Summary The Yorktest 113 foodSCAN tests for IgG mediated intolerances to 113 different foods. If you are suffering from bloating, IBS, headaches, leaky gut syndrome, unexplained muscle pain and various other health problems, this test may help you discover underlying food intolerances and enable you to constructively alter your diet for the benefit of your overall health and well-being. To order the test see www.homeinonhealth.com or telephone 0800 458 2052.

Yorktest Laboratories, established since 1982, specialise in home testing services that can be purchased directly, either online (at www.homeinonhealth.com) or over the phone (0800 458 2052). Their First Step Food Intolerance Test (which identifies whether you have any intolerances, but not what those specific intolerances are) and the Second Step 113 foodSCAN (which tests your blood against 113 different foods for IgG mediated reactions) are the only food allergy tests endorsed by Allergy UK. The Yorktest websites states that the test results are carried out by qualified scientists, scrutinised by quality controllers and only released to the customer once they are satisfied that the results are accurate. Yorktest offer a 30 day money back guarantee if you decide not to go ahead with the test and return it unused and unopened.

The 113 foodSCAN is a simple pinprick blood test for £265 which enables you to ascertain whether certain foods may be triggering symptoms associated with food intolerances such as irritable bowel syndrome, migraines, bloating and eczema. These are delayed reactions that are difficult to pinpoint because symptoms from food intolerances can occur many hours after the individual came into contuct with the offending substance(s). Please note that the 113 foodSCAN test is not suitable for establising whether you have true allergies (i.e. instant allergic reactions such as asthma, hives and anaphylactic shock, mediated by IgE antiobodies). This would require the MAST Classical Allergy Test.

Once you have ordered the test you will receive it within five working days. The test kit includes a blood collection kit, prepaid return envelope, instructions for use, customer details form and pen. The instructions are very simply and clearly laid out and illustrated. After filling out the customer form, which asks very basic details, you write your name and the date on the plastic wand provided, wash your hands and rinse, wipe your finger with the antiseptic wipe provided, twist and pull off the cover of the lancet, press it against the side of your finger or thumb, press the plunger to puncture your skin, soak up the blood with a small wand provided, place the wand inside its container, et voila! Job done!

It's really simple to take the test, although I initially struggled to produce enough blood to soak the wand completely. Once the sample is taken you simply place it back inside the handy box the test came in with the lancet (for safe disposal), pop the Yorktest box in the pre-paid plastic envelope provided with your customer details form, pop it in the post and you will get the results within 10 working days.

Now, I am an unusual case because I have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Multiple Chemical Sensitivies, True Allergies and various other health problems, so instead of receiving the test results within 10 working days I received a letter suggesting that there may have been a quality control problem because the results were positive for IgG reactions to more foods than would normally be found in this test. Yorktest provided me with a free test to take again, so this wasn't a problem and within the following 10 working days I received another letter to the same effect. After the third test (at no extra charge), I finally received my results and despite the wait I was pleased to see that Yorktest obviously take their quality control very seriously.

In your results pack you receive a list of the foods tested with the extent of the reaction on a scale from 0-4, with 0 representing no reaction, 0-1 representing a borderline reaction and 1-4 representing a strong reaction, indicating that you should attempt to completely eliminate these foods from your diet. Overall my test indicated reactions to 25 different foods, with 20 of those being in the 1-4 range. Fortunately you don't just receive the test without support, as you bury your head in your hands and wonder how on earth you are going to cut all these foods out. The results pack includes a guidebook on maintaining a healthy diet, a 12 week food diary to map out dietary changes accommodating any intolerances found, one year's free membership to Allergy UK, a handy credt card sized summary of your results and two free telephone consultations with a BANT (British Association of Qualified Nutritionists) qualified nutritionist - one for up to 30 minutes and one for 15 minutes several weeks later to monitor your progress. You have up to three months after taking the test to make your telephone appointment. Various other useful materials can be found in the results pack, such as alternatives to the foods that trigger your IgG reactions.

Personally, I found this to be a really useful test. It's easy to use, an actual blood test, rather than an unverified, unscientific and imprecise method of measuring intolerances such as Kinesiology or VEGA testing, and the additional nutritionist support is a bonus. If you are suffering from symptoms such as headache, bloating, diarrhoea, skin conditions, irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut syndrome and any other health problems that you cannot find relief from, I highly recommend this test. Taking the foodSCAN test myself has provided me with invaluable information on what foods I need to avoid and restrict and I will hopefully see improvements in my health in the near future.

<< Back to Test Reviews