Food prick tests were provided to us by Stallergenes laboratories (so-called commercial extracts in small bottles)
These have decided to stop their production and only to concentrate on the pricks that are related to desensitisations.
For this reason, due to lack of equipment, we will no longer be able to carry out routine food tests.
There is, however, an alternative, it is the use of “native” foods, this means the use of fresh food.
These one require a culinary preparation (peel the fruit or the vegetable, cook the fish or the meat, to mix, to aspirate with a syringe and to pour the liquids etc …)
The medical belgian Insurance INAMI has decided to reimburse this test only if it is performed by a pulmonologist, a pediatrician or a dermatologist.
We, as an ENT (ORL)-allergists, were excluded from this refund.
Testing for fresh food takes a lot of time and personal investment, and we bitterly regret to be able to practice “whole lists” of prick to foods as we practiced them before, because of this exclusion as an allergist , from the belgian INAMI – RIZIV.
However, we remain at your disposal if it is limited to preparing a single or a maximum of two foods.
Thank you for your understanding.