If certain foods leave you bloated, tired or foggy, and summer barbecues and Christmas lunches are just around the corner, you might be wondering how to actually get tested for food intolerance in Australia. There's no single test that does it all. Instead there are three main routes: your GP, an Accredited Practising Dietitian, and an at-home food intolerance test. This guide walks through what each one can and can't do, what it's likely to cost, and how they fit together.
Allergy, intolerance or sensitivity?
It helps to know which question you're asking. A food allergy involves the immune system, usually comes on quickly (often within minutes) and can be serious. A food intolerance or sensitivity tends to build more slowly, often hours after eating, and shows up as everyday discomfort: bloating, wind, stomach cramps, diarrhoea, headaches, tiredness or brain fog.
True allergies are only around 10% of reactions to food. Intolerances and sensitivities are the main cause of the everyday discomfort people put up with, which is why most Australians looking into their symptoms start with intolerance. Our symptoms page lists common signs.
Under Food Standards Australia New Zealand rules, packaged food must now declare common allergens in plain English, in bold, with a "Contains" summary near the ingredients. FSANZ explains what must be declared, from milk, egg, wheat and soy to lupin, sesame and individual tree nuts. Reading labels is a useful habit whichever route you take.
If you ever have swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing, or feel faint after eating, that's an emergency: call 000.
Route 1: your GP
Your GP is the right first stop, mainly to rule out anything that needs medical care. Depending on your symptoms, they may:
- Check for coeliac disease. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition, not an intolerance, but the symptoms overlap. It starts with a blood test, and you need to keep eating gluten until you've been tested, because cutting it out first can affect the result.
- Look at lactose. Your GP may suggest a short trial without dairy, or refer you for a hydrogen breath test.
- Talk about IBS and FODMAPs. If your symptoms point to irritable bowel syndrome, they may mention the low FODMAP diet, which was developed here in Australia.
- Refer you to an allergy specialist (a clinical immunologist or allergist) if you've had fast reactions such as hives or swelling.
What it costs. If your GP bulk bills, a standard visit costs you nothing under Medicare. If not, you pay the gap. Specialist visits need a GP referral to get the Medicare rebate, and out-of-pocket costs vary from practice to practice, so ask when you book.
What a GP usually can't do is give you one test that lists everything you're sensitive to. For everyday intolerances, the next step is usually a food diary and a dietitian.
Route 2: an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD)
In Australia, look for an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), the credential run by Dietitians Australia. You can search their Find a Dietitian directory by location and area of practice.
An APD will usually start with your food and symptom diary, then guide you through an elimination diet: cutting out suspected foods for a few weeks, then bringing them back one at a time to see what happens. It works, but it's slow, and it's much easier when you know where to start.
What it costs. You don't need a referral to see a dietitian privately. Many private health funds with extras cover part of the fee. If you have a chronic condition, ask your GP whether a care plan applies: it can give you a Medicare rebate for a limited number of allied health visits each year, including a dietitian.
Start your diary now, whichever route you choose. Our free food and symptom diary template makes it easy.
Route 3: an at-home hair sensitivity test
This is where many of our Australian customers start, because it gives you a shortlist to take to your diary and your dietitian. It works differently from anything your GP orders. It doesn't use blood or measure antibodies. You send a small hair sample, and our testing team uses bioresonance to look for potential sensitivity patterns across hundreds of food and non-food items, such as additives, metals and environmental items. Our guide to how hair sensitivity testing works explains the method.
In Australia our tests come with digital instructions: you get a link by email, cut a small hair sample and post it to us in your own envelope. Here's what you're ordering with digital instructions and what happens after you send your hair sample. Results arrive in 5–7 working days once your sample is received.
If you'd like the widest range of items, the Optimum Sensitivity Test checks 1,600. If you'd rather start smaller, the Individual Sensitivity Test checks 600.
The three routes side by side
| Your GP | Accredited Practising Dietitian | At-home hair sensitivity test | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Ruling out coeliac disease, allergies and other medical causes | Working through an elimination diet with support | A starting shortlist of potential sensitivities |
| What it involves | Consultation, possibly blood or breath tests and referrals | Food diary, elimination and reintroduction | A few strands of hair, posted to us |
| Items covered | Specific conditions your GP tests for | The foods you trial, one at a time | 600, 1,000 or 1,600 food and non-food items |
| Cost | Free if bulk billed, otherwise a gap fee | Private fee; extras cover or a GP care plan may help | From A$49.95 |
What our tests cost in Australia
| Test | Items checked | 1 person | 2 people | 4 people |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual Sensitivity Test | 600 | A$49.95 | n/a | n/a |
| Ultimate Individual Test | 1,000 | A$54.95 | A$84.95 | A$149.95 |
| Optimum Sensitivity Test | 1,600 | A$59.95 | A$99.95 | A$159.95 |
Prices shown are for Australian orders on 28 October 2026, in Australian dollars, with digital instructions. Your current price is on each test page. Every hair sensitivity test comes with our 30-day 100% money-back guarantee.
Testing the whole family before the summer holidays? The Ultimate Individual Test and the Optimum test both come in 2- and 4-person versions, which work out cheaper per person. Not sure which level suits you? Our guide to comparing food sensitivity tests explains the differences, so we won't repeat it here.
A sensible order of steps
- See your GP to rule out anything that needs medical attention, including coeliac disease (keep eating gluten until you've been tested).
- Start a food and symptom diary straight away and keep it going for a few weeks.
- Take an at-home food intolerance test if you'd like a shortlist of potential sensitivities to explore.
- Compare your results with your diary and look for foods that appear in both.
- Trial changes one food at a time, ideally with an APD, so you keep your diet balanced.
Common questions
Can a GP test for food intolerance in Australia? A GP can check for conditions that look like intolerance, such as coeliac disease, and may arrange a breath test for lactose or refer you to a specialist for allergies. There isn't one GP test for everyday food intolerances, so most people combine a food diary with a dietitian, and many add an at-home test as a starting point.
Does Medicare cover food intolerance testing? Medicare covers GP visits (fully, if your GP bulk bills) and part of specialist visits with a referral. At-home tests aren't covered by Medicare and are paid for yourself.
How long do results take? Results arrive in 5–7 working days once your sample is received. Postage time is separate.
What if I'm not happy? We offer a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee on hair sensitivity tests.
Ready to start? Compare our sensitivity tests and choose the one that suits you.
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) and they aren't a medical diagnosis. Use your personalised results as a starting point for exploration, and talk to your GP or an Accredited Practising Dietitian before making big or long-term changes to your diet.
