If you suffer from sensitivities to foods and other substances you are not alone. A very high percentage of people in the UK suffer from food intolerance and other allergies, which produce a wide range of symptoms that often cause problems over many years. The British Allergy Foundation estimates that some 1 in 60 people have a specific allergic reaction to a particular food, and around 1 in 2 have a more general intolerance to one or more foods, often contributing to other chronic illnesses.
There is a lot of confusion about the difference between an Allergy and an Intolerance but it is actually fairly simple.
Food Allergy
When the body perceives something as potentially harmful or foreign it launches an attack by producing antibodies. If you have a ‘classic food or an inhalant allergy’ then the body produces a type of antibody called an IgE antibody. These antibodies are responsible for the reaction seen when people eat an offending food such as peanuts, shellfish and strawberries. Symptoms are immediate and can be very severe such as wheals and swelling of the lips and throat.
Food Intolerance
When you have an intolerance to a food a different type of antibody is produced – this time an IgG antibody, these antibodies can be responsible for many of the symptoms and as they are not always immediate it can be difficult to identify which food or foods may be causing a problem.
Inhalent Allergies
Some people are unlucky enough to react to pollen and other environmental allergens.
Please use the menu on the right hand side to find out more information about any of the conditions listed.
US Custom changes Aug 29 2025
Every US shipment, regardless of value or content, must now undergo full entry with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Our lab partners are working hard to reduce the impact of these new customs procedures on returning US bound test samples.
Unfortunately this change may impact your test results turnaround time
Transit times may be longer due to increased customs processing.
Samples may be delayed or held while clearance is completed.
If you have already sent back your sample and it is directly affected by these customs delays, our team will contact you individually to advise on the next steps.
We know how vital timely testing is for you and we greatly value your understanding while these changes take effect.
We expect the situation to improve as customs processes adjust, and we will provide updates as this develops.
Please do not return samples to the laboratories that may arrive after Wednesday 27th March and up to and including Monday 2nd April.
The laboratories are closed from the 28th March – 2nd April for the Easter Holiday.
