An IgE allergy blood test, sometimes called a RAST test, measures allergen-specific IgE, the antibody behind immediate allergic reactions such as hives, swelling and anaphylaxis. A positive result shows the immune system is sensitised to that allergen. It only means allergy when it fits the client’s history, and many sensitised people never react. Anyone with anaphylaxis or a suspected severe allergy needs a GP and an allergist. Verified practitioners can order Nutripath’s IgE panels through Vively.
| Test type | Measured in a blood sample |
|---|---|
| Nutripath code | 3202, 3203, 3208, 3211, 9927 |
| Sample and collection | Blood drawn at a partner collection centre using the Nutripath kit (serum tubes), then posted to Nutripath |
| Preparation | No fasting. Antihistamines don’t affect IgE blood tests, so the client can keep taking them. Not recommended under 18 months of age. |
| Turnaround | 12 to 15 business days (Nutripath estimate, from when the lab receives the sample). Allow extra days for postage. |
| Available through | Nutripath test ordered through Vively. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer it. |
| Pricing | Pricing in your practitioner account |
| Results | PDF report from Nutripath, filed in your client’s record and app beside their blood results |
Only practitioners can order this test. Ask your naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian whether they use Vively.
What do the Nutripath IgE allergy panels measure?
IgE is the antibody that triggers immediate allergic reactions. Each panel measures IgE against a set list of allergens and reports a level for each one, plus total IgE.
Peanut, tree nuts, sesame, cow’s milk, egg, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish, and a range of grains, fruit and vegetables.
Alternaria, Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Candida and other common moulds, for clients with symptoms around damp or mould exposure.
Trees including eucalyptus, melaleuca and acacia, grasses including rye and Bermuda grass, moulds, cat dander and cockroach, for seasonal or year round hay fever and asthma triggers.
Two panels add IgG (and IgA) to 96 foods to the IgE 27 foods. Only the IgE part tests for allergy. IgG and IgA reflect exposure to foods eaten often, and ASCIA advises against using IgG for allergy or intolerance.
| Nutripath test | Code | Sample | Turnaround |
|---|---|---|---|
| IgE 27 Foods panel | 3202 | Blood | 12 to 15 business days |
| IgE 15 Moulds panel | 3203 | Blood | 12 to 15 business days |
| IgE 50 Inhalants panel | 3208 | Blood | 12 to 15 business days |
| IgG 96 plus IgE 27 Foods panel | 3211 | Blood | 12 to 15 business days |
| IgG and IgA 96 plus IgE 27 Foods panel | 9927 | Blood | 12 to 15 business days |
How do you order IgE allergy panels through Vively?
- Get verified. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer tests. Practitioners with a recognised qualification or membership (ATMS, NHAA, ANTA, Dietitians Australia, NSA, CMA or Ahpra registration) can request free practitioner access.
- Build the order. Log in to the practitioner platform, choose the Nutripath test and add any blood tests or the $99 Baseline Health Check to the same order. Pricing shows in your account, and either your client or your practice can pay.
- Kit and blood draw. Nutripath posts your client a kit with the tubes and request form. Your client takes it to a partner pathology collection centre for the blood draw, early in the week (Monday to Wednesday), then posts the sample back to Nutripath in the express packaging provided.
- Review the report. Nutripath’s PDF report is filed in your client’s record and app, next to their blood results, ready for the follow-up consult.
See every Nutripath test you can order on the Nutripath tests page.
Order IgE allergy panels with your client’s other blood tests
Free access for verified naturopaths, nutritionists and dietitians. Order Nutripath tests and blood pathology in one place, and see every result in your client’s record.
What does an IgE result tell you, and what does it not?
Allergen-specific IgE is a recognised allergy test. Its weakness is that a positive result is common in people who eat or breathe the allergen with no problem.
A raised IgE shows sensitisation. ASCIA states that to diagnose allergy, the test result and the clinical history must be read together. Panels of many allergens tested without a clear history produce false positives that can lead to needless food avoidance.
A negative IgE to a food makes an immediate allergy to it unlikely. A strong history of reaction still needs an allergist, because tests can miss some allergies.
Total IgE is reported with each panel. ASCIA does not recommend it as an allergy test because it does not show what a person is allergic to.
The combined panels include IgG. ASCIA lists IgG food testing among unproven tests that can lead to misdiagnosis and unnecessary dietary restriction.
How does IgE allergy testing fit with blood work?
Allergy panels answer one question. Blood markers help with the others: whether restriction has affected nutrition, and whether ongoing symptoms point somewhere else.
- ReferPositive food IgE with a history of hives, swelling or breathing trouble after that food
Possible IgE mediated food allergy. Refer to the GP for an allergist referral and an action plan. Keep the food out until the allergist advises.
- ContextPositive food IgE to a food eaten often with no symptoms
Most likely sensitisation without allergy. Don’t remove the food on this result alone; discuss with the GP if unsure.
- ContextSeveral foods already removed, with low iron, B12 or vitamin D
Restriction may be affecting intake. Check the nutrient markers and avoid adding more restrictions without a clear allergy history.
- ContextNegative IgE with ongoing gut symptoms after food
Points away from IgE allergy. Consider coeliac testing, faecal calprotectin or a structured FODMAP approach.
What can affect an IgE allergy result?
- High total IgE, as in eczema, which can give weak positives to many allergens
- Cross-reactivity, for example between birch pollen and some fruits, or between grass pollens and grains
- Age, as panels are not recommended under 18 months
- Recent allergen immunotherapy or biologic medicines such as omalizumab
- Choosing large panels without a history to guide which allergens matter
When should you refer the client to their GP?
- Any history of anaphylaxis, throat swelling, wheeze or collapse after a food, sting or medicine
- A positive IgE that matches a history of reactions
- Suspected medicine or insect sting allergy
- Poorly controlled asthma or eczema
- A client or parent planning to reintroduce a food that has caused a reaction
How should a client prepare for an IgE allergy blood test?
Copy or print this to send to your client. Follow the instructions in the Nutripath kit if they differ.
Preparing for your allergy blood test
- You don’t need to fast. Eat as you normally do.
- Keep taking your antihistamines and other medicines unless your doctor tells you otherwise. They don’t affect this blood test.
- Don’t eat a food you have reacted to before in order to test for it.
- Nutripath will post you a kit with the tubes and a request form. Take the whole kit to a partner pathology collection centre, Monday to Wednesday.
- After the blood is taken, the collector hands the tubes back to you. Pack them as the kit describes and post them to Nutripath the same day.
- If you have ever had a severe reaction, make sure your GP knows and that you have an action plan.
What does the IgE allergy report look like?
Nutripath publishes sample reports on its website. They open in a new tab.
How do practitioners use IgE allergy panels with clients?
Start with the history and test to answer a question. A client whose lips swell after prawns, or who sneezes every spring, has a clear question an IgE panel can help with. A client with vague fatigue and bloating usually doesn’t, and a wide panel will turn up positives that tempt you to cut foods. Any result that matches a real reaction goes to the GP for an allergist referral. Use IgE results to narrow the list, never to tell someone it’s safe to eat a food they have reacted to.
IgE allergy panels FAQs
Can a naturopath, nutritionist or dietitian order an allergy blood test through Vively?
Yes. You need to be a verified practitioner to refer it. Add a Nutripath IgE panel to an order in the Vively practitioner platform, on its own or with other blood tests. Pricing shows in your account. No account yet? Request free access.
Is an IgE blood test the same as a RAST test?
Yes, broadly. RAST was the original method for measuring allergen-specific IgE. Labs now use newer immunoassays, but people still call it a RAST test.
Does a positive IgE result mean my client is allergic?
Not by itself. It shows sensitisation. Allergy is diagnosed when the result matches a history of reactions to that allergen. Many people with positive results eat the food without problems.
Should IgE testing be used to decide whether to reintroduce a food?
No. Reintroducing a food that has caused a reaction should be planned by an allergist, sometimes as a supervised food challenge. Don’t use a panel result to tell a client a food is safe.
What is the difference between IgE and IgG food tests?
IgE tests look for allergy, the immediate reactions that can be dangerous. IgG to foods reflects exposure to foods eaten often. ASCIA advises against IgG testing for diagnosing allergy or intolerance.
References
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Allergy testing. allergy.org.au, checked 20 October 2026.
- Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. Unorthodox testing and treatment for allergy. allergy.org.au.
- Sicherer SH, Sampson HA. Food allergy: a review and update on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, and management. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. 2018;141(1):41-58.
- Nutripath. Allergy Panels IgE 27 Foods (3202), 15 Moulds (3203) and 50 Inhalants (3208). nutripath.com.au, checked 1 October 2026.