A routine diagnostic procedure, the food-focused history, intracutaneous tests with food extracts, and ingestion challenge with selected foods in combination with rhinomanometry were performed in 142 patients suffering from perennial allergic rhinitis. Forty-one of the 47 patients with a "positive food allergy history" developed 65 (90%) positive nasal responses during 72 food ingestion challenges. Of the 95 patients with an "unknown food allergy history," 54 developed 68 (50%) positive nasal responses during 132 food ingestion challenges. The following responses were recorded: 29 isolated immediate (within three hours), 38 isolated late (six to 24 hours), 42 dual late (immediate + late), 11 isolated delayed (28 to 52 hours), and 13 dual delayed (immediate + delayed). It can be concluded that the involvement of foods in allergic rhinitis is more frequent than is usually expected. The definite confirmation of the role of a certain food in these patients should be provided by the food ingestion challenge demonstrating one of the clinical types of nasal response. The mechanisms underlying the nasal response to foods are not yet fully clarified. The involvement of different types of hypersensitivity in the individual types of nasal response cannot be excluded.