ALEX FOOD Food Allergen Kit

What is ALEX Food and what makes it special? 

ALEX Food is a molecular quick-type (IgE-mediated) food allergy blood test developed by the Austrian company MacroArray Diagnostics, a world leader in allergy testing. ALEX Food is currently the only allergy test in Lithuania with an official European Union in vitro diagnostics regulation (IVDR) certificate.  

This test: 

• Detects sensitivity to 59 major food allergy-causing allergens. 
• Examines 51 molecular allergens (specifically defined proteins that can cause allergies) and 8 allergen extracts. 
• Determines the total amount of IgE in the blood. 

Unlike traditional tests (allergen panels), ALEX Food not only shows "you are allergic to eggs," but precisely identifies which egg allergen/protein your body is sensitized to. This allows understanding the causes of symptoms, assessing risk, and planning diet or treatment based on scientifically proven data. 

How is ALEX Food superior to conventional panel tests? 

The ALEX Food test examines specific, clinically important allergens. Many traditional tests examine food extracts (mixtures of various allergens), often lacking key molecular allergens - proteins - especially water-insoluble ones, such as nut or seed proteins. This means that a patient may experience allergy symptoms, but the test won't detect them because it doesn't include the specific allergen causing the reaction. 
ALEX Food eliminates this risk by examining molecular allergens - proteins responsible for allergic reactions. 

Molecular diagnostics – why is it so important? 

Molecular allergy diagnostics not only determine if a person is sensitized to a specific food product (e.g., milk, egg, or wheat) but also precisely identify which specific allergen the body reacts to. This information is especially important as not all allergens/proteins cause the same reactions, and their clinical significance can vary drastically. 

What does this mean practically? 

Different allergens/proteins determine the nature of the allergy: 

• Unstable allergens/proteins (e.g., profilins, PR-10 family proteins) are often associated with cross-reactions – for example, between pollen and fruits. These food allergens often cause only mild, localized symptoms such as itching in the mouth or slight swelling (the so-called oral allergy syndrome). 
• Stable, resistant allergens/proteins (e.g., nsLTP, casein, tropomyosin, ovomucoid) can cause severe, systemic reactions, including life-threatening anaphylaxis. 

ALEX Food allows clear distinction whether symptoms are due to a mild, cross-reaction or a dangerous, true allergy to specific proteins. This helps understand whether monitoring symptoms is sufficient or strict elimination diet and precautions are necessary. 

Quantitative sIgE analysis – more than just "yes" or "no" 

Another significant advantage of the ALEX Food test over other allergen panel tests is that sensitization to allergens is determined quantitatively, i.e., the exact amount of specific immunoglobulin E (sIgE) in the blood is measured. All other allergen panel tests can only semi-quantitatively measure sIgE levels in the blood, significantly reducing their accuracy. Quantitative measurement enables detecting even very small sensitizations to allergens and monitoring how sensitization changes over time – whether it decreases or increases, which is crucial for childhood allergies. The ALEX Food test allows the physician to make individualized decisions regarding diet and treatment recommendations. 

Unique CCD Blocking  – fewer false positives 

In some individuals, the immune system reacts to carbohydrate structures (CCD) found in many plant allergen extracts, but sIgE produced against these CCDs has no clinical significance. Conventional allergen panels often interpret such cases as "positive," although there is no real allergy. 

The ALEX Food test automatically blocks these CCD structures, preventing false positive results. This means that the physician receives only clinically significant data – without distracting "noise." 

The ALEX Food panel meets international standards and recommendations 

The ALEX Food test complies with the guidelines of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI). The reliability of the test is based on numerous scientific studies and clinical data, making its results clinically meaningful and reliable – the physician can rely on them when planning treatment or allergy monitoring. 

Who is the ALEX Food test recommended for? 

This test is especially valuable for: 

• Children who do not yet have allergies to inhalant allergens but are suspected of having food allergies 
• Individuals experiencing symptoms associated with IgE-mediated allergies: skin rashes, itching of the tongue or lips, swelling, respiratory or digestive issues after eating. 
• Patients who have previously had severe reactions, including anaphylaxis, after food. 
• When it is necessary to know precisely which products to eliminate, and which do not need to be completely avoided. 

Why choose ALEX Food? 

• Molecular diagnostics – specific allergy-causing proteins are accurately identified.
• Quantitative sIgE results – even the smallest amounts of sIgE and changes in sensitization can be determined.
• CCD blocking – false positive results are avoided.
• Allergy severity prediction – based on identified specific molecular allergens, the risk of the severity of an allergic reaction can be inferred.
• Cross-reaction assessment – distinguishes true allergy from cross-sensitizations.
• Scientific basis – reliable scientifically and clinically based data.

ALEX Food – when you need real answers, not guesses. 

ALEX Food is a modern molecular diagnostics test for allergies, enabling precise, reliable, and individualized assessment of food allergies. The test is distinguished by analyzing specific molecular allergens, providing quantitative sIgE results, predicting allergy severity, and accurately distinguishing true allergic reactions from cross-sensitizations. Unique CCD inhibition prevents false results, and a wide yet purposefully selected list of allergens ensures the test is not only comprehensive but also clinically meaningful. 

ALEX Food is especially valuable for those who want more than general guessing – it provides specific answers based on science, helping make important decisions and smartly adjust diet and habits. 

ALEX FOOD allergen list: