Choosing a food sensitivity test is much easier once you can see the options side by side. This guide does exactly that: what each type of test is designed to tell you, and how our own three at-home hair sensitivity tests compare, from 600 to 1,600 food and non-food items.
If you already know you want a simple, needle-free starting point, skip straight to our three hair sensitivity tests compared. Each one is an At-home Hair Sensitivity Test that helps you discover potential food and environmental sensitivities, with results in 5–7 working days once your sample is received.
Our three hair sensitivity tests compared
Here is how our three individual options compare at a glance. Each is an At-home Hair Sensitivity Test: wellness screening using a hair sample to help you discover potential food and environmental sensitivities.
| Test | Items listed | Sample method |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Sensitivity Test | 600 | Digital instructions, or a physical test kit (UK only) |
| Ultimate Individual Test | 1,000 | Digital instructions, or a physical test kit (UK only) |
| Optimum Sensitivity Test | 1,600 | Digital instructions, or a physical test kit (UK only) |
The item count is the number of listed items in the option. It is not an accuracy score. Check the full item list on each product page rather than assuming a particular ingredient is included.
Individual Sensitivity Test: 600 items
A focused option covering a wide range of everyday foods and non-food items. A good fit if you want a first look across common food items without the largest list.
Ultimate Individual Test: 1,000 items
Adds a broader range of foods, drinks and environmental items. A sensible middle option if you eat a varied diet or want more non-food coverage.
Optimum Sensitivity Test: 1,600 items
Our largest individual option. It suits you if you want the widest coverage in a single report, for example if you eat a very varied, vegan or international diet and want more ingredients listed. The Optimum page also offers multi-person options for couples and families.
How to choose between them
- Check the items that matter to you. Open the item list on each product page and look for the foods, drinks or environmental items you most want to explore. If a name is unclear, ask our team before ordering.
- Compare the coverage you want. Choose by the listed coverage and your budget, rather than treating the biggest number as a promise of a particular result.
- Check the options for your location. The product page shows the current price in your market. Physical test kits are UK only; other markets use digital instructions.
See all our hair sensitivity tests
Other food sensitivity tests you may come across
Here is a plain-English comparison of the tests you are most likely to come across when you compare food sensitivity tests online.
Allergy testing through your doctor or an allergy clinic
If a doctor thinks you may have a food allergy, you may be referred to a specialist. Allergy testing can include a skin-prick test, blood tests, and a special diet where you avoid the suspected food to see if symptoms improve. These tests look at the immune response. A specific IgE blood test measures IgE antibodies to a suspected food, and the results are interpreted alongside your clinical history.
Best for: suspected allergic reactions, especially anything fast or severe. This is where a diagnosis comes from. True allergies are the minority, though: only around 10% of reactions to food are thought to be allergies, and intolerances and sensitivities cause most everyday discomfort.
Food intolerance testing through your doctor or a dietitian
For a suspected intolerance, you may be referred to a dietitian. Tests can include a special diet where you avoid a food and then reintroduce it after a few weeks, blood tests, and a breath test if lactose intolerance is suspected. You may also be asked to keep a food and symptoms diary.
Best for: persistent digestive issues that need a medical assessment, or ruling out conditions with similar symptoms. Conditions such as coeliac disease, for example, need proper medical testing.
Elimination diets
An elimination (exclusion and reintroduction) diet means removing a suspected food for a set period, recording your symptoms, then reintroducing it. This is best done with support from a registered dietitian, so your diet stays balanced while you test. Restrictive diets followed without support can leave you short of important nutrition.
Best for: checking a specific suspect food, with professional guidance.
The IgG blood test
Some home food intolerance kits use an IgG blood test, sometimes listed as IgG4. These measure a different type of antibody from the IgE tests used in allergy testing. IgG antibodies to food are found in healthy people too, so IgG results are not generally recommended as a way to identify intolerance. If you are comparing kits, check which antibody a test measures and what the company says the result means.
Hair analysis and bioresonance
Hair samples are used for several different kinds of testing. Ours uses bioresonance. Bioresonance looks at energetic frequencies from a hair sample to identify potential sensitivity patterns. The appeal is practical: a small hair sample, no needles, and a broad screening across hundreds of foods and environmental items in one report.
Vega, electrodermal testing and kinesiology
You may also see Vega or electrodermal testing (which measures electrical signals through the skin) and kinesiology (which tests muscle response). These are offered in person by a practitioner. As with any test, ask exactly what it measures and what the result can and cannot tell you.
How our hair sensitivity test works
Your hair sample
You provide a small hair sample by following either the digital instructions sent to your email or the physical test kit (UK only). The sample is then posted to our testing team.
What our testing team does
Your sample is processed by our experienced testing team using an established process with internal quality checks. Reports cover bioresonance responses across the categories included in the test you chose.
How long do results take?
Results in 5–7 working days once your sample is received. Postal time is separate, so allow time for your sample to reach us. Read what happens after you send your hair sample for the full timeline.
What your results show
You receive personalised results showing potential sensitivity patterns. They are a starting point for exploration, best read alongside what you actually eat and how you feel. If you are new to the method, our guide to bioresonance hair testing explains it in more detail.
Making the most of your results
Keep a food diary alongside your report
Results are most useful when you compare them with what you actually eat and how you feel. Our free food and symptom diary template helps you link food and symptoms over a few weeks.
Change one thing at a time
If your report flags several foods, pick one or two to explore first and note how you feel over a couple of weeks before moving on. Small, steady changes make it much easier to see what actually helps.
Food sensitivity test FAQs
What is the difference between a food allergy and a food intolerance?
The words get used interchangeably, but they describe different things, and they are investigated in different ways. Only around 10% of reactions to food are thought to be true allergies. Intolerances and sensitivities cause most everyday discomfort, such as bloating, tiredness and skin flare-ups.
Food allergy.
A food allergy involves the immune system. Typical symptoms include itchy skin or a raised rash, swelling of the lips, face and eyes, wheezing, tummy pain and diarrhoea. They can appear straight after eating or, for some people, days later. A severe allergic reaction is an emergency: call your local emergency number straight away (999 in the UK, 911 in the US and Canada, 000 in Australia, 111 in New Zealand, 112 or 999 in Ireland) if, for example, your lips, mouth, throat or tongue suddenly swell or you are struggling to breathe.
Food intolerance.
A food intolerance does not involve the immune system in the same way. It means difficulty digesting certain foods or ingredients. Symptoms usually come on a few hours after eating and commonly include bloating, wind, diarrhoea and tummy pain, although headaches, tiredness and skin rashes are also listed.
Where "sensitivity" fits.
At Test My Food Sensitivity we use the word sensitivity to mean a food or item your body may be sensitive to. Our tests are designed to help you discover potential food and environmental sensitivities, which is where most everyday discomfort comes from.
Are there any accurate food sensitivity tests?
It depends what you need the test for. If you need a diagnosis of a food allergy, coeliac disease or lactose intolerance, the tests to ask about are the ones arranged through your doctor, an allergy clinic or a dietitian.
If what you want is a broad starting point for exploring which foods and everyday items you may be sensitive to, an At-home Hair Sensitivity Test gives you personalised results showing potential sensitivity patterns. You can then explore those results carefully, ideally alongside a food diary.
Which brand of food sensitivity test is best?
There is no single best brand, because tests answer different questions. When you compare providers, look at:
- What the test assesses. Antibodies, breath, or bioresonance patterns from a hair sample are very different things.
- How many items are covered. Coverage varies a lot between tests.
- Whether it includes non-food items. Some reports cover environmental items as well as food.
- What the provider says about diagnosis. A clear provider will tell you plainly what its test does not do.
- Kit and turnaround. Is there a posted kit or digital instructions, and when does the results clock start?
- The guarantee. Check the policy wording before you buy.
What are the 5 most common food intolerances?
Lactose intolerance is generally described as the most common food intolerance. Lactose is a sugar found mainly in milk and dairy products. Other common examples include:
- Lactose, found in milk, cheese and yoghurt
- Gluten, found in wheat, rye and barley
- Histamine, found in foods and drinks such as wine and cheese
- Caffeine, found in coffee, tea and some fizzy drinks
- Alcohol
Sulphites, salicylates, MSG and benzoates are also often listed, and you can be intolerant to almost any food or ingredient. These are the common foods many people start with when they compare food intolerance test results with their own diet.
Is a hair sensitivity test the same as an allergy test?
No. Our tests are designed to help you discover potential food and environmental sensitivities. Bioresonance looks at energetic frequencies from a hair sample to identify potential sensitivity patterns, which is a different question from the immune testing used for allergies. You can read more on our food intolerance and food sensitivity pages.
Why people choose Test My Food Sensitivity
Since 2008
Over one million tests sold across our family of brands since 2008.
30-day money-back guarantee
We offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on hair sensitivity tests. Full conditions are in the policy linked from each product page.
Ready to compare?
Whether you are leaning towards 600, 1,000 or 1,600 items, start with the item lists and choose the coverage you want to explore. You can also see every option on our food sensitivity test page.
Compare our hair sensitivity tests
About our tests
Test My Food Sensitivity has offered at-home hair sensitivity tests since 2008. Our tests use bioresonance, which looks at energetic frequencies from a hair sample to identify potential sensitivity patterns. They don't measure immune antibodies (IgE or IgG), they are not allergy tests and they don't provide a medical diagnosis of allergy, intolerance or deficiency. Your personalised results are a starting point for exploration, not proof of what caused a symptom.
Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian before any significant or prolonged change to your diet, especially for children. See a doctor if symptoms keep coming back, are getting worse, or include signs of a serious allergic reaction. A home test should never delay medical advice.
