Youngsters may be at risk if their parents conduct food allergy tests online or on the high street, one major health organisation has warned.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) indicated that children could be put on diets that have no scientific basis, potentially causing them harm.

"It's not at all unusual that parents will come in with their print out of things they have been told to exclude based on completely invalidated types of testing," commented Dr Adam Fox, a consultant in paediatric allergy at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London.

He emphasised that particularly impressive websites are more likely to lure people in, rather than encourage them to seek the advice of a medical professional.

A survey from IDG Retail recently found that more home cooks are in search of value ingredients to use in their recipes as food prices are on the rise.