Recent advances in the management of food allergy

• Food allergies are a common problem in childhood. Lately, there has been a shift in the management of food allergies towards a more active approach. • Allergy testing, not only to the index food, but also to related allergens in high risk patients, allows a more precise and prompt diagnosis and at the same time reduces the risk of unnecessary dietary restrictions. • Early introduction of potentially allergenic foods may help reduce the risk of food allergy and may play a role in tolerance induction. • Recent evidence suggests that probiotics, as well as the introduction of baked milk and baked egg into the diet of carefully selected children allergic to milk and egg respectively, may hasten the development of tolerance. • Food immunotherapy is an emerging area of considerable interest, which has shown promise as a form of active treatment for food allergies. • This more active approach to managing food allergy significantly increases complexity, as well as having a potentially large resource implication, particularly with regard to increased number of food challenges. The health economics of this requires further evaluation.