Food Intolerance Test (IgG)

Same method, same sample, same reporting time. The only difference is how many foods are on the list, and the chart below shows exactly where the extra 168 sit.

Counts are individual foods, not groups. Core 60 covers 60 foods and Comprehensive covers 228, which is where the page’s older “200 plus” figure comes from. The two biggest jumps are herbs and spices, 1 food to 32, and vegetables, 9 to 44. If your suspicion is a specific spice or a specific vegetable, that is the difference you are paying for. If it is dairy, wheat or seafood, Core 60 already covers the common ones.

How It Works

1

Message us

Your town, which panel, and what you have noticed.

2

We confirm the centre

Your closest of 35, its hours and an open slot.

3

One draw

A single blood sample covers every food on your panel.

4

A doctor explains it

Report in 5 to 10 working days, then the e-consultation before you change your diet.

Collected at 35 partner centres nationwide and processed by an accredited laboratory under a specialty testing programme. Every report is read by a doctor registered with the Malaysian Medical Council before the e-consultation. IgG units are assay-specific, so a level from this panel is only comparable with another level from the same panel.

Food-specific IgG is a measure of exposure and immune memory, and the professional bodies are unambiguous that it is not diagnostic for food intolerance or food allergy. The European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Task Force concluded that food-specific IgG4 should not be used for that purpose (Stapel SO, et al. Allergy. 2008;63(7):793 to 796. doi.org/10.1111/j.1398-9995.2008.01705.x), and the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology reached the same position (Carr S, et al. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. 2012;8(1):12. doi.org/10.1186/1710-1492-8-12). Immediate-type food reactions are IgE-mediated and are investigated with specific IgE instead (Ansotegui IJ, et al. World Allergy Organ J. 2020;13(2):100080. doi.org/10.1016/j.waojou.2019.100080). We publish this rather than bury it: the usable role for an IgG panel is as a structured starting list for a supervised elimination and reintroduction trial, where the trial, not the antibody level, is what tells you anything. If nobody is going to supervise that trial, the panel will not answer your question and we would rather say so before you pay for it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a food intolerance test in Malaysia and what does it measure?

It is a blood test measuring food-specific IgG antibodies against a fixed list of foods, either 60 or 228 depending on the panel. IgG reflects exposure and immune memory, so the report is a structured starting list for a supervised elimination and reintroduction trial rather than a verdict on any food. A doctor e-consultation on the report is included in both panels.

How much does a food intolerance test cost?

RM500 for Core 60 and RM2,500 for Comprehensive. Both include the blood draw, the laboratory report and the doctor e-consultation, with no additional fee at the collection centre.

Which panel should I choose, Core 60 or Comprehensive?

Core 60 if you already suspect specific everyday foods: it covers 3 dairy, 3 gluten-containing grains, 16 fish and seafood and 9 nuts and seeds, which is where most suspicions land. Comprehensive if there is no obvious pattern, because that is where the extra 168 foods sit, mostly in herbs and spices at 32 and vegetables at 44. If a dietitian is not going to run the elimination trial with you, the larger list will not help more than the smaller one.

Is a food intolerance test the same as an allergy test?

No, and this is the most important distinction on the page. Allergy is IgE-mediated, can be immediate and can be dangerous. Intolerance testing here measures IgG, a different antibody class associated with delayed patterns hours or days later. If a food has ever caused swelling, hives, wheeze or collapse, book the IgE allergy panel and see a doctor instead.

Is IgG food testing scientifically reliable?

Not as a standalone answer, and we would rather state that plainly. The EAACI Task Force and the Canadian Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology both concluded that food-specific IgG is not diagnostic for intolerance, because raised levels commonly reflect regular consumption of a food rather than a problem with it. What the panel is reasonably used for is narrowing a very long list of candidate foods down to a testable shortlist, which is then confirmed or ruled out by removing and reintroducing them under supervision.

Do I need to fast before the test?

No fasting is needed for the IgG panel. Eat and drink normally, and keep eating the foods you are asking about in the days beforehand, because the panel measures your response to what you actually consume. If you are booking a fasting screening package in the same visit, we time the appointment around that fast instead.

How long do results take?

5 to 10 working days from the draw. The e-consultation is scheduled once the report is ready, so the food list is read alongside your symptoms and history rather than on its own.

Where can I get this done?

At any of 35 collection centres across all 13 Malaysian states plus Kuala Lumpur and Labuan, including Petaling Jaya, Klang, Cheras, Johor Bahru, George Town, Ipoh, Kuantan, Seremban, Melaka, Kota Bharu, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching. Both panels are collected at every one of them for the same price.

IgG food testing is a screening tool, it is not a test for food allergy, and a normal result does not rule out all disease. Screening is not a substitute for clinical assessment of an active symptom: if you are currently unwell, please see a doctor rather than waiting 5 to 10 working days for a result. This panel does not replace investigation for coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease or IgE-mediated food allergy, and it does not image or biopsy anything. A raised IgG result may reflect normal exposure to foods eaten regularly and does not by itself confirm an intolerance. Do not remove foods from your diet, or from a child’s diet, based on these results without consulting a qualified healthcare professional, as unsupervised dietary restriction carries nutritional risk. A licensed doctor reviews every report and will advise whether further investigation is needed. Reference ranges and individual results vary, and IgG assays are not directly comparable between laboratories. Samples are processed by an accredited laboratory. Please disclose all medication and supplements, existing medical conditions, pregnancy or possible pregnancy and recent illness before your appointment.