Blood tests for IgE antibodies to foods

A blood test to check for IgE antibodies to a specific food can also help doctors determine if you might be allergic to that food. For some of the foods that commonly cause allergic reactions, such as milk, eggs, and peanuts, a threshold level of specific IgE antibody in the blood has been determined. People with a history of a reaction and an amount of IgE antibody above the threshold level have a high likelihood (95 percent or greater) of reacting when exposed to that food. Tests to determine the blood level of IgE antibodies to foods can be repeated over time to see if the level is decreasing and the food allergy is possibly being outgrown. The results of blood tests measuring IgE antibodies to foods and skin tests to the same foods usually correlate well.

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There is some evidence that blood tests are not as sensitive as prick skin tests in identifying Food Allergies. As a result, if the story of the reaction to the food is convincing, but the blood test for IgE to that food is negative, consulting with an allergist for a skin test should be considered. The blood test may be used instead of skin testing if you have a skin condition, such as severe eczema, that makes it difficult to find a site to perform skin testing or if you have trouble stopping medications that might interfere with skin testing. Although the likelihood of an allergic reaction to a prick skin test is extremely rare, in some cases a blood test is chosen to avoid even the remote possibility of causing a reaction.