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How It Works FAQ About ContactImportant medical guidance
This page provides general information based on NHS and BSACI allergen introduction guidelines. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice. If your baby has eczema, a known allergy, or a family history of severe allergic reactions, always consult your GP or paediatrician before introducing allergens. In a medical emergency, call 999 immediately.
Early allergen introduction from around 6 months is recommended by UK paediatric guidelines. This guide gives you a practical, per-allergen plan so you can do this safely and confidently — one food at a time.
Follow these steps in order for every new allergen you introduce.
Begin allergen introduction at around 6 months, once your baby has successfully started solid foods and is eating a few single-ingredient purées comfortably. Do not start during illness, severe teething, or eczema flare-ups.
Introduce peanut and cooked egg first — these are the allergens with the strongest evidence for early introduction reducing risk. Then proceed to dairy (in food), wheat, fish, tree nuts, sesame, soya, and shellfish over the following weeks.
Never give whole nuts (choking risk). Use smooth nut butters, finely ground nuts, or mixed into purée. For eggs: use well-cooked scrambled egg or hard boiled. For fish: remove all bones, flake finely. For shellfish: remove shell entirely, serve in tiny pieces.
Always introduce a new allergen at home (not at nursery or a restaurant), in the morning, so you have the rest of the day to monitor. Your baby should be well — no illness, no active eczema flare.
Give a pea-sized amount mixed into accepted food. Wait 20 minutes. If no reaction, give a slightly larger amount. Monitor for 2 hours after eating. Mild reactions (redness around mouth, minor rash) should be reported to your GP. Severe reactions (swelling of throat, difficulty breathing) require 999 immediately.
Once a food is tolerated, continue offering it at least 3 times per week. Tolerance is maintained by regular exposure. Stopping a well-tolerated allergen and reintroducing after months is associated with increased risk of sensitivity.
Each of the 9 priority allergens, in recommended introduction order, with practical preparation guidance.
Form: Smooth peanut butter only — never whole peanuts. Mix ¼ tsp into porridge, purée, or yoghurt. Timing: around 6 months. Once tolerated: 3× per week minimum. Strongest evidence from LEAP trial for early introduction.
Form: Well-cooked scrambled egg, hard-boiled, or egg in baking. Both yolk and white are allergenic — introduce together in cooked form. Timing: 6–7 months. Well-cooked egg is less allergenic than lightly cooked.
Form: In cooking — cheese sauce, milk in porridge, yoghurt, soft cheese. As a main drink: after 12 months only. Timing: In food from 6 months. Formula-fed babies have already had milk protein exposure.
Form: Soft bread crust, baby breadstick, pasta, wheat-based baby cereal. Timing: around 6–7 months. Evidence suggests delayed wheat introduction increases risk. Most babies tolerate wheat very well.
Form: White fish first (cod, haddock, sole) — baked and flaked very finely, all bones removed (check twice). Then oily fish: salmon, mackerel. Shellfish separately later. Timing: 7–8 months.
Form: Smooth nut butter (almond, cashew, walnut) — never whole nuts. Introduce each nut type separately with 3–5 days between each. Timing: 7–9 months. Whole nuts remain a choking risk until age 5.
Form: Tahini (sesame paste) mixed into purée or yoghurt. A tiny amount initially. Timing: 7–8 months. Sesame is increasingly common in processed foods — worth regular inclusion once tolerated.
Form: Soya yoghurt, silken tofu, soya milk in cooking. Note: up to 50% of babies with confirmed cow's milk allergy may also react to soya — introduce with extra care in this case. Timing: 7–8 months.
Form: Prawns finely chopped or blended, crab meat — shell removed entirely. Introduce each shellfish type separately. Timing: 9–12 months, after other proteins are established.
If in doubt, call 999
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency. Symptoms can progress rapidly. If you are unsure whether your baby is having a severe allergic reaction, call 999 immediately. Do not wait.
Once you are ready to introduce peanut, BabyBite Compass suggests the ideal carrier meal to mix a small amount of peanut butter into.
BabyBite Compass · 6 months · Peanut introduction · Breakfast
Peanut Butter Porridge
Sweet Potato & Peanut Purée
Around 6 months — when your baby has started solid foods and is comfortably eating a few single-ingredient purées. Current UK guidance (BSACI, NHS) recommends not waiting beyond 12 months to introduce allergenic foods. Earlier introduction is associated with lower allergy risk, not higher.
For a mild reaction (redness around the mouth, rash, vomiting): stop giving that food and call your GP for advice. For a severe reaction (swelling of the throat, difficulty breathing, collapse): call 999 immediately. Do not reintroduce any food that caused a reaction without medical guidance.
If your baby is formula-fed, they have already been exposed to cow's milk protein. However, they still need deliberate introduction of the other 8 allergens (peanut, egg, wheat, fish, tree nuts, sesame, soya, shellfish). Formula exposure to milk protein does not guarantee tolerance to all dairy forms at weaning.
One new allergen every 3–5 days is the recommended pace. This allows you to identify any specific food causing a reaction. Do not introduce two new allergens on the same day. Once a food is well-tolerated, continue it regularly while introducing new ones.
No strict mandatory order — but peanut and cooked egg are highest priority based on evidence. Most paediatric guidance recommends introducing these two first, then proceeding to the others in any order over the following weeks and months.
BabyBite Meal Planner lets you set active allergy filters — marking allergens you are currently avoiding, and clearing them as you successfully introduce each one. BabyBite Compass then generates meal ideas appropriate for your baby's current allergen status, including carrier meals perfect for mixing in small amounts of nut butter, egg, or other allergens during introduction.
Medical disclaimer
This page is for general information only and does not constitute medical advice. BabyBite is not a medical service. Always consult your GP, paediatrician, or a registered dietitian for advice specific to your child. In an emergency, call 999.
Last reviewed: July 2025. Based on BSACI and NHS allergen introduction guidelines.
BabyBite Compass suggests ideal carrier meals for introducing each allergen — age-appropriate, nutritious, and safe. Free, no account needed.
