Food additives

The allergy testing for food additives is not performed using the LTT, because the basophile degranulation test (BDT) has been established as the more appropriate method.

• Food colouring agents mixture I
  (amaranth, azorubine, quinoline yellow, cochineal red A, yellow-orange
• Food colouring agents mixture II
  (erythrosine, patent blue, indigo carmine, brilliant black)
• Food additives I
  (tartrazine, sodium benzoate, sodium nitrite, potassium metabisulphite, sodium salicylate)
• Food additives II
  (iron oxide, benzoic acid, glutamate, propyl-p-hydroxybenzoate)

If the group screening yields a positive result, the substances contained in the group can then be individually tested, as with the LTT. However, this requires a new blood sample! If a particular substance is suspected, individual testing can be performed first (e.g., glutamate with suspected Chinese food syndrome).

Required are 4 mL fresh EDTA or 10 mL heparin blood.