Health & Safety Update (April 2010)
Allergy Tests Undertaken at Home May be Wrong
Allergy tests available at private clinics and high street
shops, including Holland & Barrett, are claimed to be
misleading consumers by convincing them they have allergies that
may not exist. A recent investigation has found that people are
needlessly being told to cut out dozens of products, including
oranges, sugar and white wine, after taking food intolerance
tests.
Critics say the tests are trading on people's obsession with
their diet. Some doctors now believe the tests could do more harm
than good and have seen several patients suffering from serious
illnesses, such as rickets, because they have been advised to give
up so many foodstuffs.
An undercover reporter took part in seven common tests over a
fortnight. In one, a consultant connected the reporter's hands and
feet to an electrical circuit to see how she reacted to various
foods. At the start of each test the reporter, who had been found
to be allergy-free by a specialist, complained of occasional
tiredness and feeling bloated after eating.
The consultant said the reporter was intolerant to sugar,
oranges and wheat-based products, such as bread and pasta, and
recommended abstaining from these foods for at least a month. The
consultant pointed out that Holland & Barrett stocked many
wheat-free products, although she said similar foods could also be
bought elsewhere.
Some tests can be done at home using kits bought online. The
YorkTest, endorsed by Allergy UK, a medical charity, checks for
intolerances to 113 foods. After sending a blood sample to a
laboratory, the reporter was advised that she should 'completely
eliminate' coconut, cow's milk and eggs from her diet.
The "Food Detective" self-test kit, advertised on Allergy UK's
website, is a cheaper option. But it flagged up more than 20
apparent food sensitivities. It indicated that the reporter was
intolerant to apples, ginger, garlic and blackcurrant, and slightly
sensitive to leeks, mushrooms and brazil nuts.
Adam Fox, a consultant at Guy's and St Thomas' hospital, who
confirmed that the reporter was allergy-free, advised people
against such tests. "They may be misdiagnosing people who are
either perfectly healthy or suffering from something more serious,"
he said. Fox added that he knew of cases where children were
suffering from rickets because their parents had denied them
certain foodstuffs after having taken the tests.
Holland & Barrett said its tests were done by consultants
from UK Health Partnerships whose spokesman insisted its results
were correct given the symptoms presented by the reporter. He said:
"One of the reasons for our popularity has been due to the fact
that patients do not get any satisfaction from their GP."