Standardization of food challenges in patients with immediate reactions to foods – position paper from the European Academy of Allergology and Clinical Immunology

At present, the double blind placebo controlled food challenge (DBPCFC) represents the only way to establish or rule out an adverse reaction to a food in older children and adults, whereas an open challenge controlled by trained personnel is sufficient in infants and young children (1). The challenge procedure is not, however, fully developed and no standardised procedure has so far been agreed upon, although a manual describing several of the issues has previously been published (2). For the safety and feasibility of the patient undergoing challenge there is a need for standardisation of the procedures. Standardization also allows for comparison of results between different centers and different populations…