Identifying peanut allergies cheaper and easier with new test

Scientists says blood test could avoid costly, stressful, food tests for confirming allergy

A new blood test could make it much easier and cheaper to identify children with peanut allergies, say scientists.

The test, which looks for biomarkers released by mast cells, or white blood cells forming part of the immune system, made a correct diagnosis 98% of the time in a study involving 174 children.