Food Challenges for Allergy Sufferers

Parents Magazine reported last month that children can overcome food allergies by doing allergy challenges. Now, personally I don’t think this is very safe for children, even under a doctor’s supervision, which the magazine clearly states. However, it is said that a child can build up an immunity by eating small bites, working their way up from a crumb to a slice.

Currently the only advice doctors can give to the estimated 12 million Americans who have food allergies is to avoid the food and carry a self-injectable dose of epinephrine in case they accidentally consume the allergenic food. There is no treatment available to prevent an allergic reaction to food other than strict avoidance of that food.
The theory is that challenges exist for hay fever sufferers so why not for food allergy sufferers?