Allergensis, a Hatfield-based manufacturer, is marketing tests that it states are predictively accurate in diagnosing peanut allergies, providing more reliable results of traditional skin or blood testing. Jennifer Goodwin cracked open this breakthrough in Food Allergy.  

The firm’s tests enable patients to determine allergy thresholds more accurately by measuring epitopes, the sequences of amino acids on a specific site of a protein that the immune system recognizes. Measuring them therefore yields a more accurate assessment of allergy levels, according to the manufacturer. 

The diagnostic helps patients determine if they will react to “trace” amounts of peanuts and if they can safely consume products bearing “may contain” warnings.

Allergensis cites a significant advantage over more traditional methods of dealing with reactions, noting their tendency to be not completely accurate, risky, and time-consuming.

They rest on what amounts to an oral food challenge, requiring patients to gradually consume peanuts with increasing amounts over time and risking a case of anaphylaxis. The side effects can range from mild (skin rash) to fatal (respiratory distress).

The life-changing (and time-saving) test is based on the studies by Dr. Hugh Sampson and his team at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City.  

“We no longer have to look at everybody as being exactly the same when it comes to peanut allergy,” said Sampson.

The implications are far-reaching, as the statistics on peanut allergies nationwide reveal that two percent of the population is susceptible to a dangerous response.

The Allergensis team plans to leverage its insights on epitopes as a possible answer to other food allergies, including those to wheat, milk, and eggs. 

Read more about peanut allergy testing at Food Allergy.