USDA Updates Dietary Guidelines to Include Introduction of Food Allergens
Published: January 21, 2026
The U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (PDF). It once again includes a recommendation for early introduction of food allergens to infants.
The recommendation was first added in the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines. It follows similar peanut allergy guidelinesfrom the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
USDA joins with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to issue updates to the dietary guidelines every five years.
What do USDA Guidelines say about introducing food allergens to babies?
The guidelines recommend parents introduce peanut and most food allergies at around 6 months of age. This can be done when introducing solid foods to your infant.
Research shows that early introduction of food allergies can help prevent the development of food allergies.
Delaying the introduction of food allergens in the first few years of life does not prevent food allergies. Avoidance may actually promote developing food allergies.
How should parents introduce food allergens to babies?
The guidelines say parents should “introduce potentially allergenic foods with other complementary foods” at about 6 months of age. This can help with food allergy prevention.
Major food allergens include:
- Peanut
- Milk (cow’s milk, goat’s milk)
- Egg
- Tree nuts
- Wheat
- Soy
- Shellfish
- Fish
- Sesame
These nine foods are the most common food allergies. The foods account for 90% of allergic reactions. Parents should be sure to check food labels of baby food products. Reading food labels can help you prevent food-allergic reactions. Don’t forget to check food additives that may involve allergens.
Peanut products should be given to infants at home in a puree or powder sauce. Sometimes it can be mixed in with oatmeal, applesauce or mashed banana. Some children do well with Bamba, a commercial peanut-containing puff. For very young children (7 months or younger), the puffs should be softened in 4-6 tablespoons of water.
Never give whole nuts to an infant or young child. They are a choking hazard until age 5.
Parents should monitor their baby for an allergic reaction after giving a food allergen for the first time. If the baby has a diagnosed food allergy, make sure to have epinephrine readily available. Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for a severe allergic reaction.
Should you introduce peanut to babies at high risk for food allergies?
Introducing peanut products (puree, butter or powder) into a child’s diet can prevent peanut allergy. But if an infant has severe eczema, egg allergy or both, the child is at higher risk for peanut allergy. In this case, USDA guidelines recommend introduction of peanut as early as 4 to 6 months.
This can be done by mixing a small amount of peanut butter with breast milk or formula. Then feed it to your baby by spoon. This will help thin the food to a safe consistency.
If an infant has mild to moderate eczema, introduce peanut-containing foods at around 6 months of age.
Speak with a pediatrician or pediatric allergist before giving peanut products to a baby at high risk for food allergies. Your child’s doctor can also provide advice on how to manage food allergies. Food allergy safety is paramount.
Reviewed by:
Purvi Parikh, MD, FACAAI is an adult and pediatric allergist and immunologist at Allergy and Asthma Associates of Murray Hill in New York City. She is on faculty as Clinical Assistant Professor in both departments of Medicine and Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine.
