The most commonly reported top 8 allergenic foods are:
milk, egg, soy, wheat, peanut, tree nut, shellfish and fish
Food allergy testing is used as a guide for an "Elimination" diet. An elimination diet means strictly avoiding all foods to which the patient has tested positive via allergy testing, or as some doctors may suggest, removing the Top 8 allergens. Skin prick tests and atopy patch tests are used to guide elimination diets, but it only takes one false negative food for the diet to "fail".
According to the 2007 Consensus Recommendations for Treatment of Eosinophilic Esophagitis:
The most common foods reported to be positive by skin prick tests (SPT) on EoE patients, included common food allergens—peanut, egg, soy, milk, and wheat—in addition to beans, rye, and beef.
The most common foods reported to be positive by atopy patch tests (APT) on EoE patients were milk, egg, soy, chicken, and wheat.
It has also been reported through more recent clinical trials that in addition to the above corn, potato and rice are among the common allergic foods in EoE patients.
If recommended by your medical professionals, it may be possible to undergo food trials. Here are some tips on carrying out food trials:
- Introduce 1 food - wait 2 weeks, if no symptoms present continue giving that food and add another food. If there are symptoms, remove the food.
- Add the 2nd food - after 2 weeks, if no symptoms continue giving that food and add another food. If there are symptoms, remove the 2nd food.
- Add the 3rd food - after another 2 weeks, if no symptoms continue giving that food. If there are symptoms, remove the 3rd food.
Please note that these tips are suggestions only, it is best to discuss the process of any food trials with your medical team, including dietitian. Some people may need food to be trialled at a slower pace usually depending on how long each individual typically takes to show a reaction.
Unless stated otherwise, advice offered on this page is from the Principal Author, who is non-medically qualified, however the medical content has been reviewed for accuracy by the Medical Advisory Board of this site.
Page last modified: 19 August, 2011