Food Hypersensitivity Quiz

Sarah Taylor

September 28, 2023

5 min read

Test Your Knowledge of Food Hypersensitivity

You’re probably familiar with the terms food allergy and intolerance, but have you heard of food hypersensitivity? Whether you have food hypersensitivities yourself, or work in a place where you need to know about the different kinds of food hypersensitivity, it’s important to understand how the different terms relate and how they differ from each other. Try our quiz now to test your knowledge!

When eating out in a restaurant, how can you tell if an allergen is in the food?

Food businesses must provide allergen information on every dish they prepare, speak to your server and they will give you this information.

You should know by the menu description of the food item.

You will need to ask for a list of the ingredients that go in the dish and work out if any of them are allergens.

You won't know unless you try it and see if you have an allergic reaction to the food.

Correct! Wrong!

Food business operators in the catering sector are required to provide allergen information, this means that they must provide allergen information to the consumer for all food and drink menu items. They must also demonstrate they handle and manage food allergens effectively in food preparation, and train all staff on allergens. To read more about how businesses should manage allergens, read our article here.

Is food hypersensitivity life-threatening?

If a person has a food hypersensitivity and experiences anaphylaxis as a result of an allergen, this can be life-threatening.

All allergies are life-threatening.

Only autoimmune diseases caused by food hypersensitivity are life-threatening.

Never, food hypersensitivities only cause uncomfortable symptoms and these are not life-threatening.

Correct! Wrong!

The most common types of food hypersensitivities are food allergies, food intolerances and coeliac disease. Of these three, only food allergies are life-threatening and only then if the person experiences anaphylactic shock as a result of the allergen. Anaphylactic shock leads to breathing difficulties, light headedness, and feeling faint or losing consciousness – in the event of anaphylaxis, always call 999.

What is food hypersensitivity?

An unpleasant reaction to something a person has eaten.

An allergic reaction to certain foods.

The development of an auto-immune disease from consuming too much bread.

An non life-threatening reaction to eating particular foods.

Correct! Wrong!

Food hypersensitivity is a blanket term for an adverse reaction to food which could be a result of a food allergy, a food intolerance, or an autoimmune disease. This can appear to varying degrees of severity and can be very serious.

What is food intolerance?

Difficulty digesting certain foods, resulting in an adverse physical reaction to them if they are eaten.

Dislike of certain foods, making it hard to eat a balanced diet.

A reaction triggered by the immune system to food the body thinks is a threat.

A moral objection to the consumption of animals and/or food derived from animal products.

Correct! Wrong!

A food intolerance is defined as having difficulty digesting certain foods, resulting in an adverse physical reaction to them if they are eaten. As such, food intolerance affects the digestive system. However, food intolerances are not life-threatening. Read more in our article What is a Food Intolerance?.

What are the symptoms of food intolerance?

Common symptoms include bloating, rashes, headaches, nausea and stomach pain.

Common symptoms include swelling of the lips, mouth and airways.

Common symptoms include the onset of autoimmune conditions.

There are no common symptoms as everyone reacts differently.

Correct! Wrong!

People who suffer from food intolerances often don’t create enough of a particular enzyme that the digestive system requires in order to successfully break down certain foods, this results in symptoms of bloating, rashes, headaches, nausea and stomach pain.

Can people have food hypersensitivity to any food?

Yes - food hypersensitivities include food allergies, food intolerances and autoimmune diseases and these can be triggered by any food.

No - food hypersensitivity only applies to auto-immune diseases.

No - food hypersensitivity only occurs in reaction to the ingestion of one of the 14 named allergens.

Yes - people can be hypersensitive to any food, but people are only allergic to the foods listed in the 14 named allergens.

Correct! Wrong!

Food hypersensitivity is a blanket term covering food allergies, food intolerances and autoimmune diseases such as Coeliac Disease. Whilst Coeliac Disease is specifically a reaction to an enzyme contained in gluten, people can experience allergies and intolerances to any food item.

Is a food intolerance different from a food allergy?

Yes, an allergy is an immune response whereas an intolerance is caused by difficulty digesting certain foods.

No, they both cause life-threatening bodily reactions to foods.

No, they are both examples of food hypersensitivity.

Yes, food intolerance is a life-threatening condition, whereas allergies can be mild.

Correct! Wrong!

A food intolerance is not the same as a food allergy. Food allergies can be life-threatening and triggered by trace amounts of the allergen. A food intolerance, for example, may cause adverse symptoms but is never life-threatening.

What is a food allergy?

A response by the body's immune system against a specific ingredient that the person has consumed.

The digestion process after eating allergenic food.

A severe and life-threatening reaction to a particular food trigger, resulting in the swelling of the mouth and airways.

When the immune system attacks organs in the body and prevents them from absorbing food effectively.

Correct! Wrong!

A food allergy is defined as a response by the immune system against a particular ingredient that has been consumed. Allergies can vary in severity, some can cause anaphylaxis whilst others can bring mild symptoms.

Coeliac Disease is an autoimmune disease that causes the body’s immune system to attack its own tissue when a trigger food is ingested. What is the trigger food in this autoimmune condition?

Gluten.

Peanut.

Alcohol.

Dairy.

Correct! Wrong!

Coeliac Disease is caused when a person ingests gluten, and the body identifies this as a threat. The immune system goes on the attack and can cause damage to the lining of the small intestine and disrupts the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food. People can also have an intolerance to gluten, which is a different reaction.

Is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) an example of food hypersensitivity?

No, IBS has no specific cause and so is not an example of food hypersensitivity.

Yes, IBS is caused by eating dairy products.

No, IBS is caused by stress.

No, IBS is not caused by a reaction to food, but a reaction to the environment.

Correct! Wrong!

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a condition consisting of frequent abdominal discomfort and bowel symptoms. It cannot be explained by any other disease and has no specific cause, therefore it is not an example of food hypersensitivity.

Test Your Knowledge of Food Hypersensitivity

Want to learn more? Take a look at our Food Allergen Awareness Training.