Détermination des seuils de réactivité au cours des allergies alimentaires

It is important for an individual allergic to food to be aware of the threshold (the minimal amount) of the allergenic food that can trigger a reaction. This information is equally essential to the food-processing industry for labeling of pre-packaged foodstuffs. Three methods are available to determine the threshold: case reports, statistical methods and oral provocation tests. Published data available at present allow only limited analysis for three foods (cow milk, chicken egg and peanut). In addition, the absence of standardized oral provocation tests limits determination of thresholds.