions to foods and their possible causes as well as the best ways to diagnose and treat allergic reactions to food. It also describes other reactions to foods, known as food intolerances, which can be confused with food allergy, and describes some unproven and controversial food allergy theories.

What Is Food Allergy? How Do Allergic Reactions Work? Common Food Allergies
Food Allergy or Food Intolerance?
Food Allergy Diagnosis
Food Allergy Treatment
Food Allergy in Infants and Children
Some Controversial and Unproven Food Allergy Theories, Diagnosis, and Treatments
Research on Food Allergy 

This is a reprint of a document published by the U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases . NIH Publication No. 07-5518, July 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2008.