Determining a food allergy can be done through one of several different allergy tests – Skin Prick, Skin Patch, Blood Test, Elimination Diet and Oral Challenge. The quickest and easiest test is the Skin Prick Test. For this test, a small amount of the food being tested is placed on the child’s arm, and then pushed under the surface of the skin by lightly pricking the skin. If the child’s body determines the food to be an allergen, the site of the prick will show swelling about 15 to 20 minutes after the test. With this test, several foods can be tested at a time, speeding up the process. The Skin Patch Test is completed over 3 visits and tests for delayed reactions to certain foods. Multiple visits are needed for this test, as the samples being tested are taped to the child’s back and monitored over a span of 48 hours. The doctor will want to see the child frequently during this time to check if the child is having a reaction to any of the samples. The samples must stay in place and stay dry for the test to be most accurate, and therefore it might not be the best choice for young children. A Blood Test can be used to test the child’s blood for antibodies that will show an allergic reaction. The blood sample is retrieved from the child in the same manner as most other routine bloodwork and then sent to a lab where it is tested against several different foods to see if there is any kind of reaction. The Elimination Diet method is exactly how it sounds. Foods that are potentially causing the reaction are removed from the child’s diet, and then added back in one at a time as directed by their doctor. The doctor will specify when to add each food back into the child’s diet to allow adequate time for a reaction to appear. This test may not be recommended if there is potential for a severe allergic reaction. The Oral Challenge Test can be used if the other tests aren’t clearly indicating the allergen. This test is performed under the close watch of a doctor as the child has to ingest a small amount of the food being tested, to gauge if there is a reaction within 15 to 20 minutes. If no reaction appears, the child will then eat a slightly larger amount and be monitored for a reaction. This process would continue until a reaction presents itself, or the child eats what would be considered a typical serving for them.