Division of Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock, Arkansas 72202, USA.
A number of advances in the scientific knowledge concerning adverse food reactions have been made in the past few years. Understanding about the nature of the food allergen itself, the molecular characterization of the epitopes on these allergens, the pathophysiology of the clinical reaction, and the diagnostic methods have all been significantly enhanced.