ImportantThis guide is educational and does not replace diagnosis, medical advice, the official product label, or your personal emergency plan.
Food allergy involves the immune system
NIAID defines food allergy as an adverse health effect arising from a specific immune response that occurs reproducibly after exposure to a food.
Food intolerance does not use the same mechanism
Food intolerances are adverse effects that do not involve the immune system. Lactose intolerance, for example, results from difficulty digesting lactose rather than an allergy to milk protein.
- Allergy and intolerance are not interchangeable
- Symptoms alone cannot confirm the cause
- Celiac disease and wheat allergy are also distinct conditions
Get the right diagnosis
Do not remove major foods or test an allergy by yourself. A qualified healthcare professional can interpret symptoms and decide whether testing or supervised evaluation is appropriate.