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Welcome to the Food Intolerance Network

We are the co-founders, Sue Dengate and Dr Howard Dengate. Here you'll find:

  • Independent science-based information about food intolerance
  • Support for families using a low-chemical elimination diet free of additives, low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers (FAILSAFE eating)
  • Introduction to food intolerance

Watch our short introduction to food intolerance

Latest Newsletter

Our ‘old’ son – riddled with frustration, anger and depression caused by food
Our ‘new’ son - ‘happy, confident, interested and loving, after 2 years of hell’ Read more: Success story [992]

Read the Latest Failsafe Newsletter

Food Additives

About 50 additives have been shown to affect health, behaviour and learning in children and adults.

Additives to avoid

Quick quiz: what's wrong with this label?

Additive-free School Trials

About 60% of children improve if they change what they eat. Staff, students and parents report ‘calmer, quieter’ students and ‘detentions dropped from an average of 6 per week to none’.

School factsheets

Eating for success

VIDEO See for yourself! See other videos

So many success stories

Sarah's before-and-after photos showing how she lost 60 kg in one year on the RPAH elimination diet

See story [1536]

See many more success stories

4 year-old Laura's drawings off diet and then on diet

Symptoms of food intolerance

Headaches, migraines, head banging, rashes, itching, swelling, asthma, stuffy/runny nose, short fuse, temper outbursts, rages, foggy brain, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, oppositional defiance, symptoms of ADHD, silly noises, diarrhoea and/or constipation, reflux, sneaky poos, insomnia, night terrors, anxiety, depression, atrial fibrillation, arthritis, alopecia, eating disorders and more...

FAQs and Factsheets

Question: What could be wrong with toothpaste?

Answer: See what!

See all Frequently Asked Questions

There are over 100 authoritative factsheets covering symptoms of food intolerance, individual additives and support for people and schools

See Factsheet index

Sue Dengate's books

Sue Dengate’s best-selling Fed Up series, published by Random House Australia, will help you understand how food affects your child and what you can do about it

More information on each book and the DVD

Sue Dengate's inspiring personal story as an ebook

Failsafe Foods

Independent information to help you in the supermarket, with updates

    Welcome to the Food Intolerance Network

    Hello everyone

     

    FCtribute
    Here are some great kids paying tribute to the cover of the Failsafe Cookbook – thanks Jodie!

    The Food Intolerance Network provides support for a membership of over 20,000 families managing food after using an elimination and challenge protocol developed by Sydney's Royal Prince Alfred Hospital Allergy Unit.

    We help both children and adults with independent information about the effects of food on behaviour, health and learning. We identify and avoid harmful food additives and show you how to choose foods low in salicylates, amines and flavour enhancers, all based on the best science.

    Thanks to all who contributed to the latest Failsafe Newsletter 117 (September - December 2026)

    Recent blogs

    VHills

    • Food intolerances and risk of orthorexia: guest blog by Sharon Trueman APD
    • Migraines – response to the Guardian
    • Generally Recognised as Secret (GRAS)

    Popular new reader stories

    [1705] “last night I had the worst case of restless legs and insomnia ever … ‘natural’ annatto 160b”

    [1706] “Ribonucleotide flavour enhancer 635 … in Bisto gravies … I am frankly appalled by what it has done to my face … manufacturers seem to want to hide they’ve used it despite the damaging side-effects it can have.”

    In brief

    And apparently the food industry knows a lot more about ribonucleotide dermatitis (and gout) than consumers and doctors, see 635 ribonucleotides warnings from distributors, and more ...

    Research

    Speaking of ultra-processed foods, see latest studies linking certain additives to cancer, certain sugar substitutes to faster declines in memory or liver disease, and more …

    Don't forget

    Sue Dengate's famous presentation “Fed Up with Children’s Behaviour” NOW in high definition and easy-watch chapters FREE

    Now read on - Sue Dengate

    Sue's Blog