90 Food IgG/IgA - Array 10-90
The 90 Food IgG/IgA Array (Array 10-90) measures serum immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A antibodies to ninety dietary antigens using Cyrex's proprietary chemiluminescent immunoassay. It is positioned as a functional tool to identify potential immune-mediated food sensitivities and guide personalised elimination diets in patients with chronic gastrointestinal or systemic symptoms, though its…
2
Biomarkers
Blood (serum)
Sample
10–14 business days
Turnaround
No
Fasting
What is the Array 10-90 test?
The 90 Food IgG/IgA Array measures serum immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin A antibodies to ninety common dietary antigens. It is ordered by practitioners working within a functional or integrative framework who suspect that immune-mediated food sensitivities — distinct from classic IgE allergy — contribute to chronic gastrointestinal symptoms, systemic inflammation, or other unexplained complaints. The rationale is that repeated exposure to foods that elicit non-IgE immune responses can drive low-grade inflammation, intestinal permeability, and downstream symptomatology. The test does not diagnose food allergy in the conventional sense, and major allergy organisations do not endorse IgG or IgA food panels for allergy work-up. Instead, Array 10-90 is positioned as a personalised nutrition tool: results guide time-limited elimination trials, with clinical response serving as the ultimate arbiter. Practitioners order the panel when an empirical elimination diet has been impractical or inconclusive, when multiple suspected triggers exist, or when a structured, data-informed approach to dietary modification is preferred over trial and error.
What does the Array 10-90 test measure?
IgG is the most abundant immunoglobulin class, accounting for approximately seventy-five per cent of circulating antibody. Unlike IgE, which mediates immediate allergic reactions, IgG antibodies to food proteins are thought to reflect prolonged or repetitive antigen exposure across the intestinal barrier. Their presence does not necessarily indicate pathology — healthy individuals can mount low-level IgG responses to dietary antigens — but sustained high-titre responses in the context of chronic symptoms have been proposed as a marker of non-coeliac immune-mediated food sensitivity.
Food-specific IgG testing remains contested. While IgE-mediated food allergy is well characterised and clinically validated, the significance of elevated IgG to foods is debated. Some practitioners interpret elevated IgG as evidence of delayed immune reactivity and use results to guide elimination diets, citing anecdotal and small-study improvements in irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, and inflammatory conditions. Major allergy societies note that detectable IgG may simply reflect dietary exposure and advise against routine use for food-allergy diagnosis. Array 10-90 is positioned as a functional tool for personalised nutrition rather than a diagnostic allergy test.
Secretory IgA is the predominant antibody at mucosal surfaces, forming the first line of immune defence in the gastrointestinal tract. It is secreted across the epithelium and binds luminal antigens, preventing their adherence and penetration. Serum IgA represents a minor fraction of total IgA and is thought to reflect systemic immune responses when mucosal barrier integrity is compromised. Elevated food-specific IgA may indicate active mucosal reactivity or increased intestinal permeability, though this interpretation is not universally accepted.
Food-specific IgA is measured alongside IgG to capture both systemic and mucosal immune responses. Proponents argue that dual-class testing better identifies foods that provoke inflammation or intestinal barrier dysfunction. As with IgG, the clinical utility is debated and supported primarily by observational data and functional-medicine case series rather than large randomised controlled trials. Practitioners interpret IgA elevation as a potential signal of active immune engagement with dietary antigens in patients with chronic gastrointestinal or systemic symptoms.
Why is the Array 10-90 test ordered?
- Investigation of chronic or recurrent gastrointestinal symptoms — bloating, altered bowel habit, abdominal discomfort — in patients with negative coeliac serology and endoscopy who have not responded to standard irritable bowel syndrome management
- Assessment of suspected non-IgE-mediated food sensitivity in individuals with chronic migraine, fatigue, or inflammatory symptoms where dietary triggers are plausible but unidentified
- Guidance of elimination diets in patients with autoimmune or chronic inflammatory conditions (rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto thyroiditis, inflammatory skin disorders) when food-immune interactions are hypothesised
- Evaluation of individuals with suspected increased intestinal permeability who report multiple food intolerances but lack objective data to prioritise dietary modification
- Support for personalised nutrition strategies in wellness and functional-medicine contexts where symptom–food correlations are unclear
- Patients with atopic conditions (eczema, asthma) seeking to explore delayed immune-mediated food triggers beyond classic IgE allergy testing
Sample collection and turnaround
Sample type
Blood (serum)
Fasting required
No
Collection method
Venipuncture at patient service centre
Turnaround
10–14 business days
Collection notes
Phlebotomy at a qualified draw site; specimen is sent to Cyrex Laboratories. Testing is most informative when the patient is consuming a usual, varied diet rather than already following a restricted elimination protocol. Confirm total IgA adequacy if selective IgA deficiency is suspected.
Specimen requirements
Minimum 2 mL serum in a serum separator tube. Separate from cells within two hours; ship frozen on dry ice according to Cyrex specimen-handling protocol.
What can affect Array 10-90 results?
Antibody titres reflect recent and sustained antigen exposure, so strict avoidance of a food for several weeks or months may lower specific IgG/IgA and yield false-negative results. Testing is most informative on a usual, varied diet.
Selective IgA deficiency (approximately 0.1–0.5% of the population) renders food-specific IgA results uninterpretable; request total IgA or confirm adequacy before ordering the panel.
Acute gastroenteritis or inflammatory bowel disease flare can transiently increase intestinal permeability and antigen uptake, potentially elevating antibody levels; interpretation should account for recent illness.
Corticosteroids, biologic agents, and other immunosuppressants can blunt antibody production and lower titres, masking true reactivity.
Antibodies to one food protein may cross-react with structurally similar proteins in another food (e.g., cereal grains, legumes), complicating the identification of the true trigger and requiring clinical correlation.
Array 10-90 uses Cyrex's proprietary chemiluminescent immunoassay; results are not directly comparable to other IgG food panels (ELISA or multiplex platforms), and cutoffs are method-dependent.
What do Array 10-90 results mean?
Elevated
Elevated IgG or IgA to specific foods is reported as a positive or high-positive result. Proponents interpret this as evidence of immune reactivity warranting a supervised elimination trial, typically removing all positive foods for four to twelve weeks and then systematically reintroducing them to correlate symptoms with reintroduction. Elevated antibodies do not confirm clinical reactivity — symptom improvement during elimination and recurrence on reintroduction are required to establish causality. Major allergy societies caution that detectable IgG may simply reflect normal dietary exposure.
Normal
Most healthy individuals on a varied diet will show low-level antibodies to some foods, reflecting normal antigen exposure. The boundary between physiological exposure and pathological reactivity is imprecise, so results must be interpreted in the clinical context of symptoms, dietary history, and response to intervention.
Reduced
Negative or low-titre results suggest minimal or no recent immune response to the tested foods. This does not exclude IgE-mediated allergy, coeliac disease, or lactose intolerance, each of which requires separate testing. Negative results in the context of very restricted recent diet may be falsely reassuring.
Note: Array 10-90 is not a substitute for validated IgE allergy testing, coeliac serology, or breath tests for carbohydrate malabsorption. It is a functional, exploratory tool rather than a diagnostic test. Results should guide but not dictate dietary modification, and elimination trials must be supervised to prevent unnecessary restriction, nutritional deficiency, or disordered eating. The clinical utility of IgG/IgA food testing remains contested, and practitioners should obtain informed consent and set realistic expectations before ordering.
Frequently asked questions
IgE testing identifies immediate-type allergic reactions (urticaria, anaphylaxis) that occur within minutes to hours. IgG food testing measures antibodies thought to reflect delayed or non-IgE-mediated immune responses, which are proposed to contribute to chronic symptoms but are not recognised as food allergy by major allergy societies.
How to access the Array 10-90 test
The Array 10-90 reference page is free and open to all practitioners. Create a free practitioner account to see pricing, save tests to your list, and generate requisition forms. Verification takes 1–2 business days.
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Published: October 7, 2026
Last reviewed: October 7, 2026
- Stapel SO, et al. Testing for IgG4 against foods is not recommended as a diagnostic tool: EAACI Task Force Report. Allergy. (2008)
- Carr S, et al. CSACI position statement on the testing of food-specific IgG. Allergy Asthma Clin Immunol. (2012)
- Gunasekeera V, et al. Treatment of IBS in clinical practice: targeting the gut microbiome and diet. Gut. (2023)
- Ligaarden SC, et al. IgG and IgG4 antibodies in subjects with irritable bowel syndrome: a case control study in the general population. BMC Gastroenterol. (2012)
- Vojdani A. The characterisation of the repertoire of wheat antigens and peptides involved in the humoral immune responses in patients with gluten sensitivity and Crohn's disease. ISRN Allergy. (2011)
This content is for licensed healthcare practitioners only and does not constitute medical advice. Clinical decisions should be based on the full clinical picture and not on any single test result.