The most common allergen foods for infants and toddlers include:

• egg
• cow’s milk
• soy
• wheat
• peanuts
• tree nuts.

In Australia, other high-risk allergen foods include:

• sesame
• fish
• crustacea (e.g. prawns, crabs)
• molluscs (e.g. oysters, mussels).

Introduce one new allergen at a time so it's easier to identify the cause if your baby has a reaction.

• If there's no reaction, continue offering that food at least twice a week until your child is 5.
• If your baby shows signs of an allergic reaction, stop offering the food and seek medical advice.
• For severe reactions like anaphylaxis, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

See the Allergy and allergy test Factsheet for signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis.

Important to note:

• Severe allergic reactions often occur within minutes, while milder reactions may take a few hours.
• Some allergic conditions develop slowly, taking days or weeks to appear.

There’s no strict order or time of day to introduce allergen foods, but offering them during the day or after a nap allows you to monitor your baby closely.

Examples of age-appropriate allergen foods:

• Smooth peanut butter
• Pureed hard-boiled egg
• Tree nut pastes

Start small: Mix about ¼ teaspoon into your baby’s regular food. If there’s no reaction, increase to ½ teaspoon next time. Gradually build up the amount and texture as your baby grows.

If you're unsure, you can rub a small amount of the food on the inside of your baby's lip first. If there's no reaction, you can mix it into their food.

Even if another family member has a food allergy, it's still important to introduce that allergen to your baby. You may need to take food preparation and storage precautions to keep everyone safe.

If your family doesn't usually eat a particular allergen food, or your baby may not continue to eat it regularly, speak to your doctor or an allergy dietitian about your options.

For more information, visit  Food allergies.