ALEX FOOD food allergens kit

What is ALEX Food and what makes it unique? 

ALEX Food – is a molecular rapid 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 diagnostic regulation (IVDR) certificate.  

This test: 

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

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

What makes ALEX Food superior to traditional panel tests? 

ALEX Food test examines specific, clinically relevant allergens. Many traditional tests examine food extracts (mixtures of various allergens), which often lack critical molecular allergens - proteins - especially those insoluble in water, such as nut or seed proteins. This means that a patient may experience allergy symptoms, but the test will not detect them because the specific allergen causing the reaction is not present. 
ALEX Food eliminates this risk by examining precisely molecular allergens - proteins responsible for allergic reactions. 

Why is molecular diagnostics so important? 

Molecular allergy diagnostics not only allows determining whether a person is sensitized to a specific food product (e.g., milk, egg, or wheat) but also precisely identifies the specific allergen the body reacts to. This information is particularly important as not all allergens/proteins cause the same reactions, and their clinical significance can vary significantly. 

What does it mean practically? 

Different allergens/proteins lead to different allergy profiles: 

• 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 mild swelling (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 clearly distinguishing whether the symptoms are due to a mild, cross-reaction or a dangerous, true allergy to specific proteins. This allows understanding whether monitoring symptoms is sufficient or a strict elimination diet and precautionary measures are necessary. 

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

Another important advantage of the ALEX Food over other allergen panel tests is that sensitization to allergens is determined quantitatively, i.e., the specific amount of immunoglobulin E (sIgE) in the blood is precisely measured. All other allergen panel tests can only semi-quantitatively measure the amount of sIgE in the blood, which significantly reduces the accuracy of these tests. Quantitative measurement provides an opportunity to determine very small sensitizations to allergens and monitor how sensitization changes over time – whether it decreases or increases, which is especially important in cases of children's allergies. ALEX Food test allows the doctor to make individualized decisions regarding dietary and treatment recommendations. 

Unique CCD blocking  – fewer false results 

Some people's immune systems react to carbohydrate structures (CCD) found in many plant-derived allergen extracts, but the sIgE produced against these CCDs has no clinical significance. Common allergen panels often interpret such cases as 'positive', even though there is no real allergy. 

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

ALEX Food panel meets international standards and recommendations 

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

Who is recommended to take the ALEX Food test? 

This test is particularly valuable for: 

• Children who do not yet have allergies to inhalable allergens but are suspected of food allergies 
• People experiencing symptoms associated with IgE-mediated allergies: skin rashes, itching of the tongue or lips, swelling, respiratory or digestive disturbances after eating. 
• Patients who have previously experienced 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 – avoids false-positive results.
• Allergy severity prediction – based on identified specific molecular allergens, the risk of allergy severity can be suspected.
• Assessment of cross-reactions – can distinguish true allergy from cross-sensitizations.
• Scientific validity – 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, allowing for precise, reliable, and individualized assessment of food allergies. The test stands out 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 the extensive yet purposefully selected list of allergens ensures that 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: