Food Intolerance Test for 93 Foods

The Food Intolerance Test for 93 Foods is a laboratory blood test that measures food-specific immunoglobulin G, or IgG, reactivity in serum against 93 individual foods. The report shows the measured level of IgG reactivity for each food. For the currently confirmed test configuration, the report is issued within seven days and includes an interpretation.

People sometimes consider this panel while investigating recurring digestive complaints after eating, such as bloating after meals, abdominal pain and cramps after eating, diarrhea, or constipation. These symptoms can have many possible causes, and an IgG result cannot establish which food, condition, or digestive mechanism is responsible.

What food-specific IgG results can and cannot show

Food-specific IgG indicates that the immune system has encountered and recognized a food protein. The presence or level of IgG does not, by itself, prove that the tested food is causing symptoms. Major allergy organizations do not recommend food-specific IgG panels as stand-alone tests for diagnosing food allergy or food intolerance because IgG can also be found after normal exposure to foods and may sometimes be associated with immune tolerance.

A higher IgG value should therefore not automatically lead to the permanent exclusion of a food. A low or negative value also does not prove that a food is safe for someone who has experienced a possible allergic reaction. Results should be compared with the person’s symptoms, medical history, usual diet, medications, previous diagnoses, and any additional testing recommended by a doctor.

How this test differs from other food-related conditions

IgG reactivity and IgE-mediated food allergy

IgE-mediated food allergy is a different immune reaction that may cause hives, swelling, vomiting, wheezing, breathing difficulty, dizziness, or anaphylaxis, often soon after eating the trigger food. Its evaluation is based on a detailed clinical history, targeted skin-prick testing or food-specific IgE blood testing and, in selected cases, a medically supervised oral food challenge. This IgG panel does not diagnose or exclude an IgE-mediated allergy.

Celiac disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten in genetically susceptible people. Although wheat, barley, and rye are included among the tested foods, IgG reactivity to these grains does not diagnose celiac disease. Celiac evaluation requires dedicated antibody testing, commonly including tissue transglutaminase IgA and total IgA, and sometimes an intestinal biopsy. Gluten should not be removed from the diet before appropriate testing unless a doctor has advised otherwise, because dietary restriction can affect diagnostic results.

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance results from reduced digestion of lactose, the natural sugar in milk. It is not an immune IgG reaction. Diagnosis is usually guided by the pattern of symptoms, dietary assessment and, when needed, a hydrogen breath test. An IgG result for cow’s, goat’s, or sheep’s milk cannot confirm or exclude lactose intolerance.

Other digestive causes

Similar symptoms may be related to irritable bowel syndrome, fermentable carbohydrates, infection, inflammatory bowel disease, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, medication effects, pancreatic or biliary disorders, constipation, stress-related gut responses, or another gastrointestinal condition. Persistent, worsening, nocturnal, or unexplained symptoms require appropriate medical assessment rather than interpretation of an IgG panel alone.

Foods included in the 93-food panel

• Dairy products and eggs: cow’s milk, goat’s milk, sheep’s milk, egg white, egg yolk.
• Fish: tuna, cod, sole, salmon, herring, mackerel, flounder, trout.
• Seafood: crustaceans, shrimp and prawns, mussels.
• Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, walnuts, Brazil nuts, cashews.
• Grains: rice, oats, barley, rye, wheat, durum wheat, buckwheat, millet, corn.
• Spices and plant ingredients: garlic, black pepper, red chili pepper, ginger, mint, nutmeg, vanilla, rapeseed.
• Meat: pork, lamb, game meat, turkey, chicken, beef.
• Vegetables: eggplant, broccoli, red onion, mushrooms, cauliflower, chicory, green beans, lettuce, potato, cucumber, bell pepper, leek, cabbage, tomato, carrot, beet, celery.
• Legumes: peas, white beans, common beans, lentils.
• Fruit: avocado, plum, strawberry, kiwi, lemon, apple, peach, melon, orange, apricot, pear, pineapple, banana, grapefruit, white grapes, black grapes, blackcurrant, carob, coconut.
• Other foods and ingredients: sesame, coffee, cocoa, cola, sunflower seeds, baker’s yeast, brewer’s yeast, tea.

How the test is performed

Step 1: Review the reason for testing

Before testing, it is useful to record which symptoms occur, when they begin after eating, how long they last, how often they recur, and whether a consistent relationship with a particular food has been noticed. Previous allergy tests, celiac screening, gastrointestinal findings, dietary restrictions, and current medication should also be considered.

Step 2: Prepare for blood sampling

The sample should be collected while fasting or after at least three hours without food. This reduces the risk of a lipemic sample, which can interfere with laboratory analysis. Individual instructions regarding beverages, medication, or the timing of collection should be checked before the appointment.

Step 3: Blood sampling and serum analysis

A blood sample is collected, and serum is used to measure IgG reactivity against the 93 foods included in the panel. The collection itself usually takes only a few minutes.

Step 4: Receive the report

The report is available within seven days for the currently confirmed test configuration. It presents the measured reactivity for individual foods and includes an interpretation. Categories or numerical values must be understood within the methodology used by the laboratory and should not be treated as a diagnosis.

Step 5: Decide whether further evaluation is needed

The next step may involve maintaining the normal diet, keeping a structured food and symptom diary, discussing targeted elimination and reintroduction with a qualified professional, or completing a different diagnostic pathway. Suspected immediate allergy requires an allergy assessment, possible celiac disease requires dedicated testing, and suspected lactose intolerance may require dietary evaluation or breath testing.

Key facts

• Test type: measurement of food-specific IgG reactivity.
• Sample: serum obtained from a blood sample.
• Number of foods: 93.
• Preparation: fasting or at least three hours without food.
• Report: available within seven days for the confirmed test configuration.
• Main limitation: the result does not independently diagnose food intolerance or food allergy.

Medication and dietary precautions

Corticosteroids and cytostatic therapy may affect the timing or interpretation of testing. These medications must not be discontinued without instructions from the prescribing doctor. Anyone using them should contact the prescribing clinician and the testing location before arranging sampling because the current test protocol states that a treatment-free interval of at least one month may be required.

Broad or prolonged elimination diets should not be started solely from IgG results, especially for children, pregnant people, individuals with limited diets, or anyone at risk of nutritional deficiency or disordered eating. When dietary changes are considered, they should be targeted, time-limited, nutritionally adequate, and followed by a structured reassessment.

To request the test, send information about the symptoms, their timing in relation to meals, any suspected foods, current medication, existing allergy or gastrointestinal findings, and dietary restrictions. This helps determine whether the 93-food IgG panel is the intended laboratory service or whether another assessment may be more appropriate.